VORTAC-VOR and TACAN basics

VORTAC avionic system is a short range navigational aids. VORTAC provides both the bearing and distance information of the Aircraft. Instead of having two seperate VOR and TACAN ground stations VORTAC combines both the systems referred as VORTAC.

VORTAC,VOR and TACAN

On the Ground station Rx and Tx operates as follows:
VOR operates in the VHF band from 108 to 118 MHz range. TACAN integrated with DME operates in the UHF band from 960 to 1215 MHz range.

Civilian Aircraft uses VOR as Rx system while DME interrogator isused as both Rx and Tx system. Military Aircraft uses TACAN as both Rx and Tx System.

Advantages

•  The VORTAC system takes benefits of both the VOR and TACAN systems.
•  Combining ground stations of different systems will be benefited in terms of cost, maintenance as well as operations.

Disadvantages

This combined VOR and TACAN system has same disadvantages as mentioned in VOR and TACAN systems. GPS is more accurate compare to VORTAC. However, VORTAC system is an optimized approach for a navigational aid ground station.

What is Difference between

Difference between DME and TACAN
Difference between LDACS1 versus LDACS2
difference between FDM and OFDM
Difference between SC-FDMA and OFDM
Difference between SISO and MIMO
Difference between TDD and FDD
Difference between 802.11 standards viz.11-a,11-b,11-g and 11-n
OFDM vs OFDMA
CDMA vs GSM
Bluetooth vs zigbee
Fixed wimax vs mobile
wibro vs mobile wimax
Microcontroller vs microprocessor
FDM vs TDM
wimax vs lte

RF and Wireless Terminologies