My "stupid" transponder question now...

To IDENT or not to IDENT, that is the question...

What do you guys do when given a squawk code? Once you enter the code,
is that it, or do you then hit the IDENT key, even if not requested? My
habit is to always hit IDENT so it makes it easier and faster (in this
area with realatively little traffic) to identify me positively on his
screen.

Chris

Don't IDENT unless requested.
Jim

"Chris G." nospam@noemail wrote in message
enews.net...
To IDENT or not to IDENT, that is the question...

What do you guys do when given a squawk code? Once you enter the code,
is that it, or do you then hit the IDENT key, even if not requested? My
habit is to always hit IDENT so it makes it easier and faster (in this
area with realatively little traffic) to identify me positively on his
screen.

Chris

Identing is a separate and distinct function. You should not do it unless
specifically asked to. It is entirely possible that a controller would give
you a squawk code and immediately ask another to IDENT creating confusion.

Marco Leon

"Chris G." nospam@noemail wrote in message
enews.net...
To IDENT or not to IDENT, that is the question...

What do you guys do when given a squawk code? Once you enter the code,
is that it, or do you then hit the IDENT key, even if not requested? My
habit is to always hit IDENT so it makes it easier and faster (in this
area with realatively little traffic) to identify me positively on his
screen.

Chris



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Chris,

Once you enter the code,
is that it, or do you then hit the IDENT key, even if not requested?


The AIM (and the German AIP, for that matter) is crystal clear on that:
NEVER hit ident unless the controller tells you to. Also, do not switch
the transponder to standby when changing codes.

You're not necessarily helping the controller by making your radar
return go blink or bloom (depending on equipment) without him/her
expecting it. Instead, it will cost valuable time to deal with the
confusion.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Chris G. wrote:
To IDENT or not to IDENT, that is the question...

What do you guys do when given a squawk code? Once you enter the code,
is that it, or do you then hit the IDENT key, even if not requested? My
habit is to always hit IDENT so it makes it easier and faster (in this
area with realatively little traffic) to identify me positively on his
screen.


Nope... if he says to squawk, I squawk. If he says to ident, I ident. The two
are not the same thing.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

Chris G. wrote:

To IDENT or not to IDENT, that is the question...

What do you guys do when given a squawk code? Once you enter the code,
is that it, or do you then hit the IDENT key, even if not requested? My
habit is to always hit IDENT so it makes it easier and faster (in this
area with realatively little traffic) to identify me positively on his
screen.


No reason to ident unless asked. It does not make it easier to identify
you under any circumstances.

"Newps" wrote in message
...


Chris G. wrote:

To IDENT or not to IDENT, that is the question...

What do you guys do when given a squawk code? Once you enter the code,
is that it, or do you then hit the IDENT key, even if not requested? My
habit is to always hit IDENT so it makes it easier and faster (in this
area with realatively little traffic) to identify me positively on his
screen.


No reason to ident unless asked. It does not make it easier to identify
you under any circumstances.

Then why would we ever be asked to ident?

Chris G. wrote:
To IDENT or not to IDENT, that is the question...

Only if requested.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

Possibly in a busy airspace... he may want to see where you are immediately
after assigning your squawk code.

Gig 601XL Builder wrote:

"Newps" wrote in message
...


Chris G. wrote:


To IDENT or not to IDENT, that is the question...

What do you guys do when given a squawk code? Once you enter the code,
is that it, or do you then hit the IDENT key, even if not requested? My
habit is to always hit IDENT so it makes it easier and faster (in this
area with realatively little traffic) to identify me positively on his
screen.


No reason to ident unless asked. It does not make it easier to identify
you under any circumstances.


Then why would we ever be asked to ident?

Gig 601XL Builder wrote:




No reason to ident unless asked. It does not make it easier to identify
you under any circumstances.


Then why would we ever be asked to ident?

To make a legal radar identification the controller must see the code
change from 1200 to whatever code he gave you. If he doesn't see it he
will ask you to ident, this also qualifies. Same goes for a departure
off an airport in the middle of nowhere, all of a sudden the radar sees
a code, there was no code change, therefore an ident is required. There
are many letters of agreement that allow pre assigned codes. For
example for our local Help Flight helicopte is permanently assigned the
code of 0222. To make a legal ID the controller is supposed to have him
ident. In practice if I see a 0222 code I don't make him ident. It's a
trivial matter so I just skip it.