ZAON PCAS MRX

[Nick Kennedy]

Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
Nick

[6PK]

On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 5:54:05 PM UTC-8, Nick Kennedy wrote:
> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>
> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>
> Nick

It is very reliable BUT has major limitations;
It will tell you that there is a possible threat(s), the distance and if it is above or below and the respective number of feet. What it does not indicate is the direction. I find my head turning more vigorously than normal when it goes off which is a good thing.

[Vaughn]

On 12/11/2013 8:54 PM, Nick Kennedy wrote:
> Are these units reliable

No present collision avoidance technology should be considered
"reliable". It's just there as a backup to your MK1 eyeball.

and worth having in your glider?

I own one, and I consider it "worth having", meaning that it beats
having nothing. Since I own it, I don't fly without it.

> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?

Again, you should only trust your eyes. The MRX is there to nudge you
if your scan misses something. (When you get one, you will be surprised
and embarrassed at how unreliable your scan is.)


Vaughn

[Dan Marotta]

What they both said...

Besides the fact that it alerts you to pick up your scan, you can quickly
interpret whether an aircraft might be a threat by observing whether it's
closing with you. Just because range or altitude are closing does not mean
that it's a threat, but I'm more concerned with a closing aircraft than one
that's opening the gap.

What nobody has said is that it's a battery hog. A pair of AA batteries may
not last for a single flight so I've hooked mine up to ship's power.

"Vaughn" > wrote in message
...
> On 12/11/2013 8:54 PM, Nick Kennedy wrote:
>> Are these units reliable
>
> No present collision avoidance technology should be considered "reliable".
> It's just there as a backup to your MK1 eyeball.
>
> and worth having in your glider?
>
> I own one, and I consider it "worth having", meaning that it beats having
> nothing. Since I own it, I don't fly without it.
>
>> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>
> Again, you should only trust your eyes. The MRX is there to nudge you if
> your scan misses something. (When you get one, you will be surprised and
> embarrassed at how unreliable your scan is.)
>
>
> Vaughn
>
>

[Wallace Berry[_2_]]

In article >,
Nick Kennedy > wrote:

> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
> Nick

Mine seems to be reliable. Seems to pick up relevant traffic. Ignores
airliners way up in the flight levels and I have had it ignore aircraft
passing at very low altitudes such as powerline patrols. Maybe the
software ignores them or they were too low for their transponders to be
interrogated. Can be annoying at during the launch at contest sites as
the towplanes are continually causing it to bleep.

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 6:54:05 PM UTC-7, Nick Kennedy wrote:
> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>
> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>
> Nick

No! I had to send back my MRX to Zaon 3 times because a "filter" kept going out. The problem was the unit would not tell me there was any problem. It just acted like everything was fine but it would just stop picking up any other aircraft. I knew it was bad when a jet or two would get too close and it didn't pick it up. Very frustrating!

Also, please be aware that Zaon is now out of business so when that filter on yours goes out you might not have anywhere to send it to. Here is a link about them going Tango Uniform. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Portable-traffic-alert-system-maker-Zaon-ceases-operation220938-1.html

The best solution is get a PowerFlarm, but then again, I know you don't like to be told what to do... ;) Looking forward to flying with you next year..

Bruno - B4

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 5:54:05 PM UTC-8, Nick Kennedy wrote:
> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>
> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>
> Nick

I have had the same experience as Bruno. The MRX works well when it works, but mine has been back to the manufacturer 3 times for repair, and it's ready for it's fourth repair. This time, there's no manufacturer to send it back to. If I could get it fixed again, I'd do it. Is the unit reliable? No.
Russ

[[email protected]]

On Thursday, December 12, 2013 8:46:17 AM UTC-8, wrote:

Also, please be aware that Zaon is now out of business so when that filter on yours goes out you might not have anywhere to send it to. Here is a link about them going Tango Uniform. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Portable-traffic-alert-system-maker-Zaon-ceases-operation220938-1.html


Does that mean that the only way to get PCAS functionality now is via PowerFlarm? I did a search and it seems that Zaon was the only other company making PCAS (it's their term so I'm wondering if the same capability is available under another name). True?

9B

[Nick Kennedy]

On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 6:54:05 PM UTC-7, Nick Kennedy wrote:
Hi Gents
Thanks for the good information on the MRX, I appreciate the time you guys took to write about it.
It sounds like when it is working and connected to the ships power it is a good thing to have on board.
I got mine in my extra's box of stuff when I purchased glider T and it seems to work at the present.
I set it on the dash of my F150 truck looking at the turns from downwind to base to final here in Telluride yesterday at it worked as advertised, and I could read the screen in bright sunlight
I like how simple it is to use and how easy it is to interpret the display. To bad they went Tango Uniform as Bruno so delicately put it :]
Happy Holidays
Nick
T

> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>
> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>
> Nick

[Dan Marotta]

I've had mine for less than a year and, so far, it has not failed.

As to extremely high or low aircraft alerting - during setup the pilot
chooses maximum range and altitude difference to report.

"Nick Kennedy" > wrote in message
...
> On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 6:54:05 PM UTC-7, Nick Kennedy wrote:
> Hi Gents
> Thanks for the good information on the MRX, I appreciate the time you guys
> took to write about it.
> It sounds like when it is working and connected to the ships power it is
> a good thing to have on board.
> I got mine in my extra's box of stuff when I purchased glider T and it
> seems to work at the present.
> I set it on the dash of my F150 truck looking at the turns from downwind
> to base to final here in Telluride yesterday at it worked as advertised,
> and I could read the screen in bright sunlight
> I like how simple it is to use and how easy it is to interpret the
> display. To bad they went Tango Uniform as Bruno so delicately put it :]
> Happy Holidays
> Nick
> T
>
>> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>>
>> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>>
>> Nick
>

[Vaughn]

On 12/13/2013 1:19 PM, Dan Marotta wrote:
> I've had mine for less than a year and, so far, it has not failed.

Likewise, I've had mine for 2 or 3 years with no issues. I bought it
from someone who had just installed a Powerflarm.

Vaughn

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 8:54:05 PM UTC-5, Nick Kennedy wrote:
> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>
> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>
> Nick

Has ZAON gone T.U.?
I have tried to access the website but get no where.

I just purchased a previously owned unit and want to get an extended antenna and the panel mounting kit. I see several resellers with the extended antenna kit, but no panel mounting kit.

r/Jim
N9XL/H-201B

[Renny[_2_]]

On Friday, December 13, 2013 4:04:01 PM UTC-7, wrote:
> On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 8:54:05 PM UTC-5, Nick Kennedy wrote:
>
> > Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>
> >
>
> > Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>
> >
>
> > Nick
>
>
>
> Has ZAON gone T.U.?
>
> I have tried to access the website but get no where.
>
>
>
> I just purchased a previously owned unit and want to get an extended antenna and the panel mounting kit. I see several resellers with the extended antenna kit, but no panel mounting kit.
>
>
>
> r/Jim
>
> N9XL/H-201B

Unfortunately, I believe they are no longer in business....

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Portable-traffic-alert-system-maker-Zaon-ceases-operation220938-1.html

I have owned my ZAON MRX since Jan of 2006 and I have always been very pleased with its performance. It is very unfortunate that ZAON has shut-down. Hopefully, someone will buy the rights and/or the assets and take over the sales and support of these units.....

[Vaughn]

On 12/13/2013 8:04 PM, Renny wrote:
> Hopefully, someone will buy the rights and/or the assets and take over the sales and support of these units.....


Hopefully, someone will at least support them. In the big picture
though, I'm afraid that ZAON's technology doesn't have much of a future.

Remember this is mostly a product aimed at the airplane world, but those
folks are likely buying Ipads and portable ADSB receivers these days.
Yes, I know they don't display the same traffic as PCAS, but they will
get increasingly relevant as more and more planes install ADSB.

In the interim, I'm still happy with my little MRX.

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 8:54:05 PM UTC-5, Nick Kennedy wrote:
> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>
> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>
> Nick

Even so, no regret buying another PCAS. Sold the other when I sold my LS-1f. Feel it provide a heads-up to traffic in our local area. Suspect I will never have enough funds for a transponder or the panel space.
If anyone has an extended antenna kit or panel mounting kit they would like to sell drop me a note.

r/Jim
N9XL/H201B

[Paul Remde]

Hi Jim,

I have one of the Zaon MRX Antenna Extender kits in stock.
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/zaon.htm

Best Regards,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
_____________________________

wrote in message
...

On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 8:54:05 PM UTC-5, Nick Kennedy wrote:
> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>
> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>
> Nick

Even so, no regret buying another PCAS. Sold the other when I sold my
LS-1f. Feel it provide a heads-up to traffic in our local area. Suspect I
will never have enough funds for a transponder or the panel space.
If anyone has an extended antenna kit or panel mounting kit they would like
to sell drop me a note.

r/Jim
N9XL/H201B

[Dan Marotta]

Mine's mounted to the top of the glare shield with velcro. Works just fine
there and is very low profile.


> wrote in message
...
> On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 8:54:05 PM UTC-5, Nick Kennedy wrote:
>> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>>
>> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>>
>> Nick
>
> Has ZAON gone T.U.?
> I have tried to access the website but get no where.
>
> I just purchased a previously owned unit and want to get an extended
> antenna and the panel mounting kit. I see several resellers with the
> extended antenna kit, but no panel mounting kit.
>
> r/Jim
> N9XL/H-201B

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 8:54:05 PM UTC-5, Nick Kennedy wrote:
> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>
> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>
> Nick

Extremely hard to mount on the glare shield in a Glasflugel Std. Libelle. No glare shield.
Used one in my previously owned LS-1f and in our club's L-23/L-13s But alas and alack...
it needs to be mounted somewhere in the Libelle.

[Nick Kennedy]

I am in need of a power cable for my MRX
Anyone have a extra one I can purchase?
Thanks in advance
Nick

[Martin Gregorie[_5_]]

On Sat, 14 Dec 2013 18:51:26 -0800, qnimclimber wrote:

> On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 8:54:05 PM UTC-5, Nick Kennedy wrote:
>> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>>
>> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>>
>> Nick
>
> Extremely hard to mount on the glare shield in a Glasflugel Std.
> Libelle. No glare shield.
> Used one in my previously owned LS-1f and in our club's L-23/L-13s But
> alas and alack... it needs to be mounted somewhere in the Libelle.

IME anything with a separate control/display unit is easy to mount in a
Libelle but single box instruments may be not so easy. For example,
installing a Swiss FLARM would be difficult because its essentially the
same as a ZAON PCAS - a small box with display on the front, antenna on
top and power cable coming out the back or underside. OTOH, I had no
problems at all installing a Red Box flarm. Its electronics box and
antennas went into or in front of my Libelle's instrument tray and the
25mm x 50mm display occupies a couple of square inches of my panel
between the top and middle row of instruments. Photos here:

http://www.gregorie.org/gliding/libelle/panel.html

Scroll down to the FLARM rebuild section to see the pilot's side and
click on 'behind the panel' and to see where I put the Red Box
electronics, GPS antenna and FLARM dipole antenna.

Could you mount the MRX on a RAM fleximount in front of the panel? As you
can see, I've done that with the satnav I use to run LK8000 and am
pleased with the result: the satnav is still effectively part of the
panel and comes out with it when the two screws at the top are removed.
The fleximount lets me position it so that all panel-mounted instruments
are visible. RAM don't sell a standard attachment for the satnav, but it
was easy enough to use the clip that came with it and make an adapter to
attach the clip to the fleximount from 1.5mm epoxy plate and four screws.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

[Paul Remde]

Hi,

The Zaon MRX Antenna Extender I had in stock has just sold. I don't have
any more Zaon parts in stock.

Paul Remde

"Paul Remde" wrote in message ...

Hi Jim,

I have one of the Zaon MRX Antenna Extender kits in stock.
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/zaon.htm

Best Regards,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
_____________________________

wrote in message
...

On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 8:54:05 PM UTC-5, Nick Kennedy wrote:
> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>
> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>
> Nick

Even so, no regret buying another PCAS. Sold the other when I sold my
LS-1f. Feel it provide a heads-up to traffic in our local area. Suspect I
will never have enough funds for a transponder or the panel space.
If anyone has an extended antenna kit or panel mounting kit they would like
to sell drop me a note.

r/Jim
N9XL/H201B

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 6:54:05 PM UTC-7, Nick Kennedy wrote:
> Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
>
> Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
>
> Nick

Yep, too bad they went out of business. Have to say that despite it's shortcomings that it was a decent inexpensive bit of kit for traffic SA. Having said that, I had contacted their support just before they went out of business due to a filtering problem with my MRX. It was sporadically picking up targets and sporadically picking up my squawk code. They replied to my email support request with advise on how to fine-tune the sensitivity inside the "Admin" menu. Their response ...

" ... You can adjust the suppression level to adjust to your transponder by
entering the admin menu. (Mute + Down buttons) Once in Admin, press
ENTER/MENU to skip through the altimeter adjustment, and you should see a
screen which shows "P000 009" You can change the right side values between 5
to 20 to capture your transponder. Every transponder and aircraft vary so we
have this adjustment to allow for variations. You must hit ENTER/MENU after
adjusting the level to save it. (The screen will then return to normal view) ... "

If you try this, just be careful. Write stuff down before you make changes. I did not do that and now I am not sure what the factory default setting was on my MRX. It may have been "P000 009" as indicated above but I am not certain of that. If anyone knows what the factory default sensitivity setting should be, please post it here.

[[email protected]]

On Monday, February 10, 2014 at 6:36:10 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 6:54:05 PM UTC-7, Nick Kennedy wrote:
> > Are these units reliable and worth having in your glider?
> >
> > Are they consistent enough to trust in a real threat situation?
> >
> > Nick
>
> Yep, too bad they went out of business. Have to say that despite it's shortcomings that it was a decent inexpensive bit of kit for traffic SA. Having said that, I had contacted their support just before they went out of business due to a filtering problem with my MRX. It was sporadically picking up targets and sporadically picking up my squawk code. They replied to my email support request with advise on how to fine-tune the sensitivity inside the "Admin" menu. Their response ...
>
> " ... You can adjust the suppression level to adjust to your transponder by
> entering the admin menu. (Mute + Down buttons) Once in Admin, press
> ENTER/MENU to skip through the altimeter adjustment, and you should see a
> screen which shows "P000 009" You can change the right side values between 5
> to 20 to capture your transponder. Every transponder and aircraft vary so we
> have this adjustment to allow for variations. You must hit ENTER/MENU after
> adjusting the level to save it. (The screen will then return to normal view) ... "
>
> If you try this, just be careful. Write stuff down before you make changes. I did not do that and now I am not sure what the factory default setting was on my MRX. It may have been "P000 009" as indicated above but I am not certain of that. If anyone knows what the factory default sensitivity setting should be, please post it here.



Hello, just saw; a couple years too late! Mine was set to P000 009. I was trying to reset the alt, and ended up in that screen. I accidentally changed it to 011. Went back in and changed it to 009. I will check it tomorrow while flynig.