Bandit_Driver
Gold Member
Can anyone clue me in on what the difference is between a TACAN and VOR/DME? Are TACANs more accurate that VOR's?
TACAN
- Thread starter Bandit_Driver
- Start date
mtsu_av8er
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Can anyone clue me in on what the difference is between a TACAN and VOR/DME? Are TACANs more accurate that VOR's?
[/ QUOTE ]
It's like the difference between Beta and VHS.
The TACAN system is just like the VOR system, but the TACAN system was designed by the military to be portable. We use one, they use the other. Civilian DME receivers can get distance information from TACAN stations, though.
Can anyone clue me in on what the difference is between a TACAN and VOR/DME? Are TACANs more accurate that VOR's?
[/ QUOTE ]
It's like the difference between Beta and VHS.
The TACAN system is just like the VOR system, but the TACAN system was designed by the military to be portable. We use one, they use the other. Civilian DME receivers can get distance information from TACAN stations, though.
Bandit_Driver
Gold Member
Ahh I see...I knew about the DME trick and use it quite a bit in TOLEDO.
Thanx
Thanx
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Can anyone clue me in on what the difference is between a TACAN and VOR/DME? Are TACANs more accurate that VOR's?
[/ QUOTE ]
It's like the difference between Beta and VHS.
The TACAN system is just like the VOR system, but the TACAN system was designed by the military to be portable. We use one, they use the other. Civilian DME receivers can get distance information from TACAN stations, though.
[/ QUOTE ]
What Lloyd said, and additionally:
TACAN aircraft utilize the portion of the VORTAC (or TACAN) that says, for example "Ch 84", when you see the frequency box of the station. TACAN comes in channels, and is further denoted in X and Y bands. All Channels are assumed to be X setting, unless denoted as Ch36Y, for example. Additionally, TACAN is used between aircraft in order to provide bearing and range between aircraft. So when in normal use and using it for navigation, the pilot sets the receiver to "T/R" (Transmit/Receive) and it works like your standard VOR (with an exception I'll cover later). For bearing/distance between aircraft, the pilots of two aircraft would select two TACAN frequencies that are 63 channels apart, and set their receivers to "A/A TR" (Air-Air Transmit/Receive). So, if me and another TAC equipped plane picked the channels 29Y and 92Y, and set our receivers air-air, we get bearing and range (or range only, depending on aircraft) from each other, which is a pretty cool feature for station keeping, especially for aircraft not equipped with air-air radar. F-16s, for example, normally will fly at night in a radar trail-type formation where the trailing aircraft locks-up the lead aircraft and follows him. For the A-10, we'd use our A/A TACAN for bearing, and take a 1000 foot altitude separation, 2-3 mile trail for night ops; and navigate to/from the target area with INS/GPS. One thing unique to TACAN, is that aircraft using it DO NOT incorporate TO/FROM flags. That is, station passage is denoted when DME stops and begins increasing, there's no "positive" indication of station passage. For that reason, unlike VOR-equipped aircraft, TACAN-equipped aircraft cannot, and aren't allowed, to hold at a VORTAC or TACAN station. Reference the IAP for the TACAN 30C to Williams-Gateway below. Read the missed approach instructions. You'll notice that there's two different sets of instructions. VOR-equipped aircraft are instructed to hold at the Willie VORTAC, whereas TACAN-only aircraft are instructed to hold at a radial/DME, in this case at HALLB, or the IWA 122/8.9.
All in all, a nice system overall.
http://www.fltplan.com/AwDisplayAppChart.exe?a=1
[ QUOTE ]
Can anyone clue me in on what the difference is between a TACAN and VOR/DME? Are TACANs more accurate that VOR's?
[/ QUOTE ]
It's like the difference between Beta and VHS.
The TACAN system is just like the VOR system, but the TACAN system was designed by the military to be portable. We use one, they use the other. Civilian DME receivers can get distance information from TACAN stations, though.
[/ QUOTE ]
What Lloyd said, and additionally:
TACAN aircraft utilize the portion of the VORTAC (or TACAN) that says, for example "Ch 84", when you see the frequency box of the station. TACAN comes in channels, and is further denoted in X and Y bands. All Channels are assumed to be X setting, unless denoted as Ch36Y, for example. Additionally, TACAN is used between aircraft in order to provide bearing and range between aircraft. So when in normal use and using it for navigation, the pilot sets the receiver to "T/R" (Transmit/Receive) and it works like your standard VOR (with an exception I'll cover later). For bearing/distance between aircraft, the pilots of two aircraft would select two TACAN frequencies that are 63 channels apart, and set their receivers to "A/A TR" (Air-Air Transmit/Receive). So, if me and another TAC equipped plane picked the channels 29Y and 92Y, and set our receivers air-air, we get bearing and range (or range only, depending on aircraft) from each other, which is a pretty cool feature for station keeping, especially for aircraft not equipped with air-air radar. F-16s, for example, normally will fly at night in a radar trail-type formation where the trailing aircraft locks-up the lead aircraft and follows him. For the A-10, we'd use our A/A TACAN for bearing, and take a 1000 foot altitude separation, 2-3 mile trail for night ops; and navigate to/from the target area with INS/GPS. One thing unique to TACAN, is that aircraft using it DO NOT incorporate TO/FROM flags. That is, station passage is denoted when DME stops and begins increasing, there's no "positive" indication of station passage. For that reason, unlike VOR-equipped aircraft, TACAN-equipped aircraft cannot, and aren't allowed, to hold at a VORTAC or TACAN station. Reference the IAP for the TACAN 30C to Williams-Gateway below. Read the missed approach instructions. You'll notice that there's two different sets of instructions. VOR-equipped aircraft are instructed to hold at the Willie VORTAC, whereas TACAN-only aircraft are instructed to hold at a radial/DME, in this case at HALLB, or the IWA 122/8.9.
All in all, a nice system overall.
http://www.fltplan.com/AwDisplayAppChart.exe?a=1
Bandit_Driver
Gold Member
Thanks Mike...your link is broken though.....