"john smith" wrote in message
.. .

VOR's emit horizontally polarized signals, so you place the radio with
the antenna level with the horizon.
Comm signals are vertically polarized, so you hold the radio straight up
and down.
If you talk to FSS on a VOR frequency, you hold it vertically.
If you want to navigate with a VOR frequency, you hold it horizontally.


Yes, I know all that. Even held horizontally and oriented for maximum
reception to a VOR it works marginally.

And when you are busy flying it is sure inconvenient to be moving that thing
around. Paying more attention to the radio than flying the plane is a
recipe for disaster.