Any pireps for PCAS MRX collision avoidance system?

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

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

On Thu, 31 May 2007 22:26:36 -0700, Mutts wrote:


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

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

No comment on the Zaonflight PCASs, as I have no experience with
them...

I have flown a Ryan 9900B TCAD equipped Seneca, and found the bearing
display a critical part of the TCAD package. Occasionally the Ryan
would only show altitude/distance (no bearing), and it was pretty
frustrating to only know there is a guy out there... It is REALLY
hard to find a plane only by knowing approximate range and altitude
delta. This is especially the case when near the pattern, and there
are multiple targets.

If I was going to buy a Zaonflight, I would shell out the bigger bucks
for the one equipped with Bearing.

-Nathan

A friend of mine has a similar unit as this one (diff mfr) and I used it
on a flight. It annoyed me to no end because of the fact there was no
bearing information, just altitude and range.. BFD... I still have to
look everywhere for the darn traffic. Also, it's quite annoying on the
ground.

Chris G.

Nathan Young wrote:
On Thu, 31 May 2007 22:26:36 -0700, Mutts wrote:

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

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

No comment on the Zaonflight PCASs, as I have no experience with
them...

I have flown a Ryan 9900B TCAD equipped Seneca, and found the bearing
display a critical part of the TCAD package. Occasionally the Ryan
would only show altitude/distance (no bearing), and it was pretty
frustrating to only know there is a guy out there... It is REALLY
hard to find a plane only by knowing approximate range and altitude
delta. This is especially the case when near the pattern, and there
are multiple targets.

If I was going to buy a Zaonflight, I would shell out the bigger bucks
for the one equipped with Bearing.

-Nathan

"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.

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

Nathan,

We have a non-bearing unit in our plane. No issue at all. Just look
outside when the alert comes and you'll find the target.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

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 -

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!!!)