ADSB - What are people using?

[rdooley79 28]

Three questions that I have with ADSB.

What is your ADSB solution and are you happy with it?

Knowing what you know now, what would you buy for your plane now?

Is there another solution coming out that is worth waiting for?

 

Getting closer to 2020 and my airport is barely under the 30nm class B of Denver International. Been waiting and watching for what is coming out for the experimental market to satisfy the ADSB requirement.

 

Thanks and fly safe,

[nlappos 413]

Great question but be sure to ask for ADSB-Out, otherwise this thread will fill with stuff that won't help. So far I see nothing south of $1000 that will help us.

[TJay 1041]

What about making your own? Is that ok to do? I see alot of kits for around one to three hundred bucks. I know nothing about ADS-B so not sure if any of that stuff will work.

[marksires 484]

Nope, you can't make your own ADSB-OUT, that is for ADSB-IN only, and those make your own kits work fine.  Still need a tablet and app to actually see anything though.  There are no approved portable devices for out either, and don't expect any.  The FAA's plan is eventually to use ADSB instead of radar to keep airplanes separated, so I wouldn't expect them to ever approve a portable device to keep our little planes separated from airliners with 200-300 voters/taxpayers.  There aren't any portable transponders, and ADS-B will be even more critical than the transponder in the long run.

For ADSB-Out (the required part), the cheapest/easiest solution is the uavionics device that replaces your nav light and is a completely self contained unit with the WAAS GPS, transmitter, etc.  The only downside is you have to leave your nav lights on all the time, but since the replacement is LED, if you replace the other side with an LED, I don't really see that as a big issue.  It is just under $2k, and installation takes about 15 minutes.

<edited - changed just $2k to just UNDER $2k - 2k is a lot of money for our planes!)

Edited 24 Sep 2018 by marksires

[Yamma-Fox 403]

My plan is to go with the uavionics skybeacon and rewire my (all led) nav lights to my radio master so I don't forget to have it on.

Anyone here actually running the skybeacon?

[1avidflyer 1983]

Is it going to be required in Nevis?   JImChuk

[Yamma-Fox 403]

  Nope!

But I've got big ideas about going up to our Lake of the Woods island property with this puppy.

I tell you that but the Lake Amphibian my dad and I own only gets up there every few years... and it has 4 seats and a huge cargo bin!

So I'm sure it'll just  be a novelty of a trip for the KF!

[Guest]

I am just learning about this but I have heard about some ADSB anonymous options and that is definitely what I will go with if and when I do.

I for one do not want my tail number out there on RADAR unless I am in the system on a flight plan.

As I understand it some models can be legally run anonymous and that is the only ADSB out I would ever want to run. I don't mind "people" knowing where planes are and their altitude.

It's another whole world (and one I am not a fan of) where they know "who" is out there and their altitude.  

[Av8r_Sed 82]

I note that the Garmin GDL-82 has provision for a switch to be wired so you can select anonymous mode operation when desired.  If it is legal for one brand, then it should be legal for all.

[chopndrag 226]

I guess I'll be the rebel .... I don't plan on doing anything to my avid for the adsb crap. It's a little tibe and fabric plane . We've all been flying without that crap so why buy something some of us will barely use. I'll jist stick to flying around like normal until they come down to a 16th of the value of my plane. I say let the big expensive planes have them and leave the little experomentals alone. Plus that crap looks to damn confusing . I would rather be flying and scanning then have a computer screen in my plane . That's just me and I'm sure there will be backlash .

[wypaul 448]

Steve I can sure relate and I was thinking the sam way.  I do like having ADS-B in and Forflight.  Within the last month I have had the IN save my bacon twice once a situation that see and avoid was of no help.  I saw an airplane approaching from the rear right on my flight path at my exact altitude. I was able to change my altitude and flight path before what appeared to be a mid air. The other one was also to close for comfort.  Maybe both of these aircraft would have eventually seen me but there is a good chance that they would not.  I live out west where there is little air traffic so if it can happen here it can happen any where.  After 2020 the situation will become much worse because other pilots will be thinking that they can see everyone even though they should know better.  Another common situation is the slow high wing and the fast low wing on final.  The low wing never sees it coming.

Like I was saying I am not trying to change your mind just throwing out some food for thought.  I have a transponder with ADS -B out on order. 

[marksires 484]

I guess I'll be the rebel .... I don't plan on doing anything to my avid for the adsb crap. It's a little tibe and fabric plane . We've all been flying without that crap so why buy something some of us will barely use. I'll jist stick to flying around like normal until they come down to a 16th of the value of my plane. I say let the big expensive planes have them and leave the little experomentals alone. Plus that crap looks to damn confusing . I would rather be flying and scanning then have a computer screen in my plane . That's just me and I'm sure there will be backlash .

As long as you stay out of the airspace where it is required, there is nothing wrong with that.  If not, expect to become an example for the rest of the GA community.  I predict the FAA will have no mercy shortly after the deadline passes.

Mark

 

[chopndrag 226]

I just think it's pretty stupid to have in our little planes. I stay clear of all that garbage anyway so I should be fine. How long have we been flying without this stuff ? Now all of a sudden we are told we have to have it . Just like the faa making rc pilots register their planes now wtf. The ama governs them if you are a member and the faa should stay out of it. Just the government trying to get more money. 

I guess I'll be the rebel .... I don't plan on doing anything to my avid for the adsb crap. It's a little tibe and fabric plane . We've all been flying without that crap so why buy something some of us will barely use. I'll jist stick to flying around like normal until they come down to a 16th of the value of my plane. I say let the big expensive planes have them and leave the little experomentals alone. Plus that crap looks to damn confusing . I would rather be flying and scanning then have a computer screen in my plane . That's just me and I'm sure there will be backlash .

As long as you stay out of the airspace where it is required, there is nothing wrong with that.  If not, expect to become an example for the rest of the GA community.  I predict the FAA will have no mercy shortly after the deadline passes.

Mark

 

[Av8r3400 1177]

Very happy with my equipment.  

ADSP in and out:  Nothing.  

Until the market comes up with a reasonably priced solution that integrates with my current equipment, I'm not buying anything.  I will avoid the airspace.

[Guest]

I just read on AV Web that FAA is going to raise the light sport weight to 3600lb! That will enable sport pilots to fly all kinds of planes they cannot now fly. I'm very curious as to the details. 

I also saw in the same article that they are going to re-instate the $500 ADSB rebate because so few people took advantage of it. (thread related comment :-)

 

[dholly 718]

^This deserves its own thread!

[wypaul 448]

Thanks Chris, l'll watch for that.  Nothing on the rebate yet on the FAA website  

 

 

[Turbo 162]

With gps nav, it should be easy to stay out of classes B & C airspace anyway, at least out here in the stix.  Real-time  weather is a good reason to consider ADSB-in, though.  Homebilder's Help describes a cheap kit for same.

[marksires 484]

I fly a Cherokee 235 and have had ADS-B in/out for about 5 years now.  I can tell you with absolute certainty that your Mark 1 eyeballs aren't nearly as good as you think they are.  I can also state with absolute certainty that another small airplane is invisible to the eye outside of 2nm in most conditions.  Occasionally when the conditions are perfect (clear air, light colored airplane below me with solid, dark ground below), I can find one at about 3nm.

I know it has saved me from a close encounter at least once, which justifies the price for me.  It was a classic mid air setup, I was in my low wing cherokee, and a high wing took off from a small private airport ahead along my path.  He was slower, climbing directly in my flight path, completely invisible under the nose of my plane.  I watched it develop on my ADS-B in iPad, and when it became obvious we were going to get much too close, I deviated to the right.  I'm sure the other pilot never even knew I was around, since I was above and behind him, but gaining at about 30 knots.

Mark

[Gunderson 28]

I have the setup I shared here:

I don't know of a lower cost solution if you already have a Mode C Transponder.  It has worked well for me.  I get traffic and weather on my Android tablet using Avare, one of the few free Electronic Flight Bag apps, which I also like -- gives me free sectionals on my tablet and Airport Facility Directory info -- not as user friendly or full featured as Foreflight, but awesome for free.