Definition
A continuous series of short audio tones transmitted by a VOR Test Facility (VOT) as its identification signal. Unlike a standard VOR or localizer, which broadcasts a three-letter Morse code identifier, a VOT transmits only repeating dots (or, at some facilities, a continuous tone) so the pilot can confirm they have tuned the correct test station before checking the accuracy of the VOR receiver.
Plain English
A steady stream of short beeps the pilot hears over the radio, used to confirm the VOR test signal is being received.
Context Anchor
Heard when identifying a VOT or other radio navigation signal before relying on the receiver indication.
Derivation
Morse code is a signaling system developed in the 1830s by Samuel Morse, in which letters are represented by combinations of short signals (dots) and long signals (dashes). A VOT uses dots only — no letters — because the signal exists purely to confirm the test facility, not to identify a navigation station.
Why Pilots Care
Confirms the VOR receiver is receiving the correct test signal and allows the pilot to verify course accuracy within the required tolerance before flight.
Grounding Statement
If you hear short repeated beeps in the identifier, those beeps are the Morse code dots.
Intuition Check
Do not think of these as printed dots on a page. In this context, dots are short audio beeps sent by the radio facility.
Example Sentence 1
After tuning the VOT frequency, the pilot heard the steady Morse code dots and proceeded with the VOR accuracy check.
Example Sentence 2
Hearing only Morse code dots instead of letters told the pilot the signal was coming from the test facility, not a nearby VOR.