My plane came with a King KR-85 ADF and separate indicator. Yeah, I know...ADFs are headed toward extinction, but I used to like to use it to get into some smaller fields that didn't have anything but an NDB. I liked the simplicity of the "bird dog" display. But that was before I got my hand-held, non WAAS GPS that does everything and more.
Recently the direction-finding part of the ADF quit working. I can still tune the stations and get the audio, and even the "warbling" tone of the signal, but the indicator doesn't point to the station. If I set the ADF to "test" the pointer rotates slowly clockwise as before, so I guess the servo in the indicator is working. But back in DF mode the pointer just stops wherever it was when switched from test.
I really don't need the ADF unless I go for an IR and have to shoot ILS approaches where ADF is required, which is the case for the ILS at my local field. Since I don't have a certified GPS I can't shoot GPS approaches.
Any avionics techs out there care to comment? Worth getting diagnosed and fixed? Or should I use the holes in the panel for something more modern? Maybe something that supports ADS-B?
Recently the direction-finding part of the ADF quit working. I can still tune the stations and get the audio, and even the "warbling" tone of the signal, but the indicator doesn't point to the station. If I set the ADF to "test" the pointer rotates slowly clockwise as before, so I guess the servo in the indicator is working. But back in DF mode the pointer just stops wherever it was when switched from test.
I really don't need the ADF unless I go for an IR and have to shoot ILS approaches where ADF is required, which is the case for the ILS at my local field. Since I don't have a certified GPS I can't shoot GPS approaches.
Any avionics techs out there care to comment? Worth getting diagnosed and fixed? Or should I use the holes in the panel for something more modern? Maybe something that supports ADS-B?
