FLYER Forums

I'm flying a PA-28 tomorrow that has a separate box for the DME, so I can't set the VOR frequency in the nav box and automatically tune to it. The back of my Pooleys informs me that, for SAM (113.35) the paired channel is 80Y. How do I get from that to a frequency?

In my experience even when the DME is a separate box, you still set the VOR frequency on the DME box

Years since I have flown one like that but recall there is a switch on DME to select to nav 1 or 2 or input frequency on DME
Clive

Just set the VOR freq in the DME. The unit knows the actual frequency to use

I double checked with the instructor and just use the VOR frequency was the correct answer, thank you

The DME will probably have a slidy switch. To the left is says “rmt” or similar. This will remote switch it to the selected VOR (if you have more than one). You still need to ID both though.
I find this useful at Blackbushe as we have a DME which I select on the frequency then remote to one of the VORs for radio nav.
Coming back in too I can track in on OCKs 275 radial but set the DME to Blackbushe. Handy in schyte visability.

Slightly divergent from the issue of the frequency itself, I can pass on a little trick/tip that wasn't shared with me when I did my IMCR many years ago.

You'll be aware that the ident of a paired VOR and DME is the same morse code. You may also be aware that the ident for the VOR is repeated every 10 seconds, with a 20 second gap once a minute. In other words if you listened to it for a full minute you'd hear it 5 times, with an odd gap where you might have expected to hear it for the 6th time.

You may also have noticed that the tone of the VOR ident is lower than the tone of the DME ident. The DME ident comes round only once every minute, which can be a pain in the backside if you are trying to ident it whilst doing other things, because sod's law says that it peeps-up just as you are trying to write down the squawk code or whatever.

So here's the tip. Rather than listening to the VOR ident first and then the DME ident, listen to them both at the same time. In other words, press both the VOR1 (or 2) and the DME buttons together on the audio box. You will now hear the VOR idents in a lower tone every 10 secs and, hey presto, bang in the once-a-minute long gap you'll hear the DME ident in a higher tone. It makes it much easier to ident them both, even if you are distracted as the DME one comes up.