Re: ADS-B uavionix updates
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 2:55 pm
Can’t say enough good things about uAvionix and the Skybeacon.
Initially, I had incredible trouble with the flight test portion. Tried different thresholds and flight patterns. Must have done 8-10 flights! I was in contact with UAvionix and sending my failure reports for their analysis.
Finally they asked if I would be willing to do a flight with a data logger that would pick up the signals of all the equipment to see if that led them to any conclusions. I did and offloaded the data and sent it in.
They saw a pattern in my data that only around 5 other failed aircraft (at this point out of thousands) had. They then flew an engineer down to see where and what kind of interference was blocking my ADSB signal. Checked the power to the unit. Set up a second beacon to the battery to make sure it wasn’t my unit itself. We tried different power settings and isolated mags. Cycled any and every electrical item individually. Tried just about everything while recording data for analysis. The quick and dirty conclusion from the field testing was that the only time the ADSB out signal was blocked was when the transponder was on ALT. Ironic.
At this point I felt it was an issue with the vintage transponder (RT-359A) that I felt I had to fix so I bought a reasonably priced used GTX-327. I sent them my old 359 for continued testing.
Once I got my GTX-327 going I passed on the first flight test with the factory default settings.
UAvionix followed up with me the other day with the reason for the original 359s failure. While it tested just fine in the plane and on a bench and was “strong,” it was a little too strong! Instead of replying to ATC radar when queried (interrogated whatever it’s called) it was constantly signaling at a rather high power/signal level. Forgive my layman’s terms as I retained as much info as my mechanical and not electrical brain could.
In summary it was an issue specific with my old unit. It was jamming the outbound signal so strongly I would be jamming anyone flying near me as well in theory. No way to test that and I don’t often get flight following so ATC was never able to tell me.
UAvionix went above and beyond, not only testing to find a solution for me but for anyone else that came up with this issue like mine. They advertise that it works with any transponder, and they want to be able to stand by that. From what I understand failures of older digital transponders (or even newer digital units) stem from the transponder itself and not skybeacons ability to work with it. I’ve even seen users bashing their skybeacon on Facebook and after asking a few questions you realize they aren’t flying the validation test flight even close to properly.
There’s plenty of installers and garmin dealers out there spreading rumors of problems with Skybeacons and rather silly justifications for installing $5-7000 transponder units in everything because it brings in more money for them. Well if you have a $18,000 Cessna 140 or even a $30,000 170 you’re not getting much out of these other systems for your money, and it’s a ton of investment just to satisfy the ADSB requirement. Your engine doesn’t run better. Your interior or exterior doesn’t get prettier. You don’t increase load or range. You just make the FAA happy.
I’m happy with my reasonably priced Skybeacon ADSB, and I just use a ADSB in Stratux until that I got for $200. I see the same if not way more then someone with just the $5000 transponder.
Initially, I had incredible trouble with the flight test portion. Tried different thresholds and flight patterns. Must have done 8-10 flights! I was in contact with UAvionix and sending my failure reports for their analysis.
Finally they asked if I would be willing to do a flight with a data logger that would pick up the signals of all the equipment to see if that led them to any conclusions. I did and offloaded the data and sent it in.
They saw a pattern in my data that only around 5 other failed aircraft (at this point out of thousands) had. They then flew an engineer down to see where and what kind of interference was blocking my ADSB signal. Checked the power to the unit. Set up a second beacon to the battery to make sure it wasn’t my unit itself. We tried different power settings and isolated mags. Cycled any and every electrical item individually. Tried just about everything while recording data for analysis. The quick and dirty conclusion from the field testing was that the only time the ADSB out signal was blocked was when the transponder was on ALT. Ironic.
At this point I felt it was an issue with the vintage transponder (RT-359A) that I felt I had to fix so I bought a reasonably priced used GTX-327. I sent them my old 359 for continued testing.
Once I got my GTX-327 going I passed on the first flight test with the factory default settings.
UAvionix followed up with me the other day with the reason for the original 359s failure. While it tested just fine in the plane and on a bench and was “strong,” it was a little too strong! Instead of replying to ATC radar when queried (interrogated whatever it’s called) it was constantly signaling at a rather high power/signal level. Forgive my layman’s terms as I retained as much info as my mechanical and not electrical brain could.
In summary it was an issue specific with my old unit. It was jamming the outbound signal so strongly I would be jamming anyone flying near me as well in theory. No way to test that and I don’t often get flight following so ATC was never able to tell me.
UAvionix went above and beyond, not only testing to find a solution for me but for anyone else that came up with this issue like mine. They advertise that it works with any transponder, and they want to be able to stand by that. From what I understand failures of older digital transponders (or even newer digital units) stem from the transponder itself and not skybeacons ability to work with it. I’ve even seen users bashing their skybeacon on Facebook and after asking a few questions you realize they aren’t flying the validation test flight even close to properly.
There’s plenty of installers and garmin dealers out there spreading rumors of problems with Skybeacons and rather silly justifications for installing $5-7000 transponder units in everything because it brings in more money for them. Well if you have a $18,000 Cessna 140 or even a $30,000 170 you’re not getting much out of these other systems for your money, and it’s a ton of investment just to satisfy the ADSB requirement. Your engine doesn’t run better. Your interior or exterior doesn’t get prettier. You don’t increase load or range. You just make the FAA happy.
I’m happy with my reasonably priced Skybeacon ADSB, and I just use a ADSB in Stratux until that I got for $200. I see the same if not way more then someone with just the $5000 transponder.