Collision Avoidance Systems for gliders

JS wrote:
On Mar 8, 9:06 am, "bumper" wrote:

When close to other transponder equipped gliders, the TPAS essentially goes
deaf. If both gliders are being interrogated by ATC or TCAS at very nearly
the same time, the nearby glider's transponder reply will occur while your
transponder replying as well. Your transponder blanks the TPAS receiver
during this period.

bumper

Allo, John.
Interesting.
This implies that the transponder-based collision avoidance system
in a transponder equipped aircraft is of little use when close to
another transponder equipped aircraft. A bit counterproductive,
perhaps?
What relative distance does this blanking occur below?
Jim

I contacted Zaon, asking for the closest distance an MRX could detect
another transponder. Zaon replied that in flight the closest range the
MRX can detect is about 200-300 feet.

Since it can display only in 0.1 nm (600 feet) increments, that's
plenty close enough! We all hope we've seen the other aircraft way
before the range indication reads 0.0, don't we?

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org