The old ADF system was useful in its time
I agree, as long as you don't confuse it with something you'd use for navigation. I was quite sorry when mine died and I had it removed. It was great for keeping track of how many times you'd been round the pattern. You could listen to AM radio (not that I ever did). And since there's a 100MW or so* AM station very close to my home field, I could see the direction to home from cruise altitude anywhere in California. Reassuring though not enormously useful.
*<pedant_alert>Really 50KW</pedant_alert>
the closet would be SkyDemon but that is VFR only
Even if it's VFR only, if it will give you a magenta line to the navaid in question it will do the job. IT doesn't know you're on an IFR flight plan.