What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Stratus ESG

Be careful regarding avionics stack width. Here is what I found out in search of a replacement for my GTX327: The Stratus transponder tray is 6.32" wide while Garmin avionics are 6.25". When I built my plane I sized the radio stack for a snug fit for the Garmin units. It turned out to be too narrow for the Stratus. Check the width of your stack opening before you commit so you don't get a nasty surprise when you try to install the Stratus.

That's one of the problems using one manufacturer or another when building your aircraft. The STANDARD maximum chassis/tray width is 6.375" and the STANDARD maximum face panel is 6.50". Build smaller at your own peril.

Jim
 
I have a Stratus ESGi installation question. Seems I often run into issues outside of business hours.

Anyway, wrapping up the Stratus ESGi installation but not sure if the Dsub connector mounts to the back of the tray or to the inside of the tray. With the connector mounted to the outside/back of the tray, the connector does not seem to make a complete connection when I slide the transponder in and tighten it down with the allen wrench.

I don't see anything regarding this issue in the installation manual.

Earlier today, I spoke with Chris at Stein Avionics (where I purchased the unit plus the harness) and he thought the connector mounted to the inside of the tray (it's a Cannon Dsub connector).

I would be very grateful for the help should you remember how you installed the Dsub connector to the tray.
 
Last edited:
Screen blanking

I installed an ESG a few months ago and it has been working great. On the 4th of July I flew over to PHX where it was 113 degrees. It worked fine on the way in even though one of my ipads blanked out from the heat. On taxi out the screen on the ESG was blank. We were doing a formation flyover so I didn't want my transponder on anyway and since then it seems to work normally. Wondering if anyone else has had any problems with the display blanking from heat.
 
I installed my ESG yesterday.

I seem to have a problem with the altitude information. I have a GRT Sport EFIS. It previously was interfaced with a Garmin GTX327 and used the Z format. I set the ESG to shad/rms. The Altitude input diagonistic shows -1100 ft. The install manual says it should show all zeros.

How have others configured this?

Thanks

Jim Butcher
 
I figured it out so I thought I'd post it here in case others have the same question.

Turns out the ESG can't use the Fuel/Air Data Format Z that the GTX327 does.

In the serial port setup on the GRT there is Altitude Encoder 1 or 2 as an available selection. I chose Altitude Encoder 1.

A few lines later there is Altitude Encoder Setting. Here you can chose the serial format. I chose Trimble/Garmin.

In the ESG I changed Altitude Source to Serial-trim/gar.

With these changes, the altitude readout on my ESG works!

I hope this is helpful for someone else.

Jim Butcher
 
OSH free stratus 3i code??

does anybody have an email / code from Appareo for a free stratus 3i kit?

perhaps you are not going to use by august 31st when it expires?

pm me if you want to share!!
 
I figured it out so I thought I'd post it here in case others have the same question.

Turns out the ESG can't use the Fuel/Air Data Format Z that the GTX327 does.

In the serial port setup on the GRT there is Altitude Encoder 1 or 2 as an available selection. I chose Altitude Encoder 1.

A few lines later there is Altitude Encoder Setting. Here you can chose the serial format. I chose Trimble/Garmin.

In the ESG I changed Altitude Source to Serial-trim/gar.

With these changes, the altitude readout on my ESG works!

I hope this is helpful for someone else.

Jim Butcher

Just had two guys install mine which was new to this particular system. I think you just solved my altitude problem as well. I just need to click the other choice as well.

Looks like my GPS signal not turning green is a problem with the coax too. After reading from others, looks like the wrong cable got installed. They put in RG58 and it was only 6'. Others say a minimum of 10' and RG400.

Think I'd like to go 15' or thereabouts, I guess Stein Air, Starks or most would have what I was looking for. Fixin' to check.

I appreciate this thread very much, I've had this Stratus ESG system for a year, impossible to find any near by that would install it including avionics shops, although they had a very fair rate, they never would give me a date to do it.

I finally found two locally that took pity on me and agreed to help me with this that had done installations of ads-b from the Air Force base. Although it looks like it was in the installation guide, guess we didn't realize how critical the right coax and length was.
 
Specs are the same as the one I used

To make sure I'm not missing anything else, is this the right cable and connectors that will work with the Stratus ESG? If so, will order it asap today.

The TNC connectors shown are correct (straight or right angle at your preference). The RG400 cable should be fine also.

I successfully used an RG400 cable with these connectors for my Stratus ESG install (though from another source).

Good luck,
Peter
 
Last edited:
cable

Minimum 10 feet on the coax cable. I installed the same unit in my plane over a year ago and am very satisfied
 
I'm connecting my Stratus up to an ACK A30 encoder using a parallel connection. Anyone have any luck with this yet? On the diagnostics screen, I don't see any gray code data and the altitude is -1100. I have all the ABCD connections made. My question is what about pin #37, Altitude Common, does this go to ground?

2019-09-07-14-22-47.jpg


2019-09-07-10-56-48.jpg
 
I'm connecting my Stratus up to an ACK A30 encoder using a parallel connection. Anyone have any luck with this yet? On the diagnostics screen, I don't see any gray code data and the altitude is -1100. I have all the ABCD connections made. My question is what about pin #37, Altitude Common, does this go to ground?

2019-09-07-14-22-47.jpg


2019-09-07-10-56-48.jpg

Inside the transponder, pin 37 is tied to all the other ground pins (pins 1 & 20). I buzzed mine out before I installed to make sure.
 
I have the same transponder and encoder installed in both of my planes using the parallel connection. No problems with either.
 
Thanks guys. I got it working. I had to ground the strobe wire on the A30. I ended up leaving the pin 37 open. Up and running now.
 
Got my RG-400 coax in, 12' this time, but afraid it didn't solve my problem. It still doesn't have the green light come on the GPS, just flashes the orange light even after 30 minutes of being on and outside.

The second problem is still having the "Altitude Input Failure" come on, and having to press function to clear. I read from another on this thread, he simply put in the other choice than the one he had, and it cleared it up. I think now I have went through all five choices, and after five minutes on each choice, it alerts me again that there is a failure.

I wrote to Cannon Avionics this morning, wanting to know if they could identify my encoder since their name was on it. They said they have never sold it, but did test it back in 2000. They identified it as a Trans Cal D120-p2-T. It worked fine with old transponder. My guess is that it is still something simple, but not sure what direction to go in at this time.

My ADS-B appears to be working fine on screen, showing various aircraft and tracking them just fine. My aircraft when on ground, will sometimes show the blue circle identifying my A/C, but it is sporadic. It comes and goes while on ground. When I get airborne, my Foreflight doesn't track me at all with any kind of a symbol. But it still tracks other planes.

I've contacted Stratus, and they sent me a form letter back through e-mail, not sure when I'll hear back from them, but I understand they are quite good on helping. I sure hope so, if they don't have any answers for me, you guys are stuck with me for awhile. ;)

Whatever the problems turn out to be, I will certainly pass it on to the board so that hopefully others don't make the same mistakes I have made. So frustrating to have a perfectly good plane to fly, other than this installation and the problems that came with it. Would have loved to have gotten a shop to do this, but in my area, none were to be found that were willing to do it, and with many shops months out that I did contact that were a good distance from me, but also wanted roughly $300 an hour for installation (roughly $2,500), which I would have never caved for that price, anyway.

If anybody has a clue to either problem, I'd certainly like to hear it.
 
Kudos to Stark Avionics

I just flew back from Columbus Georgia, where I had Stark Avionics install the Stratus ESG on my RV6A. They did a great job and while flying back to Connecticut had it verified in NY ClassB Airspace, now waiting for my $500.
Thank You Stark Avionics, Highly recommended.

Peter
N36RV
 
Since I last wrote, I got feedback from Appareo, John Stark, and my two SAFB guys came through and solved the gps problem. Looks like one wire was misplaced. While on the ground the blue circle stays on permanently now instead of fading in and out, and up in the air it turns into the airplane symbol now, while before I got nothing. They felt like with the existing thicker wire I had in my plane, it was tough to get it into the 37 pin, and thought two of the frayed wires may have also been touching one another.

Anyway, they weren't pleased with their original harness, decided to make another one in the shop, along with getting my plane out of the hangar and into full sunlight. They were much happier with it. Due to a storm in the area the first time they installed it, they had to work in a dark hangar.

So I'm just left with a "altitude input failure". Appareo said I had a 20 year old encoder, and suggested I consider a newer one that would indicate 10 feet instead of 100, and would power up fairly quick, compared to my old one taking 10-20 minutes. It has yet to power up at all for unknown reasons.

So I ordered a ACK A30.9 (MOD 9) ENCODER from Aircraft Spruce. Appareo said it only had one power wire, a ground, and a wire going to pin 5, which is a heck of a lot less wires than my old encoder. Feel like it will solve that problem.

John Starks was great too, offering feedback and staying with me. He certainly thought the transponder fitting in the tray was something that gets overlooked, but so important to check and double check not just how it fits in back, but other aspects of it fitting up front too, that could have been contributing to my problems.

They did a great job and while flying back to Connecticut had it verified in NY ClassB Airspace, now waiting for my $500.
Thank You Stark Avionics, Highly recommended.

Peter
N36RV

Some are still getting the $500 rebate? John Starks is great to work with, he also probably has the best prices on the equipment too.
 
Need Help with GRT HX to Appareo ESG

I've tried everything I know to try so I am reaching out to see if someone can point me in the right direction.

I have run 1 wire from the HX Serial Out to PIN 5 on the Appareo for Altitude Data and 1 wire from another serial out to Pin 3 on the Appareo for GPS data.

Using the info posted early on this thread I tried the following:

///
I figured it out so I thought I'd post it here in case others have the same question.

Turns out the ESG can't use the Fuel/Air Data Format Z that the GTX327 does.

In the serial port setup on the GRT there is Altitude Encoder 1 or 2 as an available selection. I chose Altitude Encoder 1.

A few lines later there is Altitude Encoder Setting. Here you can chose the serial format. I chose Trimble/Garmin.

In the ESG I changed Altitude Source to Serial-trim/gar.

With these changes, the altitude readout on my ESG works!

I hope this is helpful for someone else.

Jim Butcher

/////

I did not have any luck with this setup. Not sure what baud rate to use. I have tried 4800 and 9600 with no luck.

Looking for any suggestions on how to move forward.

Thanks
 
You must have an Appareo ES (not ESG) which needs a GPS source. The manual shows the acceptable GPS sources in paragraph 1.11.1. GRT HXr is not listed. Do you have a Garmin navigator like GNS430W? You must use that as the GPS.

Jim Butcher
 
I just saw your PM. I'm guessing you have a Garmin 6XX or 7XX that you are trying to use for GPS. It must output ADSB+ format. Can yours do this?

Jim Butcher
 
We have the ESG

I just saw your PM. I'm guessing you have a Garmin 6XX or 7XX that you are trying to use for GPS. It must output ADSB+ format. Can yours do this?

Jim Butcher

Hi Jim,
We bought the Stratus ESG which came with an external GPS and Encoder before we bought the GRT HX with Raim GPS. I was told I didn't need the Stratus GPS or the Encoder now that I have the GRT HX. I was trying to send the GPS data and altitude data from the GRT. The 796 is to be used for flight planning and send flight plans to the HX. It won't be tied to the transponder.

Do you think what I am trying to do is possible?
 
Hi Keith, Now I see what you?re trying to do. No, that won?t work. The gps that drives the adsb-out must meet extra-stringent specs that the standard raim gps does not meet.
 
Hi Keith, Now I see what you?re trying to do. No, that won?t work. The gps that drives the adsb-out must meet extra-stringent specs that the standard raim gps does not meet.

Ok. I will get the RG400 cable I need and install the encoder and hook it up as designed.

Thanks for clearing this up.

On to other challenges now:)
 
Keith, as Bob noted, the GRT GPS will not work. Connect the GPS that came with the Appareo. But the altitude encoding from the GRT should work as described in my earlier post (that you included in your first post). The baud rate should be 9600. There is a pretty good diagnostics page in Appareo that will show you if it is receiving data.

Jim Butcher
 
Thanks Jim. For some reason I just could not get this to work yesterday. I'm going back out today and keep trying. Worse case I'm installing the encoder I already have. Seems so simple but its sure got me stumped.
 
Back
Top