Skybeacon ADS-B

..now in a separate topic for all of us who needs to make a decision which ADS-B System to get. I will be moving ADS-B topics into this section. If I missed some please send me a link via email to the ADS-B topic to ‚CK at forums url‘
User avatar
gregorydshanks
100+ Posts
Posts: 128
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2014 12:59 pm
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact:

Skybeacon ADS-B

Post by gregorydshanks »

Anyone have any experience with the Skybeacon ads-out?
It’s approved for the mxt180a, so what would be the installation difference with the 180c

User avatar
gbarrier
100+ Posts
Posts: 1559
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:41 pm
Location: 9NR4 North Carolina
Contact:

Post by gbarrier »

Replaces any standard nav light setup. Is less expensive than actually replacing your transponder so if I guess you have a fairly recent transponder it might be a reasonable thing. Of course if you are still running an old Narco or King transponder which is going to die in a couple years and you will have to buy a new transponder then you have whizzed away a couple of thousand instead of saving a couple.

Personally don't much care for equipment that anyone with a phillips screwdriver can walk by and take with them.

User avatar
tellicovillage
100+ Posts
Posts: 102
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:46 pm
Location: Lenoir City, TN
Contact:

Post by tellicovillage »

I agree. I spent a few more bucks on the Avidyne unit https://www.avidyne.com/products/axp340/index.html
and love it. Also liked the stratus unit https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all ... tratus-esg

but not fond of those that use an existing transponder. A few shop hours work on the old unit and you've made up the difference.

User avatar
Andy Young
100+ Posts
Posts: 1545
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:10 am
Location: Alaska, Antarctica, Colorado, and Others
Contact:

Post by Andy Young »

I have the Skybeacon. I’m quite pleased with it. As easy to install as advertised. I have a relatively recent Garmin transponder, but it’s not one that can be upgraded to do the ADS-B thing on it’s own. I already had a stratus doing ADS-B in. I’m not really worried about the theft thing, but I suppose if it went missing, I’d just file an insurance claim. One could, I suppose, reduce the chances of theft by using security screws or putting epoxy over the screw heads. By the way, if someone stole it and mounted it on their plane, I think it would broadcast the original plane’s registration number.

I got the one with the strobe in it. I did have intermittent strobe noise in the radio until I improved the grounding circuit.

User avatar
DAT
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:59 pm
Location: TN
Contact:

Post by DAT »

We installed the skyBeacon in our Maule last week. It worked as described and was an easy install, except for by-passing the strobe power pack. We have. Stratus 2 on an iPad mini for ADS-B in. The iPhone app was user friendly to properly program the skyBeacon for our plane. Now we have to fly the profile to get our FAA rebate.
Maule M4 220C

User avatar
DAT
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:59 pm
Location: TN
Contact:

Post by DAT »

We installed the skyBeacon in our Maule last week. It worked as described and was an easy install, except for by-passing the strobe power pack. We have. Stratus 2 on an iPad mini for ADS-B in. The iPhone app was user friendly to properly program the skyBeacon for our plane. Now we have to fly the profile to get our FAA rebate.
Maule M4 220C

User avatar
andy
Site Admin
Posts: 1662
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:05 pm
Location: Lake James, NC, USA
Contact:

Post by andy »

Their website says skyBeacon is a 978 MHz UAT, not 1090ES, so it is only approved for USA use below 18,000. Right now Canada doesn't mandate ADS-B Out but they are looking at a satellite-based 1090ES design. Mexico will require 1090ES ADS-B Out as of January 1, 2020 like the USA. If you plan to fly in Canada or Mexico, you would be better off with a 1090ES ADS-B Out transceiver.

The FAA's ground-based ADS-B network favors an antenna mounted on the aircraft's bottom. Satellite based systems favor an antenna mounted on top of the aircraft. skyBeacon's antenna can use either, although the downward pointing blade antenna's radiation pattern favors ground stations. I don't know why they advertise the fact that they can use either satellites or ground stations with their antenna configuration since I don't know of anyone who is considering a satellite based 978 UAT system. It's likely that skyBeacon is developing a combination 978UAT/1090ES unit but it isn't available yet. Most ADS-B Out transceivers offer a "diversity antenna" option for both top and bottom mounted antennas but installation is more expensive.

1090ES systems do not currently work with existing Mode C transponders except the Garmin GTX33. The FAA requires that the squawk codes of the Mode C/S transponder be the same as the code of the ADS-B transceiver. Most 978 UAT ADS-B transceivers receive the radiated Mode C transponder's squawk code and automatically adjust the UAT's code to be the same. Since the skyBeacon is mounted on the wingtip, it makes sense that they would use 978 UAT rather than 1090ES to avoid running a cable through the wing to interface with an existing Mode C/S transponder in the panel.
Andy
1986 MX7-180
Image

User avatar
Andy Young
100+ Posts
Posts: 1545
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:10 am
Location: Alaska, Antarctica, Colorado, and Others
Contact:

Post by Andy Young »

The Canadian mandate definitely was a consideration for me, as I pass through Canada twice each year on my seasonal migration between Colorado and Alaska. I took a bit of a gamble here, and there is a chance that it won’t work out in my favor.

Here was my thinking:
First, Canada still does not have a mandate, so given that even setting the mandate is in the future, and the fact that their mandate will likely have a few years lead time, actually needing a system to cross Canada is likely several years out.

Second, they are talking about a staged implementation, starting with big terminal airspace, and slowly working out to less busy areas. So far, it sounds like they may never require it in the airspace I use to go back and forth. Even if they do, that is even more years in the future.

Third, while, unlikely, it seems possible that by the time they do put it in place, they might decide to embrace 978 UAT.

Fourth, even if Canada does not take on 978 UAT, they might make an exception for visiting aircraft from the U.S., in the same way that they allow U.S. aircraft with 121.5 ELTs to fly in Canada even though Canada has a 406 mandate.

Fifth, if all the above turns out to not be true, and I was forced to re-equip with 1090, I could probably sell my 978 SkyBeacon fairly easily to someone who only flies in the U.S. The ease of installation and removal makes this seem like a fairly easy deal. Of course, that would require being able to re-program it for a different aircraft registration, which I have not looked into.

User avatar
gbarrier
100+ Posts
Posts: 1559
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:41 pm
Location: 9NR4 North Carolina
Contact:

Post by gbarrier »

All that makes sense but I think the thing that really makes the decision make sense for you is that you have a good recent transponder. There's a lot of folks out there with AT150s and 76As that may not be as happy next year or so.

User avatar
Andy Young
100+ Posts
Posts: 1545
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:10 am
Location: Alaska, Antarctica, Colorado, and Others
Contact:

Post by Andy Young »

Yeah, I have a Garmin GTX-327. If I had an old funky transponder it’d be a different story, as you say.

User avatar
andy
Site Admin
Posts: 1662
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:05 pm
Location: Lake James, NC, USA
Contact:

Post by andy »

I replaced my Bendix King KT 76 with an Appareo ESG/Stratus 2i for ADS-B In/Out. Since I don't have a WAAS GPS, the ESG appealed to me because it has a built-in WAAS GPS and the price (at the time) was about as low as you could get for ADS-B In/Out. The Garmin GTX 345 was $1,000 more with the integrated WAAS GPS. Then my 18 year old Apollo GX60 GPS/COM died about 4 months ago. I'm going to replace it with a Garmin GTN 650 GPS/NAV/COM. The ESG/2i will not interface with the GTN 650 to display ADS-B traffic and weather but I'm not too concerned about that since my iPad Mini 4 with ForeFlight displays far more than the GTN 650 would display with geo-referenced VFR Sectional Charts, IFR Low Altitude Enroute Charts, glass HSI, synthetic vision, IFR approach/departure/arrival plates, etc. The only thing that I don't like is that the iPad isn't designed for harsh environments. It will overheat and shut down with direct sunlight or while charging in warm weather. I'm happy with my Appareo ESG/Stratus 2i but if I had it to do all over again, I would have replaced my KT 76 with a Garmin GTX 345, which is compatible with ForeFlight (through Bluetooth). Then when I replace my GPS with the GTN 650, the display on the GTN 650 will show TIS-B traffic and FIS-B weather if the iPad shuts down. That's the configuration that we have in our aircraft at work and I like it.
Andy
1986 MX7-180
Image

User avatar
gdflys
100+ Posts
Posts: 283
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2013 11:31 pm
Location: CT
Contact:

Post by gdflys »

I’m scheduled for a GTX345 install next month for all the same reasons. Someday the GX55 will get replaced with a GTN650 or 750 when the funds catch back up with my dreams.
Greg Delp
1979 M-5-235C
CT
ATP, CFI, A&P/IA

User avatar
Christine
Site Admin
Posts: 370
Joined: Sat Aug 26, 2006 4:42 pm
Location: WA: 06WN & Kailua, Hawaii
Contact:

ADS-B out / MX7-180

Post by Christine »

Hi guys and gals who have a skybeacon ADSB installed:

Does it fit straight onto a MX-7 wing tip or does it need an adapter?

Did anyone install it into a MX7-180 wing? On the AML List it shows only
M-7-235C, M-7-260C, MXT-7-180A so I guess I would need a field approval?
Christine
06WN '88 MX7-180 MaulePilots.org Founder
ck "at" maulepilots "dot" org

User avatar
andy
Site Admin
Posts: 1662
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:05 pm
Location: Lake James, NC, USA
Contact:

Post by andy »

Pee Dee Avionics in Cheraw SC replaced my inoperative Apollo GX-60 GPS/COM with a Garmin GTN 650 GPS/NAV/COM last week. It's a pleasure flying with new technology. I like the GTN 650 a lot. It doesn't have a lot of buttons to overwhelm the pilot and menu navigation is pretty straightforward. It won't interface with the Appareo ESG ADS-B transponder but that's okay. I use my iPad Mini 5/ForeFlight with the Stratus 2i ADS-B receiver that's connected to the ESG and it works great. The ForeFlight subscription is a lot less expensive than getting FlightCharts from Garmin and I get many more products, such as all USA VFR Sectional Charts.

While the airplane was at Pee Dee, they found out that the glideslope wasn't working on my Bendix King KX 155 NAV/COM so they sent it out to be fixed. Once it gets reinstalled, I'll post a photo. The GTN 650 has a really sharp, bright, high resolution display.
Andy
1986 MX7-180
Image

User avatar
gregorydshanks
100+ Posts
Posts: 128
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2014 12:59 pm
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact:

ADSB

Post by gregorydshanks »

I installed the Skybeacon on a '93 MXT-7-180, and it fit quite well but not perfectly. A little silicone sealant did the trick.
Most installations do require a 337, but that is easy since they provide a sample 337 mostly filled in.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests