How do I adjust VOR, NDB and ILS ident volume in MSFS?

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, tune the station, make its frequency active, select the matching receiver on the audio panel, then adjust that receiver’s volume: NAV1 or NAV2 for VOR and ILS, ADF for NDB. ILS has no separate ident-volume control; its Morse identifier comes through the localiser’s NAV receiver.

How do I change the navaid identifier volume?

The identifier level is normally controlled through the simulated aircraft’s radios and audio panel, not a dedicated MSFS sound slider.

1. Tune the correct receiver. Enter the VOR or localiser frequency in NAV1 or NAV2, or enter the NDB frequency in the ADF receiver.
2. Make the frequency active. If the radio has active and standby windows, transfer the new frequency into the active side. Leaving it in standby is one of the most common causes of a silent ident.
3. Select its audio source. Enable NAV1, NAV2 or ADF on the audio panel. Match this to the receiver you actually tuned.
4. Enable identifier audio. Press the applicable ID or VOL/ID control if the avionics provide one. Other installations play the ident whenever the receiver is selected on the audio panel.
5. Adjust the receiver volume. Turn the NAV or ADF volume knob while the station is in range. Some aircraft offer only on/off monitoring rather than an independently modelled level.
6. Confirm and then mute it. Listen through a complete Morse cycle, compare the code with the expected identifier, then deselect that audio source if you do not want it repeating.

The audible ILS identifier belongs to the localiser transmission. The glide slope does not have a separate ident-volume knob.

What do NAV source and panel source mean?

A NAV source chooses the navigation data displayed to the pilot, while an audio-panel source chooses what is heard; these selections are usually independent.

• Frequency source: The active NAV or ADF receiver tuned to the station.
• NAV source: The source driving the CDI, HSI, flight director or autopilot, often shown as GPS, VLOC, VOR1, LOC1 or similar.
• Audio-panel source: The receiver routed to the headset or cockpit speaker, such as NAV1, NAV2 or ADF.

Changing from GPS to VLOC is normally required to display and capture VOR or localiser guidance, but that change alone does not guarantee audible Morse. Conversely, many aircraft let you monitor NAV audio even while GPS remains the displayed navigation source. Our explanation of the controls found in common aircraft radio stacks helps identify these separate selectors.

Where is the ident-volume control in different cockpits?

The control depends on the installed avionics, and not every aircraft models independent receiver volume.

Combined knobs can require two different actions: turning changes volume, while pressing toggles the identifier. Watch the cockpit tooltip or displayed volume indication to confirm which action MSFS has registered.

Is there a universal receiver control panel in MSFS?

No. Microsoft Flight Simulator does not provide one universal receiver control panel that works identically across every aircraft.

PanelSource is not the name of a standard MSFS audio or ident-volume setting. If that term appears in the name or documentation of a downloaded panel package, its knobs, click spots and custom gauges are specific to that add-on. A general MSFS control assignment may not affect avionics implemented with custom logic.

Which control should I use in a Cessna 182Q?

In a Cessna 182Q, use the controls belonging to the avionics stack modelled by that particular aircraft package; the 182Q airframe designation does not define one standard radio layout.

Look first for an audio panel with NAV1, NAV2 and ADF selectors. Then find the power-and-volume or VOL/ID control on the corresponding receiver. Simulated 182Q panels may represent older radios, modern retrofits or simplified custom gauges, so instructions for another 182Q add-on may not match yours.

How does ADF tuning affect NDB ident volume?

ADF tuning selects the NDB frequency, but the ADF audio source must still be monitored before its Morse identifier can be heard.

Enter the NDB frequency in kHz and select ADF mode if the receiver offers multiple modes. On installations that model ANT, that position may provide audio reception without a usable bearing indication; ADF mode is the normal choice when both identification and bearing are required.

The ADF needle and the audio route are separate. A working needle does not prove that ADF audio is selected, while a faint ident does not by itself prove that the bearing indication is valid. For the complete station-identification process, see our VOR and NDB tuning and navigation walkthrough.

Je n’entends rien: why can’t I hear the VOR, NDB or ILS ident?

If you hear nothing, use the guidance display to decide whether the fault is reception or only audio routing.

• No guidance and no audio: Check receiver power, avionics power, the active frequency, range, altitude, terrain and whether the station exists in the simulator’s navigation data.
• Valid guidance but no audio: Select the matching NAV or ADF source on the audio panel and press ID or VOL/ID if fitted.
• A decoded identifier appears but remains silent: The avionics may decode the station without routing its Morse audio, or the aircraft may not model that sound.
• Only NAV2 is silent: Confirm that NAV2, rather than NAV1, is selected for audio monitoring.
• Only one add-on is affected: Check its custom receiver controls. Some add-ons simplify, omit or separately manage ident audio.
• Every radio source is silent: Check the aircraft’s speaker or headset routing and the simulator’s broad sound levels, not just the tuned receiver.

If both reception and identification are missing, our VOR signal and receiver troubleshooting checks cover the likely causes without confusing an audio fault with a navigation-data problem.

Can MSFS sound settings change ident volume?

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 do not have a universal per-station identifier slider that replaces the cockpit receiver controls.

Broad master, cockpit or avionics-related sound levels can change the result, but they also affect other cockpit sounds. Use them only when all radio identifiers are too quiet, not when one receiver is silent.

You can also search the aircraft’s control profile for assignments resembling NAV 1 volume, NAV 2 volume or ADF volume. Available names vary by aircraft and platform, and custom add-on avionics may ignore generic assignments.

Is a marker-beacon tone the ILS identifier?

No. The localiser’s Morse identifier is NAV audio, while outer, middle and inner marker tones come from the marker-beacon receiver and are normally controlled by a separate MKR selection.

Many approaches do not use marker beacons, and changing marker volume will not alter the localiser ident. If the Morse tone keeps repeating after identification, deselect the appropriate NAV monitor or reduce that receiver’s volume rather than muting the entire cockpit; our guide explains how to stop repeating NAV-radio Morse audio without disabling navigation guidance.