I'm not sure if the sim accounts for terrain when it comes to nav-aid reception. It does however allow for NDBs of different strength. Of the few I've compared, they were reasonably accurate.

What I'd REALLY like to see in the sim, are AM radio stations.  

I've used big city AM radio stations as NDBs as often as I've used actual NDBs. You can track a 50,000watt AM radio broadcast from hundreds of miles out     (and even listen to it   )

BFMF wrote on Jan 26^th, 2009 at 2:25am:


I'm sure it is ! 

I played around with FSSC back in FS2002 days.. I think it worked in FS2004, too.

I remeber that you could add NDBs.. so it would just be a matter of placing one where the radio staition's tower would be.. giving it the proper frequency and the maximum range. It might not reach out several hundred miles.. but it would be a cool and realistic thing.

I can fly from upper Michigan, to Columbus, Ohio.. avoiding all arispaces.. navigating by 720 (WGN Chicago), 760(WJR Detroit), and 610(WTVN Columbus).. 

I remember AM radio stations can have quite range, especially at night. When I was a kid, I used to listen to AM radio at night, and I would pick up stations hundreds of miles away. Living in the Seattle area, I specifically remember listening to one AM radio station that was in California...

Rick,

The 20 miles is realistic. There are basically three classes of NDB's that range from 25, 50, and 75 nautical miles reception. Most are the 25-50 mile range. There are also some NDB's associated with ILS approaches but called Compass Locators, they range about 15 miles.

Brett_Henderson wrote on Jan 29^th, 2009 at 6:48am:


I always thought that was an excellent idea!......!

Whenever I design my own Airstrips, (FS 2002/FS 2004), in very remote areas, I often place a NDB in the Airfield, using AFCAD/FSSC, and allocate it a frequency...

It comforts me to see that little yellow arrow always pointing me in the direction of Home... ...!

...and the really good news...they all show up in FS Navigator, including the name and frequency, when inserted in the Flight Sim; "Scenery Library", and FS Nav Data Base... ...!

I love the little NDB's... ...!

...(...and the VOR's)... ...!

Paul...Sing: .."...Show me the way to go home......".... ...!

Sean_TK wrote on Jan 29^th, 2009 at 11:57am:



99/100 of the accuracy issues are the product of the equipment in the airplane. The NDB itself can't  be inaccurate, anymore than a lightbulb can be inaccurate. It's either "on"  or  "off".

MSFS assumes we all have perfectly maintained ADF recievers.. with a perfectly calibrated and functioning ADF gauge.. and a perfectly tuned antenna  

Granted.. even the best equipment can fall victim to terrain and weather.. but ony  well out from the NDB.. and I wish MSFS had some built-in, random fluctuations to simulate this. BUT.. If you're using good equipment and are near enough to an NDB to be using it for an approach (and can even see the transmitter), it is pretty darn accurate.

I've never had serious issues in RL with anomalies related to NDBs, even crappy receivers in rentals (just lucky i guess). In the sim, I'm not sure if they are subject to the same quirks (terrain, cloud cover, etc), but they don't seem to be.

In RL, I've never used one to fly to directly en route, except in training, but they come in handy when there's nothing else around and you don't have GPS, Loran, or DME. Plenty of small airports are found more easily by taking a bearing off a nearby NDB, and they are handy on long legs to use a bearing to create an intersection with a VOR radial, road, etc.

Oddly enough, most of my RL NDB usage has been back when I was flying out of KTEB, to execute a (VFR) hold while waiting to get into the Class D, over the Paterson NDB. Once you have that bend in the river in sight it's obvious that it's the correct spot, but the NDB was useful for setting a quick course from the practice area or any airport relatively close by. It was very effective in preventing accidental entry into the Class D for all us noobish types nervously picking our way over the built-up areas north of the field. 

Never used an AM radio station as a navaid, but I did have one instructor who liked to use the ADF to listen to sports or music sometimes.