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Old October 11th 18, 11:55 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Darryl Ramm
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On Thursday, October 11, 2018 at 12:29:57 PM UTC-7, Tom BravoMike wrote:
Depending on where you fly (lots of power traffic or lots of glider traffic) the first priority ought to be a Mode-S transponder or a PowerFLARM (respectively) and the second priority ought to be the other one. ADS-B Out comes third and ADS-B In (other than the ADS-B In found in PowerFLARM comes last. (…)


"Depending on where you fly"... Quite a number of us, glider pilots, don't fly in just one area - and that includes myself. For the last few years I managed to take my glider from Mid-West to Seminole for the winter season. The GA traffic along the edge of the Orlando Class B is immense, and by its nature the Florida peninsula is a 'corridor' used by the military and all kinds of GA aircraft. So Mode-S transponder capable of adding ADS-B should be - IMHO - the first choice if you add new safety equipment. And the ADS-B In receiver should not be even mentioned as an alternative choice because with its low price these days - under a $100 -it should be an early add-on in any combination. And only after that would PowerFlarm be a hesitant consideration to me, because of the expense, and space, and power draining and.... yes, antennas, cables, GPS receivers (distance!), software updates, poor range complaints etc.


I'm not sure who you are trying to address here, I expect most glider pilots who fly in the Minden area realize they should be equipped with a Transponder and PowerFLARM. Needs/justifications in other places with be different.. Maybe I'm badly skewed to high-end gliders and pilots but I most of the XC pilots I know who fly in the area have both.

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It would be great if you could explained exactly what you have equipped your glider with and how well that works in busy thermals. The ADS-B In system cost you how much? Including display? EFB/flight software? I doubt it was less than $100. What is the total power draw of all that equipment? Are you receiving ADS-R and TIS-B? With other gliders equipped with a range of traffic technology? How did it work in those cases? What about TIS-B issues with transponder equipped other gliders? You running 2020 complaint or TABS or ...?

ADS-B In receivers I have experience with (like Stratux driving ForeFlight), turn into a useless mess in a thermal of other gliders. More distracting than helpful like FLARM. It's one thing to suggesting people add technology, but if if that technology can distracts more than it helps at critical times then it's a problem. Of course if you usually don't fly with with other gliders, then meh, who cares, but that is far from usual for most folks here. The issue with GA oriented ADS-B in systems being less than useless in thermals, and not working at all with standard glider traffic displays sure makes those GA oriented ADS-B In systems not the automatic second choice behind transponders for many of us, at any cost point.... even if the cost was *free*, they are not free of issues. I actually see more, but still low, interest now at least out West with a few glider pilots wanting UAT-In to get FIS-B/WX/TFR data than wanting ADS-B In (beyond PowerFLARM) for traffic data.

And Ramy who you seem to be trying to argue with... his ASG-29,.... yep just a Trig TT21, TN71 for TABS ADS-B Out, and PowerFLARM with 1090ES in. One of the first gliders on the west coast to have any ADS-B Out installed. But he's slacking with only a TT21/TABS, hopefully he will upgrade to a TT22 and 2020 Complaint ADS-B Out In his new AS33.