direction finder

American  

noun

Radio.

1. a receiver with a loop antenna rotating on a vertical axis, used to ascertain the direction of incoming radio waves.

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direction finder British  

noun

1. Abbreviation: D/F.   DF.  a highly directional aerial system that can be used to determine the direction of incoming radio signals, used esp as a navigation aid

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Other Word Forms

• direction finding noun

Etymology

Origin of direction finder

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

For instance, Panamerican Airway radio direction finders on Wake Island, Midway Atoll and Honolulu each picked up distress signals from Earhart and took bearings, which triangulated in the cluster of islands that includes Nikumaroro.

From New York Times

He took typing in high school, making him perfect for the role of direction finder - the man who, after learning Morse code during training , eavesdropped on U-boat messages in the North and South Atlantic.

From Washington Times

Another part of the unit used radio direction finders to look for North Korean transmitters, a job Alsop did on a few occasions.

From Washington Times

Yaftali, the K.K.A. commander, told me that his unit’s Wolfhound radio direction finders, which allowed them to determine the range and bearing of enemy radios, picked up Taliban transmissions from inside the hospital.

From New York Times

One involved Noonan doing celestial navigation; the other, her use of a radio “bearing” direction finder.

From Forbes