Nova Tech's Pilot Pal (1964)

Nova Tech 'Pilot Pal', Manhattan Beach, Ca,USA,. In 1964 it cost $100 that's $773 in  2017 equivalent value. I was really pleased to find this one. It's a marine or aircraft radio direction finder. You would tune it in to known beacon transmitter, that were once dotted all around the UK coastline, move the box swing arm on top containing a ferrite rod aerial coil until you had the weakest signal on the display meter, using the sight on the top you would then plot a point on the horizon to steer the ship/plane to it. Quite a small battery operated unit this, it would fit in a fisherman's pocket easily (Leather case and table stand was missing when I found it)

Seized-up tuning capacitor

Although working when I brought it, it was stuck on one frequency as the tuning condenser had seized-up. This is a miniature component so rather than trying to find a replacement I removed the plastic outer coating by melting it with an iron and pealed back one side,  then I and sprayed cleaning fluid at the 5 bearing points and bingo back in action. Cleaner was also applied to the band switch, volume control & signal strength pot.
All ferrite rod radios will work as direction finders, this Nova Tech design just gave you an extra level meter, RF gain and compass display for you $750 more cash !!! Although the production cost would have been high with sales being quite low in comparison to a domestic radio, it was assembled like most stuff in Japan. The battery used was a PP3, still available today.

Advert in the May 1965 Flying magazine

Headphones would have been a must on board a noisy plane or ship, and sockets for this and an external speaker are fitted to the front. On the signal meter was also printed some instructions for use, and on the top was also printed the Morse code. Nova Tech made civil type radios from around 1960 on wards. A few direction finders were made with custom frequencies, mine was made for use in the UK with 3 bands; Marine, Air and Medium Wave. Where I live a strong signal can be received from the BBC Droitwich transmitter that's now running Radio 5 on the MW band at 150 kw power. The transmitter's days are numbered though as only 10 of the 2 used transmitter valves are left in the world.