VOR (user) problem in 0.8.0
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Hi! Trying out the 0.8.0 version I went for some VOR-to-VOR navigation in Finland. However, it does not behave as I expected. Please see the attached screenshot. The KN62A has found the signal, claiming I have 36.7 NM to go which seems about right. It also finds the next VOR if I flip the DME switch to NAV2. The VOR 1 and VOR 2 indicators in the left main panel however don't look like they have discovered anything. What gives?
Now, since I don't know how to fly for real, and picked up on using VOR from the PA-28 tutorial, my primary guess is that I'm doing or reading something wrong, and that it's not a bug. Either way I'd appreciate to be put straight!
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Hi! Trying out the 0.8.0 version I went for some VOR-to-VOR navigation in Finland. However, it does not behave as I expected. Please see the attached screenshot. The KN62A has found the signal, claiming I have 36.7 NM to go which seems about right. It also finds the next VOR if I flip the DME switch to NAV2. The VOR 1 and VOR 2 indicators in the left main panel however don't look like they have discovered anything. What gives?
Now, since I don't know how to fly for real, and picked up on using VOR from the PA-28 tutorial, my primary guess is that I'm doing or reading something wrong, and that it's not a bug. Either way I'd appreciate to be put straight!
@Dan-T, Make sure the VOR stations you are tuning appear on your VFR charts with a compass rose around them... Some stations transmit DME information only and do not transmit radials. If there is no compass rose around the VOR symbol on the chart, it is probably DME only.
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Also, if you selected these VOR's from the MSFS world map, make sure they are not ILS transmitters located at the end of a runway... The station ID will begin with the letter "I" if it is an ILS transmitter.
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Thanks for swift replies! I did select them from MSFS world map and they are not ILS transmitters, but it may be as you describe in the first post, DME only. When I start the simulator again I'll check those again, but it seems a likely explanation. Thanks again!
Truth be told I'm not entirely clear on the difference between DME and VOR, but I suspect Wikipedia can teach me. Also, your post does give away what I suppose is the most important distinction.
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Thanks for swift replies! I did select them from MSFS world map and they are not ILS transmitters, but it may be as you describe in the first post, DME only. When I start the simulator again I'll check those again, but it seems a likely explanation. Thanks again!
Truth be told I'm not entirely clear on the difference between DME and VOR, but I suspect Wikipedia can teach me. Also, your post does give away what I suppose is the most important distinction.
@Dan-T said in VOR (user) problem in 0.8.0:
Truth be told I'm not entirely clear on the difference between DME and VOR
In short, DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) tells you how far you are from the station.
VOR tells you the direction from your plane to the station (usually magnetic direction, but sometimes it's off by a bit).
Together with VOR+DME, or two VORs (or, if you were truly mad, 3 DMEs), you can get a fix on your current location. Often VOR stations will have DME as well but not always.
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@Dan-T said in VOR (user) problem in 0.8.0:
Truth be told I'm not entirely clear on the difference between DME and VOR
In short, DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) tells you how far you are from the station.
VOR tells you the direction from your plane to the station (usually magnetic direction, but sometimes it's off by a bit).
Together with VOR+DME, or two VORs (or, if you were truly mad, 3 DMEs), you can get a fix on your current location. Often VOR stations will have DME as well but not always.
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Update: according to
https://ourairports.com/countries/FI/navaids/
the first one (112.8) is actually a VOR-DME, but the second (117.5) is DME only. This is east of Helsinki. So, the first one should give direction?
Of course, the in-simulator data may be different. Haven't checked yet.
Edit: this is what the simulator says about the first one. Seems VOR-ey to me. Am I missing anything?
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The only other thing I can think of is that maybe you are out of range? Perhaps the DME signal works at a greater distance than the VOR signal (which isn't implausible as they work very differently).
Also make sure all the circuit breakers are pushed in. If the instrument panel or the nav 1/2 one(s) got pulled that would cause this to happen.
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Also attention that skyvector many times represents DME only with a VOR/DME symbol!!!! this many times induce in mistakes thinking that something is wrong with the VOR. Also msfs auto flightplanner stupidly includes DME only in a VOR-to-VOR flight plans, also creating bad planning...
Try to use the Litlenavmap, it represents the DME only stations correctly as they are
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Update: I did the entire flight. Seems to be a problem with these specific VORs. Both are listed as VOR DME in the in-simulator flight planner, but none register on the VOR indicators no matter how close or far I am (flying between 3000 and 5000 ft). However, when I tune in a VOR near Helsinki Airport (114.2, not ILS) it works fine.
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Just to confirm I just checked out both VOR's and neither pick up in a different plane either. Tested in 152 and 172. According to little nav map, 112.80 has a range of 195 nm and 117.50 has a range of 60 nm. The two are 17.5 nm apart so it should be no issue to pick up either spawning in between them. This would ultimately be a sim issue, and not the first regarding VOR's unfortunately.
