Avionics News - September 2023 - 44

series
B Y
T H O M A S
I N M A N
Pipsqueak
I
could barely believe my eyes. For over 20
years, I've been using the letters W, I, N and D
to explain to my college students how context
matters with air traffic control radar beacon system
transponders. ATCRBS transponders send between 2
and 15 bursts of energy. What the
energy pattern means depends on
context. The pulses sent for a pilot's
code of 1210 is identical to the code
for 29,200 feet. The only way to
determine the correct answer is to
have knowledge of the question.
To illustrate the point, I use the
letters and explain how the wind
helps a sailboat, but one must wind
a clock. They are the same four
letters that convey a completely
different meaning and pronunciation
depending on the context.
Later, context comes up in the human factors class.
THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE
LOOKING AT A PANEL
PHOTO OF A WORLD WAR
II FIGHTER, ESPECIALLY AN
EARLY ONE, LOOK FOR THE
PIPSQUEAK CONTACTOR.
USUALLY, IT WILL BE
MOUNTED LOW OR TO THE
FAR RIGHT OR LEFT.
In that case, the discussion is about how context can
lead to misinterpretation, especially when coupled with
confirmation bias.
One afternoon, a student walked into my office,
handed me a device, and asked, " do you know what
this is? " Immediately, I could tell it was some device
44 avionics news * september 2023
intended for aircraft. It was made to fit into a standard
3 ATI panel hole. On the back was a Mil Spec round
four-pin connector. A tag indicated it was made for the
Signal Corps of the United States Army. Based on my
assumption that the device was made for airplanes, I
looked at the face and saw three
" controls " and one indicator. The
controls were for a contactor and
for a clock. The third control was
labeled " WIND. " My initial theory
was it was some sort of wind drift
calculator.
The student destroyed my
calculator theory by saying, " it still
works; you can still wind it up. "
My assumption was so strong that
he had to repeat his statement twice
to counteract my confirmation bias.
Sure enough, flipping the clock
control from stop to run made the indicator start to rotate.
It would make one revolution per minute, and slightly
less than 25% of the indicator face had markings to show
the passage of 14 seconds.
I had never seen an instrument like this, so it was off
to Google to learn more. In addition to the Army Signal
Corps printing, the tag indicated it was a contactor

Avionics News - September 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News - September 2023

Contents
Avionics News - September 2023 - Intro
Avionics News - September 2023 - Cover1
Avionics News - September 2023 - Cover2
Avionics News - September 2023 - 1
Avionics News - September 2023 - Contents
Avionics News - September 2023 - 3
Avionics News - September 2023 - 4
Avionics News - September 2023 - 5
Avionics News - September 2023 - 6
Avionics News - September 2023 - 7
Avionics News - September 2023 - 8
Avionics News - September 2023 - 9
Avionics News - September 2023 - 10
Avionics News - September 2023 - 11
Avionics News - September 2023 - 12
Avionics News - September 2023 - 13
Avionics News - September 2023 - 14
Avionics News - September 2023 - 15
Avionics News - September 2023 - 16
Avionics News - September 2023 - 17
Avionics News - September 2023 - 18
Avionics News - September 2023 - 19
Avionics News - September 2023 - 20
Avionics News - September 2023 - 21
Avionics News - September 2023 - 22
Avionics News - September 2023 - 23
Avionics News - September 2023 - 24
Avionics News - September 2023 - 25
Avionics News - September 2023 - 26
Avionics News - September 2023 - 27
Avionics News - September 2023 - 28
Avionics News - September 2023 - 29
Avionics News - September 2023 - 30
Avionics News - September 2023 - 31
Avionics News - September 2023 - 32
Avionics News - September 2023 - 33
Avionics News - September 2023 - 34
Avionics News - September 2023 - 35
Avionics News - September 2023 - 36
Avionics News - September 2023 - 37
Avionics News - September 2023 - 38
Avionics News - September 2023 - 39
Avionics News - September 2023 - 40
Avionics News - September 2023 - 41
Avionics News - September 2023 - 42
Avionics News - September 2023 - 43
Avionics News - September 2023 - 44
Avionics News - September 2023 - 45
Avionics News - September 2023 - 46
Avionics News - September 2023 - 47
Avionics News - September 2023 - 48
Avionics News - September 2023 - 49
Avionics News - September 2023 - 50
Avionics News - September 2023 - 51
Avionics News - September 2023 - 52
Avionics News - September 2023 - 53
Avionics News - September 2023 - 54
Avionics News - September 2023 - 55
Avionics News - September 2023 - 56
Avionics News - September 2023 - 57
Avionics News - September 2023 - 58
Avionics News - September 2023 - 59
Avionics News - September 2023 - 60
Avionics News - September 2023 - 61
Avionics News - September 2023 - 62
Avionics News - September 2023 - 63
Avionics News - September 2023 - 64
Avionics News - September 2023 - Cover3
Avionics News - September 2023 - Cover4
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