DME

AST 241

DME Theory
Most VORs in the US have DMEdistance meas rin! e" i#ment or are co$ocated %ith a mi$itary TA&A' (aci$ity %hich #rovides the same in(ormation) VOR navi!ation is m ch im#roved %ith DME as it on$y #rovides* A+im th in(ormation

DME Theory
DME is re" ired (or aeria$ navi!ation a,ove ./ 240 or 241000 (t) Es#ecia$$y se( $ in 2.R o#erations VOR and DME are essentia$$y ni(ied systems %hich are seam$ess to the #i$ot %hen co-$ocated

DME theory
Each VOR (re" ency (rom 103)00 to 114)56 M7+ 8V7.9 has a corres#ondin! U7. (re") Ran!in! (rom 5:2 ; 121< M7+ =i$ots s a$$y have to t ne on$y one (re") >ith ne%er receivers DMEs can ,e received inde#endent o( the VOR i( the t ner is se#arate , t the in(ormation is o( $itt$e se (or most #i$ots

DME Theory
.or civi$ian sers VOR?DME and VORs co-$ocated %ith TA&A' 8VORTA&s9 are essentia$$y the same thin! #rovidin! #i$ots %ith the same in(ormation) TA&A' %as deve$o#ed ,y the mi$itary to*
; Recti(y terrain inter(erence #ro,$ems ; Recti(y #orta,i$ity #ro,$ems ; Recti(y the need (or a $eve$ #$at(orm- 8carriers9

DME Theory
&ivi$ian sers cant ta@e advanta!e o( TA&A's a+im th in(ormation and mi$itary #i$ots cant se DME in(ormation

DME O#eration
Simi$ar to the AT& Radio ,eacon system or Trans#onder system VORs are a =assive System !ivin! contin o s in(ormation DMEs res#ond on$y %hen interro!ated ma@in! them an Active System

DME O#eration
Each DME receiver emits t%o distinct$y 8to that receiver9 s#aced # $ses %hich are re#$ied to in identica$ (ashion ,y the !ro nd ,ased nit) The DME receiver i!nores a$$ other re#$ies) This is %hy the DME can ta@e # to 10 seconds to A$oc@ onB to its ni" e re#$y Once $oc@ed it #dates every 1?10th mi$e

DME O#eration
The time di((erence ,et%een interro!ation and re#$y corres#onds to the aircra(ts strai!ht $ine distance (rom the station) 12?110001000 o( a second in time corres#onds to 1 'M in distance

DME O#eration
DME acc racy varies (rom < C o( tota$ distance 8: 'M at 200 mi$es o t9 # to ,ein! %ithin )1 'M at a$$ distances (or the hi!her end receiversas !ood as D=S The most common o#erationa$ mista@e is to (or!et to se$ect the correct VOR i( the aircra(t is e" i##ed %ith 2 VORs or $eavin! it in the Aho$dB mode %hich ho$ds the $ast (re" ency t ned rather than the c rrent one)

DME o#eration
The most common nits today are se$ecta,$e ,et%een the d a$ VOR receivers- i( not then the DME si!na$ is s a$$y ta@en (rom the E1 VOR , t FE SUREG A/>AHS VER2.HGG

DME O#eration
Dro nds#eed and time to Station- Since DME ses rate o( res#onse in(ormation to !et distance it is a sma$$ ste# (or the receiver to ca$c $ate !ro nds#eed and time to the station) This in(ormation is s a$$y dis#$ayed in a se#arate %indo% $a,e$ed- ITS) M2') O..

DME O#eration
2t is im#ortant to remem,er that this on$y %or@s i( headin! direct$y to or (rom the station- an! $ar motion %)r)t) the station ma@es a$$ DME in(ormation USE/ESSG

DME identi(ication
DME stations are identi(ied in the same coded manner sin! the same identi(ication as the corres#ondin! VOR station) The DME #ortion is ,roadcast at a hi!her #itch and is $ess (re" ent than the VOR identi(ication- every <0 seconds)

DME over$oad
DME transmitters can ,ecome over$oaded d rin! heavy sa!e ca sin! the A$ate comersB not to $oc@ on the the (re") 2t is co rteo s to a$%ays t rn o(( the DME receiver %hen not in se s ch as %hen on the !ro nd or %hen DME in(o) 2s not needed)

DME error
S$ant ran!e error occ rs ,eca se the DME ca$c $ates its strai!ht $ine or As$ant ran!eB distance (rom the station %hich is not as se( $ to #i$ots as !ro nd distance) This ca ses a$$ DME indications to ,e inacc rate %hen !reater than 11000 (t) AD/ (or each 'M (rom the stationother%ise it can ,e i!nored)

DME Error
.or eJam#$e i( a #i$ot is at <1000 (t AD/ at 2 mi$es (rom the station the error is o t o( to$erance) Remem,er (or acc racy ,e at $east 1'M (rom the station (or each 11000 (t AD/

DME Arc
O$der instr ment a##roach #roced re %here the DME in(ormation is sed to ($y a constant radi s aro nd the transmitter This ,ecomes easier %hen VOR A$ead radia$sB are sed to #rom#t the t rn

DME O#eration
DME is Rho-Rho navi!ation Rho K distance Theta K a+im th VOR?DME to!ether is theta ; rho nav) 2 VORs are theta - theta nav) Rho ; rho nav) Re" ires < DME readin!s to determine #osition

L estionsThe End