How VOR works?

VOR receiver in the cockpit is tuning to the

specific frequencies assigned for that VOR
s airport.
It is VHF frequency which is between 108117.95 MHz.
After entering the frequency, the volume
control should be turned up in order to
confirm
that
the
three
letter

 The VOR station on the ground

transmits two signals at the same time;
one signal is constant in all directions,
while the other signal is rotated about a
point.
One from stationary antenna (reference
phase), while the other from rotating
antenna (beamed emission).

LIGHTHOUSE ANALOGY
Imagining a light house emits an omnidirectional
flash of light every time the beam is pointing due
north. If the speed of rotation is known, and if a
distant observer could record the time interval
between seeing omni-directional flash and
seeing the beam, bearing of the light house can
be calculated.

 When aircraft receives these two signals, an

aircraft VOR receiver electronically measures
the phase angle different between these two
signals.
This phase angle different is translated as the
MAGNETIC BEARING which tell the pilot the
aircraft angle direction to the VOR station.
This bearing angle also known as RADIALS

360

Magnetic
North

045

315

270

090

135

135

225
180

VOR receiver gives 1 LOP called a Radial

Two signals from ground

station

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Bearing to transmitting station

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 The aerial of the VOR aircraft receiver picks up

the signals, whose phase difference (between the
wave peaks) is measured, this difference
depending on the bearing of the aeroplane from
the ground station.

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VOR Signals
The demodulated output of the receiver contains:
1020 Hz Audio signal
a Variable phase 30 Hz signal
a Reference 30 Hz signal in the form of frequency
modulation on a 9960 Hz.

RMIT Aerospace Engineering