ACR ON STAR HAS DIFFICULTY RECEIVING VOR INDICATED AS INBOUND NAVAID. TOLD TO USE THE VOR BEHIND THEM.

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FLT DTW TO BDL WAS FLYING THE SWEDE 1 ARR FROM WILET INTXN. AFTER PASSING SWEDE INTXN ATC ASSIGNED A HDG R OF COURSE TO INTERCEPT THE BDL 329 DEG RADIAL (A SHORTCUT TO INTERCEPT THE ARR COURSE TO BDL). THE SIGNAL FOR THE BDL VOR DID NOT PROVIDE AN IDENT AT THAT TIME; BUT THE CDI CTRED WITH NO OFF FLAG AND INDICATED AN ON COURSE SIT. WE ADVISED ATC THAT THE BDL SIGNAL WAS QUESTIONABLE; AND ATC ADVISED WE USE THE ALBANY 147 DEG RADIAL FOR COURSE GUIDANCE UNTIL RECEIVING BDL. AT THAT TIME A PLT FROM ANOTHER ACFT RPTED THAT THE ALB VOT HAS FREQ 109.0; SAME AS BDL VOR; AND THAT IT'S CUSTOMARY TO FLY THE ALB RADIAL FOR THE ARR. THE TEXT FOR THE SWEDE ARR PRESCRIBES USING THE ROCKDALE AND BRADLEY RADIALS; AND NOT ALBANY. YET IT IS COMMON THAT THE BDL 329 DEG RADIAL IS UNRELIABLE ON THE PORTION OF THE ARR NEAR ALBANY; EVIDENTLY DUE TO INTERFERENCE FROM THE ALB VOT. I SUGGEST THAT THIS SIT BE FLT TESTED; AND AN ALTERATION TO THE PROC BE MADE IF NECESSARY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THIS SAME THING HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES GOING INTO BRADLEY. HE NEVER KNEW WHAT THE CAUSE WAS BEFORE. HE IS GRATEFUL TO THE OTHER PLT WHO EXPLAINED IT TO HIM. IT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT THAT ONE HAS TO USE A VOR BEHIND THE INBOUND COURSE TO GET TO THE ARPT. HE FEELS THE VOT FREQ SHOULD BE CHANGED TO ENABLE ONE TO RECEIVE THE BDL VOR 329 DEG RADIAL AS DEPICTED ON THE STAR. THE CDI SEEMED TO CTR AT FIRST BUT THEN WAS WAVERING AND NOT GIVING AN ACCURATE INDICATION.