CORP PLT INDICATES WEAK NDB AT ARPT WITH ONLY NDB APCH.

Narrative

CLRED DIRECT SARATOGA NDB; APCH 20 MI S OF 8A0. RECEIVING FAINT IDENTIFIER HOWEVER NEVER RECEIVED A RELIABLE NEEDLE. DELAYED COMPLETION OF APCH. REQUIRED VECTORING AND USE OF LRN TO LOCATE BEACON AND STILL INDICATIONS WERE UNRELIABLE MORE THAN 1 OR 2 MI FROM BEACON. I HAVE CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE WITH NDB APCHS AND KNOW I WAS NOT MISREADING MY RMI. WE NEED A BETTER FACILITY FOR THIS ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HIS CORP IS BASED AT 8A0 AND THEY USE THE APCH FREQUENTLY. ON THIS DAY THE WX WAS MUCH BETTER ALL AROUND AND HE THOUGHT HE COULD MAKE THE APCH EASILY. CEILINGS WERE LOWER THAN ANTICIPATED AND HE HAD NOT PROGRAMMED HIS GPS FOR THE ARPT. HE HAS FLOWN IN ALASKA AND IS QUITE USED TO NDB APCHS BUT THIS BEACON IS SO WEAK THAT HE WAS ALMOST OVER IT PRIOR TO GETTING AN INDICATION. AS SOON AS HE TURNED OUTBOUND ON THE APCH HE LOST THE NDB. HE DOES NOT FEEL IT IS HIS EQUIP AS IT WORKS WELL ELSEWHERE. USUALLY ONE NEEDS TO DO A CIRCLING APCH BECAUSE YOU ARE TOO HIGH AT THE ARPT. WHAT IS NEEDED IS A BETTER BEACON AND A BETTER APCH TO BE ABLE TO COME STRAIGHT IN. MOST PLTS JUST USE THE GPS AND PUBLISHED ALTS. RPTR SUGGEST CONTACTING THE ARPT MGR FOR VERIFICATION.