THE KOKOMO VOR HAS BEEN UNRELIABLE FROM THE S AT HIGH ALTS OUTSIDE ABOUT 30 MI FOR SEVERAL YRS. ATC WORKS AROUND THE PROB BY PROVIDING VECTORS. PROBs INCLUDE 'SCALLOPING' AND SOMETIMES AN 'OFF' FLAG UNTIL WITHIN 50 MI.

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FOR SEVERAL YRS; I'VE NOTICED THAT THE KOKOMO VOR IS VERY UNRELIABLE OUTSIDE OF ABOUT 30 NM IF YOU'RE AT HIGH ALTS. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT; ATC WILL PUT YOU ON A HDG FOR OKK IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOME KIND OF SELF CONTAINED NAV EQUIP (IRS; INS; OMEGA). THIS VOR MAKES UP PART OF THE KOKOMO ARR TO ORD AND; IN MY OPINION; SHOULD BE OF SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER QUALITY. USUAL PROBS INCLUDE CONSTANT 'SCALLOPING' OF THE CDI NEEDLE WHEN TRYING TO TRACK TO THE VOR FROM THE S OR EVEN HAVING THE 'OFF' FLAG APPEAR WHEN WITHIN 50 NM OF OKK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A B727-200. HE SAID HE HAD JUST RECENTLY RETURNED TO THE 'STEAM GAUGES' FROM THE 'GLASS.' THE 'GLASS' INSTRUMENTED AIRPLANES DO NOT HAVE A PROB. HE STATED THE KOKOMO ARR IS FOR THE ARRS FROM THE S. HE BELIEVES THE PROB IS A SIMILAR FREQ VOR DOWN S INTERFERING AT HIGH ALTS. HE STATED CTR IS PROBABLY WELL VERSED ON THE PROB; AS FREQUENTLY WHEN THE MOA IS COLD CTR WILL BYPASS KOKOMO AND CLR THE FLTS DIRECT TO KNOX.