GOV ACFT HAS NAV PROBLEM DUE UNUSUAL ARRANGEMENT; AND UNFAMILIARITY.

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IT HAD BEEN A WHILE SINCE I HAD FLOWN AN SMT AND THE WX WAS LIGHTWT IFR. I WAS CURRENT PER FAR 61.57; BUT TOOK MY TIME GETTING READY BECAUSE I HAD NOT FLOWN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT. I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AVIONICS PACKAGE -- EXCEPT FOR A NEW-FANGLED TRANSPONDER; AND FEW MINS OF SELF-ADMINISTERED DUAL INSTRUCTION TOOK CARE OF THE UNFAMILIAR ASPECTS OF THAT. I IGNORED THE LORAN. I UNDERSTAND IT'S GENERAL PRINCIPLES; BUT I'VE NEVER USED IT; DIDN'T NEED IT FOR THIS TRIP; AND RESOLVED TO DISREGARD IT IN FAVOR OF THE TRIED AND TRUE. THE TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL -- OK; I FORGOT TO TURN ON THE TRANSPONDER. NO BIG DEAL; I TURNED IT ON WHEN THE CTLR POINTED OUT THAT HE WASN'T RECEIVING ANYTHING. I TOOK UP MY ASSIGNED HDG (020 DEGS) AND DIALED IN THE OUTBOUND COURSE FOR V-77 FROM ICT (RADIAL 035). MY INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO INTERCEPT THE AIRWAY AND CLB TO 7000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER DIALING IN MY COURSE; I INTERCEPTED 'THE AIRWAY.' THE THOUGHT MAY HAVE OCCURRED TO ME THAT 'JEEZ; THAT SURE WAS A SHORT VECTOR;' BUT THE ALARM BELLS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLANGING IN MY HEAD FAILED TO GO OFF; AND I TURNED TO INTERCEPT. PRESENTLY; APCH CTL ASKED ME TO VERIFY THAT I WAS FLYING 020. I SAID 'NO;' THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO INTERCEPT ON COURSE; AND THAT I HAD ACCOMPLISHED THAT. THE CTLR TOOK EXCEPTION; NOTING THAT I WAS SEVERAL MI S OF COURSE (I HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW MANY). IT WAS THEN THAT THE ALARMS FINALLY WENT OFF. REALIZING THAT SOMETHING WAS DREADFULLY WRONG; I ASKED FOR A VECTOR TO THE COURSE UNTIL I COULD GET THINGS STRAIGHTENED OUT. THE CTLR URGED ME TO CONTINUE MY CLB TO 7000 -- IN THE ENSUING CONFUSION I HAD LEVELED OFF AT 5000; THE ALT I HAD RECEIVED IN MY INITIAL CONTACT WITH CLRNC DELIVERY. BY NOW MY MIND WAS RACING. I TURNED ON THE AUTOPLT; AND SET TO WORK ON THE PROBLEM. INITIALLY; I DECIDED THAT MY HSI WAS NUTS; SO AS A FIRST STEP; I RETUNED MY #2 NAV TO ICT (I HAD PREVIOUSLY SET IT TO TOP; MY NEXT NAV FAC). TO MY HORROR; IT GAVE ME THE SAME BOGUS INFO AS MY HSI! SOMEWHERE IN HERE; I BEGAN THINKING ON 2 TRACKS. ONE WAS ANALYTICAL -- LOOKING FOR THE DETAIL THAT I HAD OBVIOUSLY OVERLOOKED; SINCE THE CHANCES AGAINST HAVING 2 NAVS GO WRONG IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME ARE ASTRONOMICAL. THE OTHER TRACK WAS THE LITTLE MAN THAT SITS ON YOUR SHOULDER IN A CRISIS; TELLING YOU WHAT A DUMMY YOU ARE; AND WHAT A MESS YOU HAVE MADE OF THIS FLT. HE HAD HIS PEN IN HAND; WAVERING SOMEWHERE BTWN 'D-' AND 'F.' MY ANALYTICAL TRACK WENT TO THE LORAN; WHICH BY NOW WAS GRINNING A QUESTION AT ME: 'APPROVE?' IT ASKED. 'NO.' I SAID. AND I TURNED IT OFF. I HONESTLY DON'T REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED NEXT; BUT SOMEHOW THE MESSAGE GOT THROUGH THAT ALL MY NAVS HAD TO BE TIED TO THE LORAN. SHORTLY; AFTER THAT; I FOUND THE BUTTON AT THE TOP L OF THE INST PANEL -- OUT OF NORMAL VIEW FROM MY SITTING POS -- THAT MEEKLY SAID; 'LORAN.' ON A HUNCH; I PRESSED IT. IT DIDN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE A BUTTON TO ME -- MORE LIKE AN ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT. IT CHANGED FROM LORAN TO VOR; AND EVERYTHING WENT RIGHT AGAIN. I HAD BEEN TRACKING THE 035 DEG BEARING FROM GOD-KNOWS-WHAT WAYPOINT! ABOUT THEN; DEP HANDED ME OFF TO CTR. I ANNOUNCED THAT MY PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED; AND ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN 'ANY CONFLICT.' HE SAID 'NO;' BUT I RESOLVED TO FILE THIS RPT ANYWAY. YOU NEVER KNOW. THE LITTLE MAN ON MY SHOULDER WENT AWAY SHAKING HIS HEAD. 'D+ AND BE GLAD FOR THAT;' WAS ALL HE SAID. PRIMARY CAUSE: INATTN TO DETAIL; UNFAMILIARITY WITH A CRITICAL ASPECT OF A PARTICULAR AVIONICS SETUP. BOTH AGGRAVATED BY PLT'S LACK OF RECENT TIME IN ACTUAL IFR. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: AN AVIONICS SETUP THAT ALLOWS THE ENTIRE NAV SYS TO BE TIED INTO LORAN; WITH ONLY 1 ANNUNCIATOR SWITCH -- LOCATED WELL AWAY FROM THE AVIONICS CLUSTER; AND MOSTLY OUT OF VIEW -- AND ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER WARNING INDICATIONS.