Any pireps for PCAS MRX collision avoidance system?

Crossposting over to soaring...

worth 500 clams?..............
http://www.zaonflight.com/content/view/2/13/


Some have commented that the lack of bearing info is a limitation,
others not so much.

Anyone with lots of experience using this unit or similar, thoughts?

Thanks!



On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 19:18:47 -0400, "Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea
Hawk at wow way d0t com wrote:

"Mutts" wrote in message
.. .

worth 500 clams?..............

http://www.zaonflight.com/content/view/2/13/

Ax over on r.a.soaring - they seem to be more popular over there.

On Jun 3, 2:34 pm, Mutts wrote:
Crossposting over to soaring...

worth 500 clams?..............http://www.zaonflight.com/content/view/2/13/

Some have commented that the lack of bearing info is a limitation,
others not so much.

Anyone with lots of experience using this unit or similar, thoughts?

Thanks!

On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 19:18:47 -0400, "Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea
Hawk at wow way d0t com wrote:



"Mutts" wrote in message
.. .

worth 500 clams?..............

http://www.zaonflight.com/content/view/2/13/

Ax over on r.a.soaring - they seem to be more popular over there.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I have never flown with a TCAS, but I would think that relative
altitude and range should be enough help you see and avoid. But I do
have a question about these units. Do they work when there is no radar
facility nearby, or you are below the radar altitude?

On Jun 3, 2:41 pm, Andrew Sarangan wrote:
I have never flown with a TCAS, but I would think that relative
altitude and range should be enough help you see and avoid. But I do
have a question about these units. Do they work when there is no radar
facility nearby, or you are below the radar altitude?

The unit is passive, so relies on the other aircraft's transponder to
be replying to an interrogation. In Colorado, fairly low over the
mountains, one will be below radar coverage, so a VFR airplane with
transponder will not be interrogated, snd so will not be seen by the
MRX.

I have a few flights now with one of these and find that it does what
it's supposed to do. And that is give me a "heads up" when there is a
transponder nearby. At a glider contest, it will be constantly
reporting the towplanes as they drop off gliders nearby. Near a busy
GA airport, it will likely be the same. It will identify and tell you
about each new target within a few miles, so will reinforce your scan.

It's not a panacea, but just another tool to help me avoid getting run
down by a transponder equipped aircraft that may be flying "heads
down".

-Tom

A couple of week ago I heard; Glider-Glider-Glider, this is twin umpt-
upm, descending through 20,000 over the Pinenuts for landing at Carson
City.I responded that glider Jay Jay was descending through 10,000 on
the west side of the Pinenuts. About 3 minutes later the twin said,
Jay Jay, I have you on my TCAS and just got a visual on you about 500
feet below and 1 mile east of me. I responded, Roger that, I have you
on my PCAS and just got a visual on you also. We both agreed that this
was the way its supposed to work.
JJ



On Jun 3, 11:34 am, Mutts wrote:
Crossposting over to soaring...

worth 500 clams?..............http://www.zaonflight.com/content/view/2/13/

Some have commented that the lack of bearing info is a limitation,
others not so much.

Anyone with lots of experience using this unit or similar, thoughts?

Thanks!

On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 19:18:47 -0400, "Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea
Hawk at wow way d0t com wrote:


"Mutts" wrote in message
.. .

worth 500 clams?..............

http://www.zaonflight.com/content/view/2/13/

Ax over on r.a.soaring - they seem to be more popular over there.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

JJ

I agree, that's the way it should work. I'm not real
familiar with TCAS. How did he detect you? PCAS is
strictly passive as I understand it. Did you have
a transponder on board?

Rick 'CL'

At 22:30 03 June 2007, Jj Sinclair wrote:
A couple of week ago I heard; Glider-Glider-Glider,
this is twin umpt-
upm, descending through 20,000 over the Pinenuts for
landing at Carson
City.I responded that glider Jay Jay was descending
through 10,000 on
the west side of the Pinenuts. About 3 minutes later
the twin said,
Jay Jay, I have you on my TCAS and just got a visual
on you about 500
feet below and 1 mile east of me. I responded, Roger
that, I have you
on my PCAS and just got a visual on you also. We both
agreed that this
was the way its supposed to work.
JJ



On Jun 3, 11:34 am, Mutts wrote:
Crossposting over to soaring...

worth 500 clams?..............http://www.zaonflight.com/content/v
iew/2/13/

Some have commented that the lack of bearing info
is a limitation,
others not so much.

Anyone with lots of experience using this unit or
similar, thoughts?

Thanks!

On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 19:18:47 -0400, 'Capt. Geoffrey
Thorpe' Hawk at wow way d0t com wrote:


'Mutts' wrote in message
.. .

worth 500 clams?..............

http://www.zaonflight.com/content/view/2/13/

Ax over on r.a.soaring - they seem to be more popular
over there.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

In article om,
5Z wrote:

On Jun 3, 2:41 pm, Andrew Sarangan wrote:
I have never flown with a TCAS, but I would think that relative
altitude and range should be enough help you see and avoid. But I do
have a question about these units. Do they work when there is no radar
facility nearby, or you are below the radar altitude?

The unit is passive, so relies on the other aircraft's transponder to
be replying to an interrogation. In Colorado, fairly low over the
mountains, one will be below radar coverage, so a VFR airplane with
transponder will not be interrogated, snd so will not be seen by the
MRX.

The unit won't see other transponders, unless the other transponder is
interrogated by a TCAS-equipped aircraft.

--
Bob Noel
(goodness, please trim replies!!!)

The unit won't see other transponders, unless the other transponder is
interrogated by a TCAS-equipped aircraft.


Correct except for the last 4 words. ATC radar also intrerrogats
transponders.

Tony V.
http://home.comcast.net/~verhulst/SOARING

In article ,
Tony Verhulst wrote:

The unit won't see other transponders, unless the other transponder is
interrogated by a TCAS-equipped aircraft.


Correct except for the last 4 words. ATC radar also intrerrogats
transponders.

Note that I was responding to a poster discussing what happens
when you are below radar coverage.

--
Bob Noel
(goodness, please trim replies!!!)

Did you have
a transponder on board?

Yep, I installed a Becker transponder, encoder and PCAS, last winter.
Cost me less than $3000 bucks and I feel a whole lot better about
aviating around Reno, NV. I'm amazed at whats going on out there that
I didn't know about, I let Reno approach know where I'm at and they
seem appreciative, I see other sailplanes before they enter my thermal
and I see the occaasional Cessna pass too close every now and then.
Beats being bent around the nose of a Hawlker! I'm running a 12v,12ah
battery with everything on Im pulling less than 1 amp and don't drop
below 12v for 5 hours. Got a back-up 7ah, just in case and everything
fits in my panel. Life is good.....................Minden regionals in
2 weeks...................come join us.
JJ

Andrew,

Do they work when there is no radar
facility nearby, or you are below the radar altitude?


Your targets must be hit by radar (or an active TCAS from an airliner),
not yourself. If that doesn't happen, the units don't work. How much
traffic will there be in such areas?

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)