wrote:
On Jun 8, 5:18 pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:

Oh here we go again.

And what exactly would low-cost ADS-B solve?

snip a lot of interesting stuff about ADS-B

Darryl

By low cost, I mean $2000-$3000 or so, same price as a current
transponder. I would really like $500 because I could actually afford
to buy one then, but currently, I can not write the check for a
transponder.

A low cost ADS-B would mean that I don't have to pay for a transponder
now, just to throw the damn thing away in 5-10 years.

If you need passenger aircraft collision avoidance *now*, a transponder
is the only good choice you have. If you do need one, having one will
help ensure you are still around to "throw it away" in 5 to 10 years.
Frankly, 10 years use is a pretty good life time for safety equipment, I
think.

You can have one installed and doing it's job in a couple of weeks. How
long to install that ADS-B dream? Currently, there are no suitable ADS-B
units for gliders, there are no regulations that would allow low power,
low cost units like the Mitre unit to be used in gliders, there are no
ground stations for ANY kind of ADS-B unit in large parts of the
country, and TCAS systems still require a transponder to function.

If you need the collision avoidance ability of a transponder *now*, at
least get something like the Zaon MRX, but the best solution *now* is
still a transponder. ADS-B is the future, but it's still a wild guess
about when it will be practical for even the typical Cessna with plenty
of space and power for the equipment.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* Sections on Mode S, TPAS, ADS-B, Flarm, more

* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org