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Uavionix and Dallas Avionics

Chippster1

Active Member
Last week I purchased the Uavionix and Skyfyx as a replacement for my Navworx, thinking I had the Navworx600EXP. Dallas Avionics has a plug and play harness which interfaces nicely if you have the DB9 connector already in the plane. I went to go remove my Navworx box only to discover it was the Navworx600-B box which has a DB37 connector which will not interface with the Dallas Avionics harness. The problem was not all that hard to fix. You just have to go down to local computer store and buy a db9 female and a db37 male and solder your own adapter harness. It requires a map of the Navworx pin connector which is readily available on the internet. The Uavionix connections could not be simpler— Power, Ground and a 115k RS232 connection from Com 2 output on the EchoUAT to Com 3 input my AFS 4500 EFIS for Fis-B and TIS-B
No connection to the transponder necessary as the transmon does this wirelessly. All parameters and settings on the UAT are controlled by WI-FI on your iPad, although upgrading firmware does require a laptop.
I just got back from Asheville NC which was my first flight with it operative.
Just checked the PAPR on FAA and got back 2 red flags- SDA and Baro Altitude.
For now I am going to assume that this was because I spent some time experimenting with the settings on the Echo app during the flight and probably caused the GPS to stop talking to UAT several times. I will post my next PAPR next week as I do believe I will not have to fiddle with it again.
To all those out there considering this I say 2 things
1-I think this will wind up be an excellent and hassle free solution to The Navworx fiasco
2-The people at Dallas Avionics were absolutely wonderful!
It was a pleasure to have such great tech support from a company that cares!
I give personal thanks to Nicholas Cain for always calling back to give his valuable time to help out.
Five Star Service Indeed!

Ted Chipps
RV-10
N498EC
 
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I had similar initial problem. UAvionix had me reduce the Transponder Threshold value and change SDA value to 2. I lowered transponder threshold to 1200 and now get perfect PAPR report. These changes affect ?sniffing? sensitivity. These settings are accessed by touching 2 fingers on the Echo image at the top of the setup page, then scroll down to bottom of the page.
 
And make sure that the harness is going to the right places. Both the Echo and the SkyFX have the same jacks so either connector on the uAvionix harness can fit in either box.
 
updated harness available.

Speaking of harness connections, I had a meeting today with Ryan, from uAvionix. We talked about owners that have a Garmin 327 or Garmin 330 transponder. If they replaced the Navworx EXP unit with a uAvionix Echo, the altitude readout from the Garmin is not on the same serial line. He showed me a custom harness that addresses this. So, for owners of an Echo system that are using the "off the air" transponder scenario and have a 327 or 330, contact uAvionix for a free harness. Ryan said they will send it to you at no cost.
The benefit shows up in rural areas where no radar or airline TCAS is pinging your transponder. This extra serial line on the harness will report altitude all the time to the Echo UAT. If there is any confusion, give me a call at Dallas Avionics. Nick
 
I set the trans threshold from 1600 down to 1200 and got a Baro score of 59% fail
Probably needed to move it the other direction will try it again today
 
And make sure that the harness is going to the right places. Both the Echo and the SkyFX have the same jacks so either connector on the uAvionix harness can fit in either box.

Good point Kelly... thanks for mentioning that. Ted, let us know how the performance is after you dial it the other way.... NC
 
harness replacement

A question was asked if the harness is used in conjunction with the one already supplied by uAvionix. It is not. Only one harness is needed in any given system. This new one simply addresses the fact that Garmin is sending the altitude information on a serial line.
It is my opinion that if an owner has the option of hard wiring the RS232 from the transponder or picking the information of the air with the built in receiver... it is preferable to hard wire it. It would be a good time to document your pinouts also. I have talked to many RV owners who don't have good documentation of their wiring to go in the permanent records. Fly safe!
 
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