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watson-watt suggested using bawdsey manor development site after noticing on sunday drive while working @ orfordness.

in august 1935, albert percival rowe, secretary of committee, coined term radio direction , finding (rdf), deliberately choosing name confused radio direction finding , term in widespread use.

in 9 september 1935 memo, watson-watt outlined progress date. @ time range 40 mi (64 km), watson-watt suggested building complete network of stations 20 mi (32 km) apart along entire east coast. since transmitters , receivers separate, save development costs suggested placing transmitter @ every other station. transmitter signal used receiver @ site ones on each side of it. rendered moot rapid increases in range. when committee next visited site in october, range 80 miles (130 km), , wilkins working on method height finding using multiple antennas.

in spite of ad hoc nature , short development time of less 6 months, orfordness system had become useful , practical system. in comparison, acoustic mirror systems had been in development decade still limited 5 mi (8.0 km) range under conditions, , difficult use in practice. work on mirror systems ended, , on 19 december 1935, £60,000 contract 5 stations along south-east coast sent out, operational august 1936.

the person not convinced of utility of rdf lindemann. had been placed on committee personal insistence of long-time friend, churchill, , proved unimpressed team s work. when visited site, particularly upset crude conditions. lindemann advocated use of infrared systems detection , tracking , numerous observers have noted lindemann s continual interference radar. bowen put it:

within few months of joining committee, had been innovative , forward-looking group became riven strife. strictly lindemann versus rest, hostility radar , insistence on totally impractical ideas intercepting enemy aircraft means of wires dangled balloons, or infrared, @ time did not have sensitivity detect aircraft @ long range.

churchill s backing meant other members complaints behaviour ignored. matter referred lord swinton, new secretary of state air, solved problem dissolving original committee , reforming appleton in lindemann s place.

as development effort grew, watt requested central research station set up, of large size , ground space considerable number of mast , aerial systems . several members of team went on scouting trips watt north of orfordness found nothing suitable. wilkins recalled having come across interesting site 10 mi (16 km) south of orfordness time earlier while on sunday drive; recalled because 70–80 feet (21–24 m) above sea level, odd in area. useful large manor house on property, have ample room experimental labs , offices. in february , march 1936, team moved bawdsey manor , established air ministry experimental station (ames). when scientific team left in 1939, site became operational ch site raf bawdsey.

while ness team began moving bawdsey, orfordness site remained in use. proved useful during 1 demonstration when new system completed @ bawdsey failed. next day, robert hanbury-brown , newly arrived gerald touch started orfordness system , able run demonstrations there. orfordness site not shut down until 1937.

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