Ads-b and sailplanes

On Sunday, May 3, 2015 at 11:08:28 PM UTC-4, kirk.stant wrote:
On Sunday, May 3, 2015 at 8:19:53 AM UTC-5, Mike Schumann wrote:

At this price point, there are going to be a lot of GA aircraft buying this, or similar UAT products, to meet the 2020 mandate. That's reality folks. If you buy PowerFlarm, you're not going to see these aircraft. Do you really want to invest in this kind of half baked technology?

Oh bull****. You still need a Mode A/C or Mode S transponder to get full use of airspace, and to get ANY protection from TCAS-equipped jet. NO-ONE will be UAT only ADS-B out, IMO. Why would they?

And guess what, with my PowerFLARM, RIGHT NOW, I get excellent warning of ALL Mode A/C/S and 1090ES ADS-B traffic in my vicinity, as well as really good glider anti collision warnings.

Mike, your bias is noted. But at least try to be honest with the facts.

Kirk
66

Let's all be honest with the facts. Saying that PowerFlarm gives you "excellent" warning for Mode C equipped aircraft is a stretch. What you are really getting is a warning that tells you the altitude of the potential threat aircraft, and a rough estimate of its distance, based on some crude assumptions from the received power level of the transponder signal. Other than that, you have absolutely no idea where this aircraft is.

If this A/C is UAT ADS-B OUT equipped, this is all you will see with your PowerFlarm system. With a properly designed ADS-B receiver (either dual frequency or one supporting TIS-B and ADS-R), you would see the exact position of this aircraft within ~50 ft. If you had a NavWorx or similar transceiver, and you were within range of an ADS-B ground station, using TIS-B, you would also see the location of every other transponder equipped aircraft that is visible to ATC, regardless of whether or not it was ADS-B OUT equipped.

PowerFLARM is the only ADS-B receiver being sold in the US that is not designed to properly handle the dual frequency UAT / 1099ES environment that is the reality in US airspace. This is a huge shortcoming in the product that raises a lot of questions about the competency of the design team that put this system together.