On 29-Sep-2004, Rich wrote:

I can't speak for the GNS 430, but the SL30 has UNBELIEVEABLE signal
processing capability. I can track a good VOR well over 100 miles, and
I've got a mediocre cats whisker antenna mounted on my tail. I'm told
the SL30 uses digital signal processing; I don't know what the GNS 430
uses.

In short, I'm not at all surprised by your experience.


VOR reception range is dominantly determined by line-of-sight. However, in
marginal situations (i.e. the station is just over the horizon) receiver
quality and/or antenna cable loss can make a significant difference. I do
not know if he VOR processing system in the GNS 430 is similar to the one
used in the SL30, however a simpler explanation for the difference could be
different RF losses in the cables from the splitter to the receiver. By the
way, a VOR test system could quantify the sensitivity difference very
quickly with a simple over-the-air test.

--
-Elliott Drucker