Why do I need audio?

[No Longer Active]

I just wondered.....

When I fly a route based on a flight chart, I usually fly VOR to VOR using VOR waypoints and tune my NAV and ADF accordingly. Never do I have the sound on because the bleeping drives me insane, it sounds like morse code with a series of different length bleeps (long and short)....but what do these bleeps mean, and do I need to hear them, I am not too sure if they are designed to indicate position or NM's away from the VOR beacon. My DME gives me this data. So what are the sounds for on the NAV?

Thanks.

Alex

[davek]

Alex, they are actual idents. It is morse code so when you tune to the VOR, you can listen to the morse code ident to confirm that it is infact the correct one you are tuned to and thus have correct nav aids tuned in. Each one should have its own morse code, usually its name as shown on charts, which identifies it from any others close by.

Whether you listen to them or not is up to you. I know what you mean about them driving you nuts. You would only have to listen to catch the morse the first time and then turn off. But its our virtual skys and aircraft so we can do exactly what WE want... hehehe.. it never rains when i am flying my plane. )

I presume it is one of those things that is left over from the old days of flying before gps ils and all the other wonderful things we are spoilt with now. You could imagine being in an old trimotor with a compass and a clock and maybe if you were lucky, a map, and trying to navigate over vast land areas. Pretty scary days i would imagine.

[Rockeyes]

It is indeed Morse code. The dits and dah’s enable the Navigation beacons to be identified. These audio tones can be normally selected via the com box. My local VOR/DME station is Barkway its IDENT would be BKY -... -.- -.—
If I remember correctly if there is a problem with a station a series of ‘E’s are transmitted in place of the full IDENT. Need to check that out though

[Rockeyes]

Beat me to it Davek

[tomenglish2000]

Thats right guys.
When you start to use a VOR or ILS you should always check that the ident Morse code matches the station's identifier. Once that has been checked you can turn it off, but it should be checked again now and then to make sure you are still on the correct station and that it is still serviceable (Every few minutes would be enough). I too remember something about E's being sent for stations with malfunctions. In such a case you shouldnt use it.

ADF however is a bit different. ADFs are very prone to interferance and I was always taught that when tracking an ADF you should listen to the identifier all the time. That way if there is interferance you will know because the ident stops. That could be caused by faults or by electrical storms etc. (For electrical storms, the pointer will aim at the storm, so you dont really want to track that!). Always test the receiver before you begin on ADF too. Dont know if you have this simulated, but there is usually a test button on the ADF that swings the pointer to the west point of the dial, releasing it should send the pointer back to where it began (providing you allow for any change in direction of the station from when you start the test).

Hope this is useful.

[No Longer Active]

Hi Thanks guys, all makes sense now, and now I know that it's morse code, I think that I can now disconnect the nav inputs to my audio panel and use the I/O inputs somewhere else now, maybe when my flying gets really serious will I then connect up the audio for the nav etc, my com is of great use however.....

Thanks, Alex

[AK Mongo]

In "real life", ADF monitoring does not have to be unpleasant, at least in the US. At least it's not torture if you consider AM radio better than Morse identifiers....
AM radio transmitters can be tuned and tracked.

[fsaviator]

One other thing to keep in mind about these "old" VORs in the Real World... in some cases they also transmit voice information. Not only do all VORs transmit their identifier in Morse code, but... Flight Service Stations may also transmit weather information, and ATC may use it to transmit advisories.

Many are trying to herald in the GPS as quick as possible, and it is a great thing... keep in mind that GPS requires a constellation of satellites, and legal use of GPS for approaches requires a certain amount of accuracy (read that available satellites and ground stations (WAAS)). Having seen the effects of GPS jamming, and with the knowledge that solar activity and other atmospheric conditions can hamper GPS signals... I think we would be wise to keep the old VOR around a while... after all... nothing beats a hand flown dead-reckoning VOR to VOR route, followed by a VOR approach.

that's my 2 cents... not applicable to the original question, really, but more of a "nice to know"!

[fsaviator]

One other thing to keep in mind about these "old" VORs in the Real World... in some cases they also transmit voice information. Not only do all VORs transmit their identifier in Morse code, but... Flight Service Stations may also transmit weather information, and ATC may use it to transmit advisories.

Many are trying to herald in the GPS as quick as possible, and it is a great thing... keep in mind that GPS requires a constellation of satellites, and legal use of GPS for approaches requires a certain amount of accuracy (read that available satellites and ground stations (WAAS)). Having seen the effects of GPS jamming, and with the knowledge that solar activity and other atmospheric conditions can hamper GPS signals... I think we would be wise to keep the old VOR around a while... after all... nothing beats a hand flown dead-reckoning VOR to VOR route, followed by a VOR approach.

that's my 2 cents... not applicable to the original question, really, but more of a "nice to know"!