Navworx ADS-B Transceiver gets FCC Authorization

On 7/23/2010 8:51 PM, Mike Schumann wrote:

The NavWorx transciever deserves mention as the first new UAT
transceiver for the GA market--since the Garmin/UPS product that was
really built for the Alaska trials. And the NavWorx has a much better
packaging and price point that that, although it still needs TSO
approval. And if they get it TSO'ed it will fit a need in the GA
market especially for aircraft with older panels and non-Mode S
transponders that cannot be upgraded to 1090ES data-out, and for
NavWorx I suspect that market is a good target for them. To the extent
it shows some movement in the ADS-B market that is good, and worth
pointing out on r.a.s to glider pilots, but as a product we would
actually use it is just not a good fit. And I'm not just picking on
the NavWorx, I've also pointed out the Trig 1090ES receiver product,
also an interesting product for the GA market, but has some of the
same issues as I've pointed out above for us.

Darryl
Please explain exactly why the Navworx product is not suitable for
gliders? This unit is similar in size and design to the prototypes
that MITRE is testing in conjunction with the SSA, AOPA, and the FAA.
Is the MITRE unit also unsuitable in your opinion?
For me, that 0.8 amps seems like a lot. My current setup, with radio,
transponder, vario, gps, mrx, PDA takes 0.8 amps, so this would double
it to 1.6 amps. Fly 8 hours, that's 12.8 amp hours. Not so bad for me
since I have an 18 ah battery, but I'd need to charge it every day, and
be careful in cold weather I don't run out. How many glider pilots are
prepared for that kind of drain? Look at all the whining over just 0.4
amps for a transponder.

The other thing is the $2500, while people keep talking about $1000 for
the Mitre unit being about right. I think that extra $1500 is going to
stop a lot of pilots from considering it, or they'll say "shoot, I'll
just put in a Trig for $2000, and I don't need to double my battery
size; the airliners will see me and so will the big-bucks pilots that
put the Navworx in their ship".

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (netto to net to email me)

- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation Mar/2004" Much of what you need to know tinyurl.com/yfs7tnz