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NDB Continuation - an abuse of power?

Lighning does attract needle

One of the methods are forefathers spotted CB thunderstorms. Perhaps ADF still has its uses . . .

Rochester, UK, United Kingdom

Another ‘trick’ which an Old Salt taught me about the use of the ADF:
If you can’t tune into a local beacon, always have it tuned to a powerful commercial station e.g. Radio 4 on 198, where it will be as solid as a rock.
If, then, you are in IMC and you are suddenly forced on to ‘partial panel’ you have another indicator: IF it moves, you know you are turning.

Rochester, UK, United Kingdom

Ultranomad wrote:

given the increasingly frequent GPS outages around Northern Europe

Sorry for thread drifting a litte bit, but having not experienced this, can you elaborate that abit? How frequent is frequent and where? Quite something to have in mind!

Maybe I am just flying to little to notice…?!?

ESOW, Sweden

Does anyone produce ADF equipment for GA today?

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

AFAIK the only GA ADF that ever worked properly was the King KR87. The antenna unit is potted in sealant, which is why. But the radio box is no longer serviceable AFAIK. I don’t know if they still make it, but there are plenty on US Ebay, and people use a hair dryer to transfer the stickers since none of these come with an EASA-1

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

AndersB wrote:

Sorry for thread drifting a litte bit, but having not experienced this, can you elaborate that abit? How frequent is frequent and where? Quite something to have in mind!

Northern Norway, as far as I’ve heard.

Last Edited by Airborne_Again at 20 Jan 13:51
ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

AndersB wrote:

How frequent is frequent and where?

According to the reports I read, it has mostly been over the seas (Barents, Norwegian and Baltic) and sometimes adjacent coastal areas, occurring unpredictably a few times a year, lasting for some hours.

LKBU (near Prague), Czech Republic

Hopefully the UK regulator will accept the safety benefits of allowing GPS overlay approaches. It has been providing safe navigation practice in the USA since IFR GPS was introduced. It would be interesting to know if NDB approaches would even be approved using modern RNP standards, or are they allowed on a grandfather rights basis?

The LF four course range was arguably a more reliable system than the NDB, assuming you got the null tone when not in convective weather or your antenna was not iced up.

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

The KR87 seems to be still manufactured and available new.
https://www.bendixking.com/en/products/productitems/kr-87

ELLX

RobertL18C wrote:

if NDB approaches would even be approved using modern RNP standards

It would not. The NDB/ADF system is explicitly excluded from PBN (performance based navigation). If fails on monitoring (ADF) and probably other requirements as well.

huv
EKRK, Denmark
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