Definition
A type of VOR ground station that uses the Doppler effect to generate the variable bearing signal, allowing pilots to determine their radial position from the station. DVOR stations transmit on the same VHF frequencies as conventional VORs (108.0–117.95 MHz) and are used by aircraft in the same way, but the ground equipment is built differently to reduce errors caused by nearby terrain, buildings, or other reflective surfaces.
Plain English
DVOR is a navigation ground station that tells aircraft what direction they are from the station. It does the same job as a regular VOR, but it is designed to give cleaner, more reliable signals in places where the terrain or surroundings would otherwise cause interference.
Context Anchor
Seen in navigation equipment descriptions, airport facility listings, and discussions of VOR ground stations.
Derivation
Doppler refers to the Doppler effect — the change in a signal's frequency when the source appears to move relative to the receiver. A DVOR simulates this motion electronically by switching its bearing signal rapidly between antennas spaced around a circle, which produces a cleaner directional signal than a conventional VOR.
Why Pilots Care
Delivers reliable bearings where conventional VOR signals can be distorted by mountains or buildings, supporting safer instrument navigation.
Intuition Check
DVOR does not mean a special airborne Doppler instrument. It means a VOR ground station that uses a Doppler-based signal design.
Example Sentence 1
The approach plate showed the navaid as a DVOR, but the pilot tuned and identified it the same way as any other VOR.
Example Sentence 2
Because of surrounding terrain, the approach plate specified use of the DVOR instead of the standard VOR.