Placing NDBs

[Viking1]

Found the NDB in Fixed Objects. Placed it at my airfield. Linked the entity. Assigned a channel and a country. But does not seem active in the mission? I'm missing something here. How far away are they detectable? Can I use any channel up to 99? Its for suwon so I set 43.

Edited September 26 by Viking1

[eszyman]

All excellent questions! 😄
I think you set the beacon channel, you can then "tune" to it with your aircraft, but I'm not sure exactly how this works beyond this.  Here is how I have been successful, as I do know if set to ch1 and you only have 1, the F80 seems to be able to find it "as set" from mission begin.  Obv, I want more info as well here!

[Jaegermeister]

Here is what a 1 minute search on the internet yielded;

In IL-2 Korea, airfield Non-Directional Beacons (NDBs) use a numbered channel system, with specific key binds used to tune your radio compass to different available beacons.

NDB Channels Overview

• Numbered Airfield Channels: Airfields are assigned specific channel numbers (for example, Taong Cow is on channel 36).

• Finding Channel Lists: Press N to open the in-game map, then check the mission tab to view a full list of all available airfield NDB channels and their corresponding numbers.

• Reception Range: Signals have a operational distance limit (beacons generally lose detectable signal past roughly 150 km).

How to Set Up and Use NDB Channels

• Assign Keybinds: Go to your control settings and bind the following necessary commands:
  • Radio compass channel next
  • Radio compass channel previous
  • Radio channel nearest active beacon (or tune to nearest airfield)

• Locate the Target Channel: Open your map (N) and check the mission tab to note the channel number of your destination or the nearest active beacon.

• Tune the Radio Compass:
  • Fly in the general direction of your destination until you are close enough to catch a signal.
  • Use your bound next or previous channel keys to cycle through frequencies. Pressing next tunes to the next highest available beacon, while previous tunes lower until the receiver locks onto the signal.
  • Alternatively, use the bound key to instantly tune to the nearest active beacon.

[AEthelraedUnraed]

On 9/26/2026 at 4:00 AM, Jaegermeister said:

Here is what a 1 minute search on the internet yielded;

I would urge you to first check the validity of AI-generated responses before posting them. The only answer to the OP's questions is its range, and one that I think is overstated, at least in the Mustang, and incomplete. Is Taong Cow even a real place? Honestly, Google hasn't a single clue here.

As for answering the OP's questions; in my experience, an NDB at Yonpo isn't audible from Chosin, 75km away, in a Mustang. I would say its range is 50km or so, but that likely heavily depends on the aircraft. I think it's very likely they've also modelled its altitude dependence, meaning its range is significantly shorter at low altitude. A more definitive answer requires testing.

Regarding what channels correspond to what numbers, there is the following evidence:

• This post mentions channel 1 corresponds to 100kHz.
• This video shows the channels are 10kHz apart, and shows that at least 570kHz is possible

I'm going to make an educated guess and say that the basic formula is Frequency = 90 + 10 * Channel. E.g. 1=100kHz, 2=110kHz, 42 = 510kHz etc.. Again, testing would be required to confirm or deny this.

[Dash,Polder]

Yes, terrain blocking and altitude do make a difference in range from my usage and observations.

Put the unit up on the highest nearest hill top, never in a small valley.

[Jaegermeister]

9 hours ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

I would urge you to first check the validity of AI-generated responses before posting them. The only answer to the OP's questions is its range, and one that I think is overstated, at least in the Mustang, and incomplete. Is Taong Cow even a real place? Honestly, Google hasn't a single clue here.

Thanks for clarifying that. My point was that the basic information on NDB functionality is readily available and the channel list is available in game.

I found that questionable AI search quote to be a fairly basic description of most of the details without retyping everything. Take it with a grain of salt as they say, that's why I mentioned it was a quick search to begin with.

and yes, the range depends on plane altitude and what terrain features are in the way of course.

[Viking1]

The multi-menu makes some of the beacon stuff easier.

 I was trying to detect a beacon from 80km or so and getting nothing. But even now with an NDB added to Suwon and set for 43, my F51 radio wont detect a signal at 30km. Odd. I'll keep experimenting. Thanks guys. The missions are developing nicely.

Edited September 29 by Viking1

[Jaegermeister]

 

On 9/28/2026 at 9:11 PM, Viking1 said:

 I was trying to detect a beacon from 80km or so and getting nothing. But even now with an NDB added to Suwon and set for 43, my F51 radio wont detect a signal at 30km. Odd. 

Did you activate the beacon as an effect? (Start/Stop Effect command)

 

Edited October 1 by Jaegermeister

[Viking1]

Nope, didnt see that in Jims guide. I'll try it thanks!

[JimTM]

4 hours ago, Jaegermeister said:

Did you activate the beacon as an effect? (Start/Stop Effect command)

3 hours ago, Viking1 said:

Nope, didnt see that in Jims guide. I'll try it thanks!

Under section "Help Pilots Find an Airbase and a Runway" (pg. 56), see subsection "Mark the Airfield with a Radio Homing Beacon" (pg. 58).

The instructions don't include the need to activate the beacon with a start/stop effect command, but it's been 10 years since I wrote the manual and maybe I missed something.

[Viking1]

With all the detail included you would have to be an AI and not miss a thing.

Actually -- even an AI --

[Jaegermeister]

1 hour ago, JimTM said:

Under section "Help Pilots Find an Airbase and a Runway" (pg. 56), see subsection "Mark the Airfield with a Radio Homing Beacon" (pg. 58).

The instructions don't include the need to activate the beacon with a start/stop effect command, but it's been 10 years since I wrote the manual and maybe I missed something.

The NDB functionality changed with the Korea release. The most basic logic now would be to make the NDB a linked object and assign it a frequency 01 or above and then object link a command_effect:Start MCU

Radar and dam water flow works the same way.

 

I usually deactivate them once the player passes 60 kilometers distant with a check zone, and then reactivate them at 50 kilometers, but the homing signals may have had a longer range in Korea than they did in WWII Europe. I will have to look into it and see what the appropriate range is for different time periods and equipment in Korea.

[JimTM]

1 hour ago, Viking1 said:

With all the detail included you would have to be an AI and not miss a thing.

Actually -- even an AI --

I wrote it before AI was a big deal. Back then, it was more "Aiiiieeeeeeee!!" 😫

[Viking1]

5 hours ago, Jaegermeister said:

I usually deactivate them once the player passes 60 kilometers distant with a check zone, and then reactivate them at 50 kilometers..

Why.. resource usage? Since they can't be detected beyond 40 or 50 km anyway..

[eszyman]

Another question here...
I see the NBD list in the mission files description and in the helper mcu as player secondary action 6...
and it looks something like this...
|Airfield                       | frq   | cn | cd  |ltr1 |ltr2|on map
|K-55_Osan                 | 200 | 05 | OS |--- |... | 4227 
|K-54_Cho-do             | 210 | 06 | CD |-.-.|-.. | 2607 
|K-53_Paengyong-do | 220 | 07 | PD |.--.|-.. | 3206 
|K-6_Pyongtaek          | 230 | 08 | PT |.--.|-   | 4427 
|K-13_Suwon               | 240 | 09 | SU |... |..- | 4026 
|K-14_Kimpo                | 250 | 10 | KP |-.- |.--.| 3724 
|K-16_Seoul                 | 260 | 11 | SL |... |.-..| 3726 
|K-18_Gangneung       | 270 | 12 | KN |-.- |-.  | 3443 
|K-41_Chungju             | 410 | 26 | CG |-.-.|--. | 4334 
|K-44_Changhowon-ni| 420 | 27 | CW |-.-.|.-- | 4132 
|K-45_Yoju                   | 430 | 28 | YJ |-.--|.---| 4033 
|K-46_Hoengsong       | 440 | 29 | HS |....|... | 3835 
|K-47 Chuncheon        | 450 | 30 | CH |-.-.|....| 3333 
|K-49_Yangsu-ri          | 460 | 31 | YS |-.--|... | 3729 
|K-50_Sokcho-ri          | 470 | 32 | SK |... |-.- | 3040 
|K-51_Inje                     | 480 | 33 | IJ |..  |.---| 3236 
|K-52_Yanggu             | 490 | 34 | YG |-.--|--. | 3135 

Taking off at Kimpo, I see I am set to channel 10 as the closet NDB.
But what actually sets the frequency?  Is this set in the helper or is 10 just always 250hz?
Or Does cycling the radio follow the helper MCU?
Looking at the editor, one NDB is set to 0, I guess making it inactive, the other is set to 10 so there is channel 10, I would expect to find Seoul at 11 and Suwon at 9, and that's holds up, so that kinda of clears up the channel designation... Not so much the frequency.
Loaded a takeoff from K-27, the NDB list did not change, nor the helper file.
A good reference here would be helpful, maybe this chart is expanded some place, it would be actually kind of cool to print out and hang in the sim room.

[Jaegermeister]

10 hours ago, Viking1 said:

Why.. resource usage? Since they can't be detected beyond 40 or 50 km anyway..

Yes and No. I have not used NDBs in Korea yet, but they will be included in future campaigns. As a standard practice I deactivate everything that is not within useful range of the player or other AI units involved in the mission to reduce CPU load.

Information I have seen so far indicates that Low/Medium Frequency radio homing beacons had a range of 30-50 miles at low altitude (3-10K feet) and 100-150 miles at high altitude (25-30K feet). As mentioned earlier, terrain elevation and the curve of the earth are significant factors, some of which is modeled, but I am not sure what the actual max range is in game. In Great Battles I know it was more than 50 km at higher altitudes, because I used it for target location across the English Channel up to about 100 miles range.

I will see what the range is soon enough in some missions I am working on but until then it would just be a guess.

 

9 hours ago, eszyman said:

Another question here...

Taking off at Kimpo, I see I am set to channel 10 as the closet NDB.
But what actually sets the frequency?  Is this set in the helper or is 10 just always 250hz?

Cycling through the channel selector will switch through the available NDB channels. The frequency is set automatically. There is an indicator dial in the cockpit by your right elbow in the F-86 to show what frequency you are on. I have not looked for it in any other planes yet.

They did not have NDBs at all airfields, so the list is just for reference, they may not always be active depending on the front lines. 

 

Edited October 2 by Jaegermeister