My Automatic Direction Finder can pick up Non Directional Beacons at about 80 or 90 miles range, at which point I get both an aduible (Morse code) signal and a pointer response on my Radio Compass. Is this pretty realistic, or should I be able to receive at somewhat longer ranges? Also, I've read that the Old Guys routinely picked up commercial broadcasts at much longer ranges (a few hundred miles?) and used them til they could receive an NDB. Is there any way I could do such a thing with the default DC-3?Thanks all!

My Automatic Direction Finder can pick up Non Directional Beacons at about 80 or 90 miles range, at which point I get both an aduible (Morse code) signal and a pointer response on my Radio Compass. Is this pretty realistic, or should I be able to receive at somewhat longer ranges? Also, I've read that the Old Guys routinely picked up commercial broadcasts at much longer ranges (a few hundred miles?) and used them til they could receive an NDB. Is there any way I could do such a thing with the default DC-3?Thanks all!

NDB reach is coded into the scenery .bgl file, so yes, if you have the tools, you could open (decompile) the file, change the range, and recompile. But, you would have to do this for each NBD.Yes, in real life you can sometimes pick up frequencies much farther away depending on weather, as one example.My father was flying KC-97's while in the Air Force SAC command out of Goose Bay. One night while on a mission, they had some instrumentation problems, so tried dialing the NBD frequency to a local radio station near the base. It worked. He used that radio frequency to find his way back to the base. Of course they enjoyed the broadcast while on the way back as well. :(Unfortunately, you cannot dial-in commercial radio frequencies in FS, as they are not in the database.

Many thanks.Hope this isn't too elementary -- I'm a pre-VOR kind of guy, not entirely sure yet that I agree with having those newfangled "cowling" things around the engines :) But I wonder if any nav aids other than NDBs transmit on those same H.F. (KhZ) frequencies instead of the more modern VHF (MhZ) or UHF frequencies? I can manually tune my default DC-3 ADF throughout the KhZ range, so might I pick up some other nav aid I could use as I would an oldfashioned NDB?

Many thanks.Hope this isn't too elementary -- I'm a pre-VOR kind of guy, not entirely sure yet that I agree with having those newfangled "cowling" things around the engines :) But I wonder if any nav aids other than NDBs transmit on those same H.F. (KhZ) frequencies instead of the more modern VHF (MhZ) or UHF frequencies? I can manually tune my default DC-3 ADF throughout the KhZ range, so might I pick up some other nav aid I could use as I would an oldfashioned NDB?

Doubtful but am not positive, as again, this is all set-up within the database of the navigation beacons included within FS.If the frequency is not in the FS database, and associated to an NBD, you cannot receive a signal.

Thanks for the info; I appreciate it. "Well, chaps: looks like a spot of DR and the old seat-of-the-pants routine. Frankly, I couldn't even get us into the correct hemisphere with a sextant. Maybe we'll see a highway or something. Useful things, highways: just land on one and ask whoever you see what the nearest town's called. Right-o: start #1."

NDB reach is coded into the scenery .bgl file, so yes, if you have the tools, you could open (decompile) the file, change the range, and recompile. But, you would have to do this for each NBD.

You can modify the properties of NDBs and other beacons, including the range, by editing the appropriate airport file using AFCAD or AFX.Best wishes,John

You can modify the properties of NDBs and other beacons, including the range, by editing the appropriate airport file using AFCAD or AFX.Best wishes,John

Thanks for the info, I have not designed any scenery since FS98 days over 11 years ago. The 'airport' program was all we had available.Old school I guess.

The modern ADF tunes in the range 200-1800 kHz. I don't know what else is in that MF band other than AM radio and NDBs. If you could tune lower you might be able to pick up a LORAN station (are these still xmitting?). though FS doesn't have LORAN.I don't know if FS will let you create a "pseudo" AM station in the US MF band, such as a 50kw clear channel. Of course, it would only broadcast the ndb-style morse, but you could maybe set its range appropriately.scott s..

I think it's at dc3airways. (a virtual company web site for DC-3's), where you can download a program to set up and use the old A/N system for navigating, along with the scenery and manuals to use it. Great program if you really want to fly like they did back then. Somewhere it was mentioned before, but if you really want a 3, then search Chas.E Owen at flightsim.com. You need to read and follw the manual, or, well, expect probelms. Problems kind of like the real one.db.

Thanks for the info.Just tossing this idea out, in case it inspires any retro-fiend: there are numerous old-time radio shows on the internet, re-broadcasting programs from decades past. If someone could figure out a way for retro flight crews to tune in such a show during flight (perhaps using the excuse of homing on the transmitter as a NDB) that would add realism to trips in the DC-3. Here's one example of retro radio on the internet: http://wamu.org/programs/bb/

I think it's at dc3airways. (a virtual company web site for DC-3's), where you can download a program to set up and use the old A/N system for navigating, along with the scenery and manuals to use it. Great program if you really want to fly like they did back then. Somewhere it was mentioned before, but if you really want a 3, then search Chas.E Owen at flightsim.com. You need to read and follw the manual, or, well, expect probelms. Problems kind of like the real one.db.

Yep, we have the old Civil Aviation Authority airways and everything you need to install the beacons used, including panel updates for the default and MAAM so you can hear them correctly, at DC3 Airways. I believe the files are posted here at AVSIM...do a search for Radio Range. Stop by DCA for maps and other info. Feel free to join up, while your there...LOTS of old airline routes, charters and a very friendly atmosphere. Vic

Yep, we have the old Civil Aviation Authority airways and everything you need to install the beacons used, including panel updates for the default and MAAM so you can hear them correctly, at DC3 Airways. I believe the files are posted here at AVSIM...do a search for Radio Range. Stop by DCA for maps and other info. Feel free to join up, while your there...LOTS of old airline routes, charters and a very friendly atmosphere. Vic

Thats pretty neat guys, I had no idea anyone had done this, but leave it to you folks for turning back the clock :(

I think it's at dc3airways. (a virtual company web site for DC-3's), where you can download a program to set up and use the old A/N system for navigating, along with the scenery and manuals to use it. Great program if you really want to fly like they did back then.Somewhere it was mentioned before, but if you really want a 3, then search Chas.E Owen at flightsim.com. You need to read and follw the manual, or, well, expect probelms. Problems kind of like the real one.db.

FYI - the DC-3 file is named dc3cv1.zip at Flightsim.com (it is "missing" in the Avsim library).