What is a cut?

What is a cut?

• A. Cut - uses two approximate lines of bearing to determine where the two lines of bearing intersect
• B. A line-of-bearing uses a single sensor to locate a transmitter
• C. A fix uses three lines of bearing
• D. A bearing is the direction to the north

Answer: (A)

In radio direction finding, a cut is the estimate you get when you plot two lines of bearing from two different positions toward the transmitter. Each bearing defines a line; because measurements aren’t exact, those lines don’t meet at a single precise point. The cut is the point where those two lines would intersect, giving you an approximate location for the transmitter. This is why two bearings are enough to make a location estimate, though using a third bearing can improve accuracy. A bearing itself is the direction from your position to the target measured relative to north, not simply north itself.

In radio direction finding, a cut is the estimate you get when you plot two lines of bearing from two different positions toward the transmitter. Each bearing defines a line; because measurements aren’t exact, those lines don’t meet at a single precise point. The cut is the point where those two lines would intersect, giving you an approximate location for the transmitter. This is why two bearings are enough to make a location estimate, though using a third bearing can improve accuracy. A bearing itself is the direction from your position to the target measured relative to north, not simply north itself.