Timeline for Why don't aircraft have DME that can automatically convert the slant range to ground range?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
10 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 2020 at 9:33 | comment | added | GdD | Fair enough @PeterCordes. I think it's agreed it's technically feasible. | |
| Mar 17, 2020 at 9:05 | comment | added | Peter Cordes | @GdD: eventually in the long term, as gear wears out? Or as a minor cheap upgrade without replacing the power amplifier / antenna possibly. I didn't say it would be fast. But if it was something worth doing (which it apparently isn't), some ground station operators would presumably be willing to spend the money while some wouldn't be, and backwards compat makes that not a showstopper. That was my only point (plausible and technically feasible), not that this was something that has any chance of really happening. | |
| Mar 17, 2020 at 8:50 | comment | added | GdD | When are the ground stations being replaced @PeterCordes? Seriously, nobody is going to spend money on that. | |
| Mar 16, 2020 at 16:14 | vote | accept | William | ||
| Mar 16, 2020 at 10:48 | comment | added | Peter Cordes | @GdD: Using a subcarrier in a way that's backwards compatible allows gradual rollout with new planes and when ground stations are being replaced anyway, eventually fixing the "problem" for hypothetical DME2.0 capable planes when approaching ground stations which have upgraded to DME2.0 transmitters. | |
| Mar 15, 2020 at 19:34 | comment | added | GdD | You could encode the altitude in the signal for sure, then you'd have to modify all the stations as well as the receivers which would make it even more expensive. | |
| Mar 15, 2020 at 18:10 | comment | added | HiddenWindshield | @Dan On a subcarrier, same as VORs send their Morse code identifications. To the DME equipment on the airplane, so it could calculate the slant range. It would be a new version of the same standard; existing DME equipment would ignore the subcarrier and continue to function as normal. | |
| Mar 15, 2020 at 13:49 | comment | added | Dan | @abelenky Broadcast how, to what? That'd be an entirely different standard. | |
| Mar 15, 2020 at 13:35 | comment | added | abelenky | The alternative is if each DME station broadcast its elevation. However, its just not necessary: DME is used to inform pilots when they're getting close to a station, the precision of slant-range adjustment just doesn't add much useful information. | |
| Mar 15, 2020 at 13:06 | history | answered | GdD | CC BY-SA 4.0 |