AN EMB145 IN CRUISE AT 17000 FT FLIES PAST ITS TURNING POINT ON A STAR ARR INTO EWR; NJ.

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WHILE ON THE RBV 1 ARR TO EWR; THE CAPT (WHO WAS FLYING) MISSED THE TURN AT DAVYS (50 MI NE OF SMYRNA). WE WERE 5 MI OUTSIDE OF THE COURSE. CTLR GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 180 DEGS. WE WERE AT 17000 FT. THEN AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO 8000 FT. I APPROXIMATE THAT WE WERE EQUAL TO HOLEY WHEN THE CTLR GAVE US LOWER. IT APPEARS THAT THE CTLR FORGOT ABOUT US. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED TO 8000 FT WAY BEFORE DAVYS BECAUSE THE EMB145 TRAVELS ROUGHLY 8 MI PER MIN. AFTER MANY ARRS; THE DSCNT IS A CUE FOR THE TURN FOR US. BUT WE OBVIOUSLY MISSED THE TURN. THE CTLR THEN GAVE US 11000 FT IN THE DSCNT. WE MADE 11000 FT IN 1 MIN. THEN WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT TO ROBBINSVILLE. THE SHORTEST DISTANCE WAS A L TURN 150 DEGS. 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE TURN; THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE IN A R TURN. THEN WE REPLIED 'NO.' THEN WE TURNED R TO RBV; DIRECT. THEN THE CTLR APOLOGIZED FOR THE DSCNT AND HANDED US OVER TO APCH. THE PROB OCCURRED I BELIEVE FOR 2 REASONS: 1) INACCURATE VOR NEEDLES. EMB145 RADIOS ARE VERY INACCURATE. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO USE THE FMS. CURRENTLY WE ARE NOT CERTIFIED TO USE THE FMS. IT IS INSTALLED BUT THE COMPANY CAN'T USE IT. 2) PREOCCUPATION WITH CONVERSATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 425886: BEFORE HDOF; WE APOLOGIZED TO THE CTLR FOR MISSING THE TURN; HE THANKS US FOR THE APOLOGY; AND SAID THAT IT WAS HIS MISTAKE (FOR HAVING KEPT US TOO HIGH; TOO FAR INTO THE ARR). THE CTLR HAD US MUCH HIGHER THAN ONE WOULD NORMALLY BE AT THAT POINT ON THE ARR. NORMALLY; SOMEWHERE BTWN SKIPY AND BESSI; ATC WOULD TELL US TO CROSS HOLEY INTXN AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT. IF ATC DID; WE WOULD HAVE REFED OUR STAR PLATE TO CALCULATE OUR REQUIRED DSCNT RATE. THIS; IN MY OPINION; WOULD HAVE PROVIDED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS THAT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CAUSED US TO NOT MISS THE TURN AT DAVYS. SO; WITHOUT THE USUAL RESTR 'PROMPT;' WE WERE CRUISING ALONG; NOT REFING THE STAR OFTEN ENOUGH. WE FELL OUT OF ROUTINE. IN CONCLUSION; IT COMES BACK TO DISCIPLINED HABITS OF ALWAYS BEING SITUATIONALLY AWARE.