Transponder check

On Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 8:43:42 AM UTC-4, wrote:
I just took my Pegasus in to have the Trig T21 checked. The glider is relatively new to me and this is the first time I've personally taken it for the test. My former partner took it to the same shop two years ago and it passed and without comment from the tester, as far as I know. The guy doing the testing said that the power output was low - getting 35 watts while the glider was in the cradle, 65 watts at some point after we backed it off and some other, higher, reading a bit later after jockeying the test antenna around a bit. I don't know what that figure was. The antenna in the glider is a flat type that is mounted on the belly under the seat pan. The connection looked good but he cleaned it anyway. Its to the right of center line and the testing was done from the left, if that matters. He tried using his own antenna and didn't see any improvement. He did a fair amount of button pushing equipment moving and finally said, "I got it to pass but in the off season send it out to get checked." He also mentioned that the frequencies were a bit off.

I got the impression that he wasn't that familiar with the Trig unit or gliders. So, what kind output should I be seeing 4' from the glider? What could be causing the low output? The battery was almost, if not completely, fully charged. Why would the frequencies drift?

Is your transponder firmware up to date? https://trig-avionics.com/support/tr...duct-software/ "The current version of software installed in your Trig product will be shown on the display at initial power up." Version 2.13 is current.

I wouldn't want the antenna under my seat pan...

Yesterday the company I work for had a problem with many aircraft (hundreds) that had ADSB recently installed. There was an unusual amount of solar activity that knocked out the ADSB and as a consequence the transponder too. I dont know the details but it was only a problem for one aircraft type in the fleet. My point here is that in some equipment/instalation combinations solar activity will effect reliability of these systems.

On Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 6:56:53 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Yesterday the company I work for had a problem with many aircraft (hundreds) that had ADSB recently installed. There was an unusual amount of solar activity that knocked out the ADSB and as a consequence the transponder too.. I dont know the details but it was only a problem for one aircraft type in the fleet. My point here is that in some equipment/instalation combinations solar activity will effect reliability of these systems.

It will be interesting to understand what is going on there, multiple reports on twitter and elsewhere of CRJ and some Boeing aircraft having issues.

It should take a very large solar flare to affect GPS reception. With a few quick searches I don’t see reports of large solar flares or geomagnetic storms. Where is John Leibacher when you need him? :-)

An ADS-B GPS receiver problem should not ever “knock-out� a transponder. It may prevent the transponder transmitting ADS-B position data, but the device should keep working as a transponder. If it is then... wholly ASB and AD Batman.

I am curious if all those aircraft have Rockwell Collins receivers like GLU-925/GLU-2100 series?

On Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 10:16:44 AM UTC-7, Darryl Ramm wrote:
On Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 6:56:53 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Yesterday the company I work for had a problem with many aircraft (hundreds) that had ADSB recently installed. There was an unusual amount of solar activity that knocked out the ADSB and as a consequence the transponder too. I dont know the details but it was only a problem for one aircraft type in the fleet. My point here is that in some equipment/instalation combinations solar activity will effect reliability of these systems.

It will be interesting to understand what is going on there, multiple reports on twitter and elsewhere of CRJ and some Boeing aircraft having issues..

It should take a very large solar flare to affect GPS reception. With a few quick searches I don’t see reports of large solar flares or geomagnetic storms. Where is John Leibacher when you need him? :-)

An ADS-B GPS receiver problem should not ever “knock-out� a transponder. It may prevent the transponder transmitting ADS-B position data, but the device should keep working as a transponder. If it is then... wholly ASB and AD Batman.

I am curious if all those aircraft have Rockwell Collins receivers like GLU-925/GLU-2100 series?

....and the FAA is officially fingering Rockwell Collins. I'll wager good money this is nothing to do with solar activity, and wager less money that somebody gooched some software... the same company that cannot get GPS epoch rollover done properly.

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_othe...eDate=06/09/19

On Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 1:16:44 PM UTC-4, Darryl Ramm wrote:
Where is John Leibacher when you need him? :-)

Paris, at least a few weeks ago last I heard from him,
still GONGing I presume...
And he *still* makes time to keep up databases for everyone,
Thanks John!