TCAS like options

[Michelle P]

Hi all,
I had a close call last week while flying traffic.
I am now looking at portable traffic warning systems. I looked through
the back articles of Aviation COnsumer and could only find a review on
one. the Sure Check....
What else is available and anyone have any experience with them?
Thanks,
Michelle

[Ben Jackson]

On 2005-06-15, Michelle P > wrote:
> I had a close call last week while flying traffic.

Would you have seen them if someone had said, "hey, there's a plane
nearby"? That's about all the portable units can do for you.

--
Ben Jackson
>
http://www.ben.com/

[BillJ]

Michelle P wrote:
> Hi all,
> I had a close call last week while flying traffic.
> I am now looking at portable traffic warning systems. I looked through
> the back articles of Aviation COnsumer and could only find a review on
> one. the Sure Check....
> What else is available and anyone have any experience with them?
> Thanks,
> Michelle
>

I have a Monroy ATD200 like new. Does a good job in keeping you alert in
busy areas.

[[email protected]]

BillJ wrote:
>
> I have a Monroy ATD200 like new. Does a good job in keeping you alert in
> busy areas.

I don't agree. I've flown a plane with a Monroy in busy airspace
(under a class B shelf with lots of surrounding GA fields) and its
nearly constant alarms made in next to useless. On the other hand, I
thought it worked great out in less populated areas, particularly
around VORs and other places in the sticks where airplanes tend to
meet.

The best TCAS-like solution I've seen for busy areas is the radar
traffic (TIS) data available with a Mode/S transponder. The only
drawback is that you have to pony up for the Mode/S transponder and a
compatible display device. Still a lot cheaper that an actual TCAS.

John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)

[Ron Natalie]

wrote:

>
> The best TCAS-like solution I've seen for busy areas is the radar
> traffic (TIS) data available with a Mode/S transponder. The only
> drawback is that you have to pony up for the Mode/S transponder and a
> compatible display device. Still a lot cheaper that an actual TCAS.
>
TIS demonstrated it's worth to me in the first ten minutes I flew with
it. I departed from the radio shop on a hazy day and even though I
was getting flight following the thing showed an approaching aircraft
at my altitude. As it got closer I climbed to a different altitude.
I finally saw it as it passed beneath me. ATC never issued an
alert.

[Peter R.]

> TIS demonstrated it's worth to me in the first ten minutes I flew with
> it. I departed from the radio shop on a hazy day and even though I
> was getting flight following the thing showed an approaching aircraft
> at my altitude.

I am very happy with my TIS as well, especially in the very hazy
weather in the northeast US. I have a Garmin GTX 330 transponder that
feeds its traffic data to both a GNS430 and an MX-20 moving map.

After almost one year of flying with it, the only two complaints about
TIS that I have are the relatively limited coverage areas outside of
the northeast coastal megalopolis and the inability to adjust the
volume of the lady's voice that states, "Traffic Unavailable!"
Inevitably this alert always comes on just as I am about to touch down
at my home airport and it still startles me.

--
Peter

[Michelle P]

Ben,
Most likely yes. I was talking to Potomac ATC but not receiving any
advisories. I just want to know if the airplane is in front of me or
behind me and at what altitude.
Michelle

Ben Jackson wrote:

>On 2005-06-15, Michelle P > wrote:
>
>
>>I had a close call last week while flying traffic.
>>
>>
>
>Would you have seen them if someone had said, "hey, there's a plane
>nearby"? That's about all the portable units can do for you.
>
>
>

[Michelle P]

John,
I would love to have that but I need something portable. I fly four
different airplanes for my personal use and employment.
Michelle

wrote:

>BillJ wrote:
>
>
>>I have a Monroy ATD200 like new. Does a good job in keeping you alert in
>>busy areas.
>>
>>
>
> I don't agree. I've flown a plane with a Monroy in busy airspace
>(under a class B shelf with lots of surrounding GA fields) and its
>nearly constant alarms made in next to useless. On the other hand, I
>thought it worked great out in less populated areas, particularly
>around VORs and other places in the sticks where airplanes tend to
>meet.
>
> The best TCAS-like solution I've seen for busy areas is the radar
>traffic (TIS) data available with a Mode/S transponder. The only
>drawback is that you have to pony up for the Mode/S transponder and a
>compatible display device. Still a lot cheaper that an actual TCAS.
>
>John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)
>
>
>

[Doug Vetter]

Peter R. wrote:
<snip>
> After almost one year of flying with it, the only two complaints about
> TIS that I have are the relatively limited coverage areas outside of
> the northeast coastal megalopolis and the inability to adjust the
> volume of the lady's voice that states, "Traffic Unavailable!"
> Inevitably this alert always comes on just as I am about to touch down
> at my home airport and it still startles me.

Peter,

Can't help you with the coverage issue (complain to the FAA), but the
voice type and volume are, in fact, configurable. This is not an "in
flight" procedure, however -- it's a "set and forget" via the unit's
configuration pages which are accessible via special key combination
during power-up. If you want to occasionally mute the audio, you need
to have your avionics shop route it through a switched input on your
audio panel.

I wrote an article about the GTX330 that you may find helpful. Go to my
site and click through:

Aviation -> Articles -> Maintenance -> Avionics 2004

Scroll down to the bottom and look for the sidebar. It contains a link
to a document that explains how to access the unit's configuration pages.

Please read the disclaimer thoroughly before downloading the file. I'm
not kidding. If you screw the pooch, call your avionics tech. Don't
email me about it or expect me to pay to fix your mistake.

Also, please do not post a direct link to the file in UseNet. I provide
the link description above for a reason. Thanks.

-Doug

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, CFIMEIA

http://www.dvcfi.com
--------------------

[Peter R.]

Doug Vetter > wrote:

> Can't help you with the coverage issue (complain to the FAA), but the
> voice type and volume are, in fact, configurable. This is not an "in
> flight" procedure, however -- it's a "set and forget" via the unit's
> configuration pages which are accessible via special key combination
> during power-up.

Doug, thank you very much for the excellent information. Let me be just a
little bit more honest and admit that over the phone last July I discussed
the configuration options with Lancaster Avionics, the group who installed
my GTX330.

I should have expanded on my statement that it would be nice to be able to
control the volume for each message separately. IMO, the "Traffic" alert
volume level is acceptable at which it is currently set, but that annoying
"Traffic Not Available" message, which is set to the same volume level, is
just too loud! IMO, the two alerts are completely different priorities
and therefore should be different volumes. :)

But, your information may convince me to bring down the global volume level
of these messages a notch or two.

> If you want to occasionally mute the audio, you need
> to have your avionics shop route it through a switched input on your
> audio panel.

Now that is an excellent idea and something that I and LA never thought to
do. If I ever face a large avionics modification again (maybe someday
GNS430 WAAS-enabled???) this will be something I add to the order.


> I wrote an article about the GTX330 that you may find helpful. Go to my
> site and click through:

<snip>

Absolutely excellent website you have there! Not only will I read this
article, I will be sure to set aside more time to explore the rest of your
site.

> Please read the disclaimer thoroughly before downloading the file. I'm
> not kidding. If you screw the pooch, call your avionics tech. Don't
> email me about it or expect me to pay to fix your mistake.

Doug, please take solace in the fact that I am someone who still takes
complete responsibility for my own actions. Of course, I cannot vouch for
anyone else who reads your post here so I certainly understand your
disclaimer.

> Also, please do not post a direct link to the file in UseNet. I provide
> the link description above for a reason. Thanks.

Wilco.


--
Peter
























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[Thomas Borchert]

Michelle,

> I just want to know if the airplane is in front of me or
> behind me and at what altitude.
>

Well, for the last part (altitude - and distance), you'll have to sepnd
less than 1000 $ - the Monroy ATD-300 and the Surecheck portable units
are your option.

For any kind of direction, think upwards of 7000 bucks and installed
units. The Ryan and BFGoodrich (or whatever they call themselves these
days) units do that.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Doug Vetter]

Peter R. wrote:
> But, your information may convince me to bring down the global volume level
> of these messages a notch or two.

Probably a good idea. Particularly with noise cancelling headsets, the
alerts don't have to be loud to get one's attention. The woman's voice
is sufficiently different to be "obvious" (to me, at least).

Your comment about annunciation priorities is an interesting one. You
should send some email to Garmin support and make a feature request.
I've made a few myself, including reducing the minimum altitude
deviation warning from 200 feet to something like 50-100 feet,
selectable in 10' increments. I want to know I'm drifting before ATC
tells me. :)

Of course, with the whole of Garmin's engineering staff working on the
G1000, all of the other products -- GTX330 included -- are being treated
like orphans at this point. Who knows when they'll get around to fixing
this stuff.

> Doug, please take solace in the fact that I am someone who still takes
> complete responsibility for my own actions. Of course, I cannot vouch for
> anyone else who reads your post here so I certainly understand your
> disclaimer.

In a public forum, I've found I can't be too confident about how
information will be used (or misused). As you correctly surmised, the
disclaimer was directed at the group in general, more than you specifically.

Safe flying,

-Doug

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, CFIMEIA

http://www.dvcfi.com
--------------------

[xyzzy]

Peter R. wrote:

>>TIS demonstrated it's worth to me in the first ten minutes I flew with
>>it. I departed from the radio shop on a hazy day and even though I
>>was getting flight following the thing showed an approaching aircraft
>>at my altitude.
>
>
> I am very happy with my TIS as well, especially in the very hazy
> weather in the northeast US. I have a Garmin GTX 330 transponder that
> feeds its traffic data to both a GNS430 and an MX-20 moving map.
>
> After almost one year of flying with it, the only two complaints about
> TIS that I have are the relatively limited coverage areas outside of
> the northeast coastal megalopolis



ADS-B is rolling out on the entire East Coast. http://www.flyadsb.com/.

For once my home state, North Carolina, is looking forward and has
already established coverage over 95% of the state and is looking into
ways to get the rest (primarily mountainous areas).

[Denny]

Like the others I have come to the opinion that the current portable
traffic alerts don't have the power (or the position info) to do more
than alarm me, though knowing the altitude might be helpful... Near
airports where there are many transponders the unit is often of no
value.... I have decided not to use one at this time... What I have
seen is folks who become dependent upon the gadgetry to the point of
compulsion ( not that you will or would)...

denny

[Chuck]

I have had the Garmin 330 mode S coupled to the Garmin 430 for a year.
I never realized how close to other small planes you can get without
seeing them! Big iron is easy to see at 2 or 3 miles bit us small
stuff can remain invisible at a mile or less depending on the sun, haze
etc. Sure would be good if the area of coverage was expanded.

Also, why didn't Garmin have a "Traffic Available" message to
complement the "Unavilable" message?

Chuck

[Peter R.]

Chuck wrote:

> Also, why didn't Garmin have a "Traffic Available" message to
> complement the "Unavilable" message?

Now don't even think of suggesting that one to Garmin. :-) The
doggone unit will never stop talking!

--
Peter

[[email protected]]

http://www.portableavionics.com/avionics/index.html I have this one,
and will not fly without it or TIS. I used the monroy for about a
month and returned it because it was just not accurate with range or
altitude, then on the final flight it started smoking really bad and
burned out.

[Thomas Borchert]

Welcome back. Long time, no hear ;-)

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Thomas Borchert]

Denny,

> Like the others I have come to the opinion
>

Not all others. I disagree. Strongly.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)