VOR Stations as WPTs in FLT PLN?
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Relatively new to the Starship - so excuse me if I have missed something obvious! But I seem to be unable to enter 2-letter VOR identifiers as waypoints in the CDU flight plan?
Trying to undertake pretty simple VOR-VOR navigation but the CDU won't accept VOR stations like WN, NP, OH etc. Uses them fine for navigation and position fixing etc - but can't be used as FLT PLN waypoints? I would like to operate the aircraft as close to real as possible to have the 430 disabled as well as GNSS system. But seems a bit odd you cant do basic VOR-VOR navigation flight plans - which I thought was the whole idea of this aircraft...fly like they used to before GPS? I realize I could manually enter the lat + long of each waypoint (but would rather not!)...but how does the CDU not have the VOR stations?Otherwise - absolutely loving this aircraft! 30+ years simming and this may well be one of the best sim aircraft I have ever bought for many reasons...
Here is an example pic of simple VOR flightplan in NZ. (WN DCT OH DCT NP)
(awaiting picture 'privileges')
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Interesting. I was unaware that there were any two-letter VOR stations, as they are three letters everywhere else in the world that I have seen. Two-letter stations elsewhere are usually marker beacons or NDB stations, which provide no crosstrack information. I’m not sure if my assumption had any effect on my code, but I will check as soon as I’m home later this week. I know there are several Starship pilots flying in New Zealand, so perhaps they will have encountered this before too.
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Hi - yes, while there are not many VOR stations in NZ, they are all 2-letter identification (complete with morse). A quick check of Navigraph map, or any major airport in NZ for that matter, will show the applicable VOR station. So Wellington NZWN - WN, Woodbourne NZWB-WB, Christchurch NZCH-CH etc.
While I understand why you might need to 'check' with other Starship pilots flying in NZ....I can assure you as ex RNZAF flight crew and private pilot - this is how it is lol. -
Hi - yes, while there are not many VOR stations in NZ, they are all 2-letter identification (complete with morse). A quick check of Navigraph map, or any major airport in NZ for that matter, will show the applicable VOR station. So Wellington NZWN - WN, Woodbourne NZWB-WB, Christchurch NZCH-CH etc.
While I understand why you might need to 'check' with other Starship pilots flying in NZ....I can assure you as ex RNZAF flight crew and private pilot - this is how it is lol.While I understand why you might need to 'check' with other Starship pilots flying in NZ....
Oh, I don’t doubt for a second that you are correct about navaids in your own backyard. I meant to hear if other Starship pilots are also experiencing this limitation with my software, or if it’s a byproduct of some other navigation database software, or who knows what. There are always just a lot of a possibilities to any bug report, and I’m also feeling hamstrung at the moment, since I’m traveling with no way to test these things myself. I’ve added this to a list of things to look into when I get home, though.
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While I understand why you might need to 'check' with other Starship pilots flying in NZ....
Oh, I don’t doubt for a second that you are correct about navaids in your own backyard. I meant to hear if other Starship pilots are also experiencing this limitation with my software, or if it’s a byproduct of some other navigation database software, or who knows what. There are always just a lot of a possibilities to any bug report, and I’m also feeling hamstrung at the moment, since I’m traveling with no way to test these things myself. I’ve added this to a list of things to look into when I get home, though.
@Black-Square Haha all good man - yea and I am not saying it's not me that's the problem with loading or a selection in the CDU or something lol.
I have NAV source set to VOR. I enter the departure airport to say NZWN, click button by yellow 'enter', then again by 'OK', but when I enter OH for Ohakea VOR in next line and try to hit 'enter' button - nothing happens at all. Almost like it is waiting for at least a 3-letter waypoint name.But yea no rush or anything, aircraft still tunes up the VOR's correctly, both manually and in auto-tune in RTU, and displays correct identifier etc. on displays and maps. So can still navigate by VOR, just not as an actual waypoint in the FLT PLN.
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@OrionNZ I have been able to add the two-letter NZ VORs to a flight plan in the CDU. They appear at the end of the list of duplicates, so you need to scroll.
@MarkS Ah-ha. That’s exactly the kind of information I was hoping for. I suspected that might be the case, but didn’t want to guess while I’m away from my desk. I will still look into it when I get home, just to make sure there isn’t any unexpected behavior.
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@OrionNZ I have been able to add the two-letter NZ VORs to a flight plan in the CDU. They appear at the end of the list of duplicates, so you need to scroll.
@MarkS Please provide a little more information regarding what you are actually entering into the CDU to obtain the VOR stations as WPT's. As I mentioned it was highly likely a data entry error on my part, but also that if I simply enter 'OH' as a waypoint (or any NZ VOR) and hit enter - nothing happens at all. I don't get a list of 'duplicates' to choose from - would have been pretty easy to find if I had! lol.
In the attached examples, I have originated a flight at NZWN, tried to enter OH as the next WP - enter = nothing. Also tried a flight NZWN-NZAA, then insert OH as a WP - still nothing.
Do I need to append something to the ID name? Possibly a Navigraph data problem?
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@MarkS Please provide a little more information regarding what you are actually entering into the CDU to obtain the VOR stations as WPT's. As I mentioned it was highly likely a data entry error on my part, but also that if I simply enter 'OH' as a waypoint (or any NZ VOR) and hit enter - nothing happens at all. I don't get a list of 'duplicates' to choose from - would have been pretty easy to find if I had! lol.
In the attached examples, I have originated a flight at NZWN, tried to enter OH as the next WP - enter = nothing. Also tried a flight NZWN-NZAA, then insert OH as a WP - still nothing.
Do I need to append something to the ID name? Possibly a Navigraph data problem?
@OrionNZ said in VOR Stations as WPTs in FLT PLN?:
Please provide a little more information regarding what you are actually entering into the CDU to obtain the VOR stations as WPT's.
I’m afraid I don’t have much more information than that. I’m on version 1.2 of Starship in MSFS 2024. I have a Navigraph subscription. And I don’t think it matters, but the last time I “updated” the nav database from the floppy, I selected the NAN (North America Not) database, as I’m currently flying in Europe. Beyond that, it’s no different than entering other VORs save for the 3rd character; I’m just T9-keying in the two characters and hitting the Enter button.
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@OrionNZ said in VOR Stations as WPTs in FLT PLN?:
Please provide a little more information regarding what you are actually entering into the CDU to obtain the VOR stations as WPT's.
I’m afraid I don’t have much more information than that. I’m on version 1.2 of Starship in MSFS 2024. I have a Navigraph subscription. And I don’t think it matters, but the last time I “updated” the nav database from the floppy, I selected the NAN (North America Not) database, as I’m currently flying in Europe. Beyond that, it’s no different than entering other VORs save for the 3rd character; I’m just T9-keying in the two characters and hitting the Enter button.
@MarkS Hmm OK. I might try some floppy disk updates maybe. Because yea I am just entering the two characters, hitting enter and nothing changes at all. The strange thing is I can enter WN (112.3 tuned on RTU) for example in the position update field and hit enter, and bam it has no problem finding the WN VOR in the CDU to use for a position update?
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I wouldn’t get too caught up in the floppy disk updates - Nick mentioned that has no practical effect, all it does it reset a timer to prompt you to update again in X number of days. It’s just there for the immersion of having to do the data updates.
When I’m off work I’ll try some of those VORs and see what happens. I also use Navigraph.
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@OrionNZ - I loaded into the Starship after work and it seems to be working the same way for me as it does @MarkS . I'm currently at ENBR, but started a new plan from NZAA and the next waypoint was set up as Wellington, HN. There were 10 other duplicates that showed and it was #10 on the list since it's the furthest away from my present position. I was able to load it in fine though. I wish I could help more with figuring out why they aren't working for you.
Selecting the HN VOR:
Final flight plan with a variety of NZ VORs (ignore the huge distances, PPOS is literally the other side of the world
)
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@OrionNZ - any chance you have a non-Navigraph nav add-on installed? I know there's a shareware/payware with New Zealand NDBs available on fsto and SimMarket. Usually it's the Navigraph database that ends up stepping on the others though.
Can you create that flight plan with the "bad" VORs in a different aircraft?
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Hi folks - thank you for all the help...got it sorted!
Was looking like it might be some sort of navdata problem my side. Just have Navigraph installed and nothing else to do with navigation. Trying to add NZ VOR stations to a route works fine in the 310 and Fenix A320, and shows all VORs I have tried. However I couldn't add any VORs in the FSR500, Default Caravan or the Citation X. Was pretty confusing that nav data only available to some aircraft and not others, so decided to just disable the Navigraph packages as per below....and now works fine!
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I wonder if it will still work if you reinstall Navigraph. I have the latest AIRAC installed through the Navigraph hub and it works fine. Maybe something didn’t install properly the first time?
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I wonder if it will still work if you reinstall Navigraph. I have the latest AIRAC installed through the Navigraph hub and it works fine. Maybe something didn’t install properly the first time?
@Iconography Yep pretty strange - have tried uninstalling-installing a few times. Will just leave as-is for now as it is working and try re-installing the Navigraph data next cycle. I know the Citation X was having a heap of trouble with the navigraph data as well.
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Ok folks, I will post my final finding here for anyone else having similar issues:
After some more research, I re-installed all my Navigraph data, and then deleted my Content.xml file and let FS2024 rebuild another one next time it started. Resulted in all VOR's being available etc.
This file has also moved from the main Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 file location (although the old file is still actually there - moved as of SU3 I believe?), to inside a sub folder named your FS2024 username.Finger crossed this is the end of that issue lol. Now off to buy myself the Piston Duke! @Black-Square, you have now left me with quite a conundrum! Just getting into the Starship...but now will want to fly the Duke as well...which to choose!
