Forums

Topic: Those triangles on your AM dial... - I found out (again) what they were.  (Read 1251 times)

Offline Anthony

  • In front of the computer
  • Joined: Dec 2001
  • Posts: 1136
I had been asking around at the meetings, because I had forgot, but I found the website again and looked in my Webster's and found the info.  Here's the radio:

They are CONELRAD (CONtrol of ELEctromagnetic RADiation) triangles.  "a system for preventing the use of radio signals from an AM station as a guide for hostile aircraft or missiles by shifting all AM stations to the frequencies 640 or 1240 and having them broadcast in a group in random order for short intervals on only these frequencies"

So, there it is, a little useless Cold War trivia for your amusement :p

Offline Anthony

  • In front of the computer
  • Joined: Dec 2001
  • Posts: 1136

Those triangles on your AM dial... - I found out (again) what they were.

« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2002, 08:21:37 PM »
Here's more:
President Truman established the CONELRAD [CONtrol of ELectronic RADiation] system in 1951. to provide emergency alert to the public. Under this first national alerting system in the event of a Soviet attack on the United States, all commercial radio stations would cease normal operation, in order to prevent Soviet bombers from homing in on their targets by using specific radio commercial radio stations as navigation beacons. Instead, selected CONELRAD stations would broadcast on either 604kHz or 1240kHz to inform the public about emergency measures. As part of the system it was obligatory for all radios sold after 1953 to have the CONELRAD frequencies 640/1240 kHz marked with small triangles on the dial. The triangles were referred to as CD marks, for Civil Defense. The marks on the radio dial were to make finding the frequencies easy. This requirement was dropped, when the CONELRAD system was replaced by the Emergency Broadcast System in 1963. By the early 1960's the development of Soviet missiles had made the CONELRAD system obsolete.

There was an error while liking
Liking...

About Us

Chattanooga's oldest and largest club for air-cooled and water-cooled Volkswagens, since 1998. Join Us

Follow Us

© 1998-2025 Scenic City Volks Folks