NDB range is fix and low

Bug Reporting Hub ATC, Traffic & NAVAIDs
1

System: MSFS recent update
Add-ons: Navigaph, Little Navmap

Problem description:

Hi, I still use traditional nav aids for navigation in GA. My experience is that the ADF receives the NDB signal only within a (n exactly) 15nm range. NDBs have different ranges and this was quite well modelled in FS2004.

I use Little Navmap for the navigation and it shows the range of the NDB. I guess it is defined in the senery (BGL). For example Kunovice (KUN) NDB in Slovakia has a range 75nm. However ADF gets the signal only within 15nm. It does not depend on altitude, which is quite correct, as this is longer wavelength than VORs, so terrain block the signal less.

I checked this both in the standard C172 and in Carenado Mooney Ovation. It seems, this is not aircraft specific. I used SLEW mode to define the exact range and used various altitudes from 1 000 ft to 10 000 ft.

The picture shows the ADF frequency setting gauge (right) and the ADF gauge itself (left). The ADF needle turns to horizontal right position if there is no NDB signal detected. The picture shows that we are within range and the NDB is right behind us. It is also possible to listen the morse signal of the NDB instead of chacking this gauge.

NDB
NDB1187Ă—388 68.3 KB

I haven’t checked the VORs, so I don’t know if those are more realistic or not. But their range os definitelly larger in the sim.

2

I was flying from WSSS to WIDS the other day and the NDB NE@320 MHz was received at 75 nm. According to littlenavmap this was the max range of the NDB. This was in the JustFlight Piper Arrow III.

3

Ahh, thanks, I will check. That would partially ruin my theory.

Do you use Navigraph Navdata addon? That is replacing the default navaids if I understand correctly. I will remove it and check again.

4

No, I’m using plain MSFS data. Note that LNM shows the max range of the NDB. So you could check if, by any chance, the beacons you are using have a range of 15 miles.

5

This was my fault. I am using Navigaph Navdata add-on thtat is replacing many of the navaids, including NDBs. Navigraph reduced the range of many NDBs. @corvus5624 mentioned NE@320 MHz NDB that has a range of 75nm in the standard FSFS. However in the Navdata addon, it is overwritten with an NDB of 50nm range.

I am guessing that the Navdata navaid information is more correct than that of the MSFS ones. Within Little Navmap one can set which data to use in the map: the MSFS default one or the Navdata addon scenery data. You can define this in the “Scenery library / Navigraph” menu. If that is consistent with the sceneries installed, the behaviour of the NDBs are as expected.

1 Like