On Monday, May 7, 2018 at 11:15:09 AM UTC-5, Mike Schumann wrote:

1. You do not need to have a Mode C or S transponder to equip an aircraft with UAT ADS-B Out. If you are exclusively flying in an area where transponders are not required, given the price difference, it is not unreasonable to install a UAT ADS-B transceiver if you want to make yourself visible to ATC and trigger the ADS-B ground stations to get TIS-B and ADS-R traffic.

Strawman argument. Do you actually think someone who doesn't have a transponder is going to install a UAT out system?

2. I never said that a PowerFlarm equipped pilot would not see a transponder equipped aircraft. What I have said, which is 100% accurate, is that PowerFlarm does not support TIS-B and ADS-R, so that the situational awareness is not nearly as good as with virtually all other ADS-B receivers. The reality is that when PowerFlarm sees a transponder equipped aircraft, all you know is the altitude of the aircraft, and a rough approximation of its range. You have no way to tell if the aircraft is behind you, off to the side, or in front. If PowerFlarm supported TIS-B (and you were ADS-B OUT equipped and within range of a ground station), you would see the exact position of the transponder equipped aircraft with the same accuracy as is visible on ATC radar.

Again, Mike, in a glider this is not the issue - the issue is compatible systems and displays. And the incredibly stupid FAA UAT system coupled with the need to have ADS-B out of some sort to see all ADS-B traffic. Otherwise, my PF would right now see all ADS-B traffic, not just all Mode-S traffic.. And sure, ADS-B in display would be nice - but in and LS6 cockpit there is no room for multiple displays - and barely room to get a transponder on the panel!


3. I have a Phoenix Motorglider with a Dynon Skyview system that includes a 1090ES transponder with 2020 compliant ADS-B Out support. The system also includes a dual frequency ADS-B IN receiver which supports TIS-B, ADS-R, as well as providing all the weather and TFR data that is transmitted by the ADS-B ground stations. This is certainly not a system you would put in a normal glider. For that, I would recommend a Trig transponder with a GPS position source for ADS-B Out, along with a Scout ADS-B receiver ($199) feeding the Foreflight app running on an iPhone for ADS-B traffic warnings.

Exactly - you are flying an airplane, not a glider, with room and electrical power for a nice big display. Your setup has NO relevance to true sailplanes that are much more space limited.

So do us a favor and quit bashing PowerFLARM - we understand that for YOUR application it isn't the best solution, and I agree with you on that - but for a small cockpit racing sailplane, current ADS-B solutions are not yet optimum.

Kirk
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