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What options exist for spoken audio alerts of traffic?

FORANE

Well Known Member
What options are available for adding spoken audio alerts of ADS-B traffic?
?Traffic: 10 O?Clock, High or Low or Same Altitude, 2 miles.? - that sort of alert is what I am looking for.

I have or will have the following equipment:
430W, 496, PMA8000BT audio panel, Navworx ADS600-EXP, Asus TF700 with Anywhere map (no ads-b functionality)

I understand a GDL 88 will do it, but it is about 5k.

I believe I read that foreflight / stratus will do it, but I do not use foreflight or an ipad.

A GDL 39 would be a reasonable cost addition. I read that a GDL 39 (along with my 496) will do it, but from the Garmin website it doesn't sound like the complete alert including position and relative altitude. This is what the Garmin website says about the GDL 39 traffic: "Spoken audio alerts announce ?Traffic, Traffic? to get you looking right away."

So, can anyone confirm what the GDL 39 actually does in terms of audio alert? What other options are there?
 
Garmin does this very well and it is quite useful to get you looking in the correct direction quickly. I have flown with poition call outs (Garmin). It is really effective.

I made a suggestion on the Dynon forum, that Dynon use the position call out which seemed to have gone with little fanfare so they likely won't implement this.

I think the traffic, traffic is a good (better than nothing) but the next thing after hearing that is one tends to look at the display to determine where to look. That is heads inside before heads out. With the position call out your eyes can go directly outside to the correct place. Kudos Garmin.

However, like all aural alerts more can be a problem when in rapid fire communications with ATC.
 
More than 2 years have passed... Surely some offer this by now.

What ads-b options offer spoken audio alerts?
 
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I believe this is one of the things the Stratux team is working on... The RasPi it's based on has an audio jack, and the traffic data is there. All someone has to do is code up something to convert the data into an audio stream, and you can plug the audio into your audio panel.
 
I wasn?t aware Stratux was investigation the feature of audio based traffic alerts with position information.

Indeed ...
  • all of the requisite data is there on Stratux configurations with an integrated GPS
  • there is a line-level audio out capability on the Raspbarry Pi 3
  • the necessary vocabulary is very minimal
  • piecing together the audio fragments into a message would be straight forward
 
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More than 2 years have passed... Surely some offer this by now.

What ads-b options offer spoken audio alerts?
I believe the audio is a function of the application that is displaying the traffic (Foreflight, Pilot, etc.) and not a function of the instrument that is receiving the data (i.e. GDL-39, GDL-88, etc.). Having said that I can verify that using a GDL-39 feeding a Garmin 696 and, lately, Garmin GDU470, those instruments are indeed only alerting "Traffic, Traffic, Traffic". On the other hand, Foreflight, on an Ipad using the same GDL-39 feed at the same time, is alerting "Traffic 2 O'Clock - 2 miles - 400ft below".

Sounds like maybe you should rethink your idea of NOT using an Ipad with Foreflight.
 
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ForeFlight offers traffic alerts that work very well. I have a Garmin GMA 245 audio panel which receives Bluetooth data. The ForeFlight traffic alerts on my iPad transmit to the audio panel which outputs through the music channel.
 
Not to derail your thread

...but when I ponder what "breakthrough" developments might come next in the experimental avionics world - beyond mere refinements to what we have off the shelf now - all I can think of is 1) wider implementation of HUD display technology, and 2) a shift to voice as both input and output medium of choice. (Some would add FADEC).

Avionics developers who want to stay on the leading edge will have to enable us to tune frequencies, swap screens, engage autopilots, set flaps, initiate TO/GA, etc using voice commands the way we presently address Siri and Alexa. In the same way, we will come to expect aural AoA cues and voice callouts of traffic, V-speeds, engine monitoring anomalies and so forth.

"Hickman Five Thousand, engage autopilot."

"Autopilot engaged."

"Set altitude hold."

"Altitude hold at 4,500 feet engaged. Please trim nose up."

a short while later...

Traffic alert, 6: o'clock 1 mile. 500 feet above. N666BK. Russian has a deflection-firing solution."

"$h!#"

"I'm sorry, Stormy, I didn't quite get that... Would you like me to fly for awhile and get you inside his OODA loop?"

That's my future vision. I think everyone who remains a player in experimental avionics will offer voice-recognition IN and synthesized voice OUT sooner than later. This may begin with traffic announcements, but it will end with a full voice I/O suite, making the manipulation of our EFIS screens in turbulence or a smoke-filled cockpit/bird strike blood-in-your-eyes scenario a whole lot easier.
 
You might want to re-consider Foreflight. It will annunciate alerts on your iPad/iPhone, and you can couple those to a Bluetooth device of your choice, or hard wire them to your audio panel. Let's see, besides traffic you get runway alerts while taxiing, a 500' alert to remind you to check gear down, and if you have an iPad with a pressure sensor, you get cabin altitude alerts.
 
I believe the audio is a function of the application that is displaying the traffic (Foreflight, Pilot, etc.) and not a function of the instrument that is receiving the data (i.e. GDL-39, GDL-88, etc.). Having said that I can verify that using a GDL-39 feeding a Garmin 696 and, lately, Garmin GDU470, those instruments are indeed only alerting "Traffic, Traffic, Traffic". On the other hand, Foreflight, on an Ipad using the same GDL-39 feed at the same time, is alerting "Traffic 2 O'Clock - 2 miles - 400ft below".

Sounds like maybe you should rethink your idea of NOT using an Ipad with Foreflight.
This is an interesting observation; I had primarily thought of it as being related to the unit receiving the data, generating an audio alert and sending it to the audio panel. Indeed I just looked up the gdl88 and it appears to do just that.

The way you describe foreflights audio alert is just what I am looking for. A couple issues will likely preclude me for going that route. While I completely understand a companies desire to limit their software to 1 platform, I prefer the other platform and have chosen to not reward the company that chooses to limit their market. The second issue is with Apple for 2 reasons. First Apple is proprietary and I try to not reward companies who choose that business model. The second reason is the one time I did buy an ipad to run a particular aviation glide to airport software I got burned. The aviation app which cost about $100 released an update shortly after I purchased it that disabled the software if I didn't pay a monthly subscription (of about $20/month I think). This seemed unethical and tantamount to ransomware. The software company refused refund yet continued to peddle their software in the apple store. Apple in my view was complicit as Apple denied my request for refund and allowed the company to continue sales.


...but when I ponder what "breakthrough" developments might come next in the experimental avionics world - beyond mere refinements to what we have off the shelf now - all I can think of is 1) wider implementation of HUD display technology, and 2) a shift to voice as both input and output medium of choice. (Some would add FADEC).

Avionics developers who want to stay on the leading edge will have to enable us to tune frequencies, swap screens, engage autopilots, set flaps, initiate TO/GA, etc using voice commands the way we presently address Siri and Alexa. In the same way, we will come to expect aural AoA cues and voice callouts of traffic, V-speeds, engine monitoring anomalies and so forth.

"Hickman Five Thousand, engage autopilot."

"Autopilot engaged."

"Set altitude hold."

"Altitude hold at 4,500 feet engaged. Please trim nose up."

a short while later...

Traffic alert, 6: o'clock 1 mile. 500 feet above. N666BK. Russian has a deflection-firing solution."

"$h!#"

"I'm sorry, Stormy, I didn't quite get that... Would you like me to fly for awhile and get you inside his OODA loop?"

That's my future vision. I think everyone who remains a player in experimental avionics will offer voice-recognition IN and synthesized voice OUT sooner than later. This may begin with traffic announcements, but it will end with a full voice I/O suite, making the manipulation of our EFIS screens in turbulence or a smoke-filled cockpit/bird strike blood-in-your-eyes scenario a whole lot easier.

I have long thought this too.

You might want to re-consider Foreflight. It will annunciate alerts on your iPad/iPhone, and you can couple those to a Bluetooth device of your choice, or hard wire them to your audio panel. Let's see, besides traffic you get runway alerts while taxiing, a 500' alert to remind you to check gear down, and if you have an iPad with a pressure sensor, you get cabin altitude alerts.

Don't think I can bring myself to do it John. See above rant, or I mean explanation, regarding my history with an i-thing.
 
Before I invest in voice recognition in the cockpit, I?ll need to be convinced that it works reliably. I have a 2006 Honda:
Me: ?Set temperature to 69.?
Car:?AM radio 690? (promptly changes the radio)-:)
 
This is an interesting observation; I had primarily thought of it as being related to the unit receiving the data, generating an audio alert and sending it to the audio panel. Indeed I just looked up the gdl88 and it appears to do just that.

The way you describe foreflights audio alert is just what I am looking for. A couple issues will likely preclude me for going that route. While I completely understand a companies desire to limit their software to 1 platform, I prefer the other platform and have chosen to not reward the company that chooses to limit their market. The second issue is with Apple for 2 reasons. First Apple is proprietary and I try to not reward companies who choose that business model. The second reason is the one time I did buy an ipad to run a particular aviation glide to airport software I got burned. The aviation app which cost about $100 released an update shortly after I purchased it that disabled the software if I didn't pay a monthly subscription (of about $20/month I think). This seemed unethical and tantamount to ransomware. The software company refused refund yet continued to peddle their software in the apple store. Apple in my view was complicit as Apple denied my request for refund and allowed the company to continue sales.




I have long thought this too.



Don't think I can bring myself to do it John. See above rant, or I mean explanation, regarding my history with an i-thing.
Ok, well everyone has their rationals for their specific philosophies they live by. To each his own. So in your case then at this point your options are:
  1. Design your own software to do what you want it to do
  2. Wait for one of the other companies you philosophically agree with to come out with something you want
  3. Change your way of thinking and pay the going rate to the "big guy" companies who have what you want now
  4. do nothing and do without what you want

Good luck with whatever choice you decide to go with.
 
Interesting

On the other hand, Foreflight, on an Ipad using the same GDL-39 feed at the same time, is alerting "Traffic 2 O'Clock - 2 miles - 400ft below".
.

Steve
Did not know this, I use the GDL 39 and the 796 and get the "Traffic" audio but it is filtered for nearby traffic. I have an external audio input built into my intercom which I just use for music through a bluetooth dongle and I have foreflight on the phone so I could have it running in the cockpit just for traffic audio. If music is playing does the foreflight audio just overlay or interject? How does foreflight prioritize the audio when there is a bunch of traffic (think Ponca on Sat morning:eek:)?
Figs
 
I wasn?t aware Stratux was investigation the feature of audio based traffic alerts with position information.

Update on that: I asked on the Slack channel to see if anyone knew about work in this area. Apparently it was suggested, but quickly put on the lowest-priority rung as most of the EFB packages already have audio alerts. ForeFlight, FltPlanGo, etc. all have audio alerts that can be piped into your audio panel.

The EFB's have to do all the math to figure out conflicts anyway, just to show you the red/yellow/green circles around your traffic... and they already have the position and altitude worked out. Might as well let them do the work.
 
Before I invest in voice recognition in the cockpit, I?ll need to be convinced that it works reliably. I have a 2006 Honda:
Me: ?Set temperature to 69.?
Car:?AM radio 690? (promptly changes the radio)-:)

Maybe it would work in metric... :p
 
Steve
Did not know this, I use the GDL 39 and the 796 and get the "Traffic" audio but it is filtered for nearby traffic. I have an external audio input built into my intercom which I just use for music through a bluetooth dongle and I have foreflight on the phone so I could have it running in the cockpit just for traffic audio. If music is playing does the foreflight audio just overlay or interject? How does foreflight prioritize the audio when there is a bunch of traffic (think Ponca on Sat morning:eek:)?
Figs
I have flown with music playing in the background and Foreflight on the screen. When Foreflight has an audio alert it does come in over the top of the music. That most likely is an aspect of the Garmin 245 audio panel though. Your mileage may vary depending on the intercom/audio panel you have.
 
Just an FYI that the newer Garmin GTX 45R/345R/345 1090ES ADS-B Out transponders all have the more verbose (e.g. Traffic, 2 o'clock, high) voice annunciation common with the GTS 8XX active traffic system.

I have a GTX 345R in my aircraft, but didn't even bother wiring this audio into the audio panel since the simple traffic aural annunciation from the G3X Touch system more than meets my needs.

With the great overlay of Target Trend traffic on the map and traffic page, I almost always see and avoid traffic with minimum scanning and don't often trigger the aural alert, so I don't see much advantage in having the more verbose aural traffic alert as an aid to visually locating traffic.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Just an FYI that the newer Garmin GTX 45R/345R/345 1090ES ADS-B Out transponders all have the more verbose (e.g. Traffic, 2 o'clock, high) voice annunciation common with the GTX 8XX active traffic system.

I have a GTX 345R in my aircraft, but didn't even bother wiring this audio into the audio panel since the simple traffic aural annunciation from the G3X Touch system more than meets my needs.

With the great overlay of Target Trend traffic on the map and traffic page, I almost always see and avoid traffic with minimum scanning and don't often trigger the aural alert, so I don't see much advantage in having the more verbose aural traffic alert as an aid to visually locating traffic.

Thanks,
Steve
Steve,
I appreciate your position but having experience with it for a few months now I really appreciate the "verbose" alert. It really does enhance your traffic awareness. It gives a better starting point for looking for traffic. Even my wife was able to hear the specific warning and immediately look where the audio warning was telling us the traffic was. It really does work well.
 
Just an FYI that the newer Garmin GTX 45R/345R/345 1090ES ADS-B Out transponders all have the more verbose (e.g. Traffic, 2 o'clock, high) voice annunciation common with the GTS 8XX active traffic system.

I have a GTX 345R in my aircraft, but didn't even bother wiring this audio into the audio panel since the simple traffic aural annunciation from the G3X Touch system more than meets my needs.

With the great overlay of Target Trend traffic on the map and traffic page, I almost always see and avoid traffic with minimum scanning and don't often trigger the aural alert, so I don't see much advantage in having the more verbose aural traffic alert as an aid to visually locating traffic.

Thanks,
Steve
Steve

What about for the folks who don't have a G3X? Or for those who want a UAT with anonymous mode in 1200? Does Garmin offer any UAT's without a G3X that have the more verbose (e.g. Traffic, 2 o'clock, high) voice annunciation common with the GTS 8XX active traffic system? Does the GDL-88 provide this functionality at an equivalent level?
 
Steve

What about for the folks who don't have a G3X? Or for those who want a UAT with anonymous mode in 1200? Does Garmin offer any UAT's without a G3X that have the more verbose (e.g. Traffic, 2 o'clock, high) voice annunciation common with the GTS 8XX active traffic system? Does the GDL-88 provide this functionality at an equivalent level?

Hello Forane,

Perhaps I didn't make this clear, but the GTX 45R/345R/345 ADS-B In/Out transponders provide the ?Traffic: 10 O?Clock, High or Low or Same Altitude, 2 miles.? type aural traffic alert regardless of what display is being used. In other words, a G3X system is not required to hear these alerts for the GTX 345/345R.

And yes, the GDL 88 also provides this type of traffic aural alert.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Hello Forane,

Perhaps I didn't make this clear, but the GTX 45R/345R/345 ADS-B In/Out transponders provide the ?Traffic: 10 O?Clock, High or Low or Same Altitude, 2 miles.? type aural traffic alert regardless of what display is being used. In other words, a G3X system is not required to hear these alerts for the GTX 345/345R.

And yes, the GDL 88 also provides this type of traffic aural alert.

Thanks,
Steve
Thanks for your clarification Steve. So that means for 2020 compliant ads-b out, with audio traffic alerting, without sacrificing anonymity in 1200, the gdl88 is garmins only option, correct? Assuming a device such as a GTS 800 is not included.

I had heard one pirep of the gdl88 where the pilot stated he didn't receive these alerts often. Does the gdl88 have set up parameters of alert areas I.e. only alert within certain altitude and range? Or does that have to be setup within a connected device such as the 430W or 496 I have in the plane?

Please advise
Thanks
Steve
 
Thanks for your clarification Steve. So that means for 2020 compliant ads-b out, with audio traffic alerting, without sacrificing anonymity in 1200, the gdl88 is garmins only option, correct? Assuming a device such as a GTS 800 is not included.

I had heard one pirep of the gdl88 where the pilot stated he didn't receive these alerts often. Does the gdl88 have set up parameters of alert areas I.e. only alert within certain altitude and range? Or does that have to be setup within a connected device such as the 430W or 496 I have in the plane?

Please advise
Thanks
Steve
Well, my name is Steve also so I will offer this: There is the gdl82 for ADS-B OUT UAT that has anonymity. Of course it has no ADS-B IN so you would have to combine it with the GDL-39 or GDL-52 to get IN capabilities and provide your aural alerts.
 
Well, my name is Steve also so I will offer this: There is the gdl82 for ADS-B OUT UAT that has anonymity. Of course it has no ADS-B IN so you would have to combine it with the GDL-39 or GDL-52 to get IN capabilities and provide your aural alerts.

Hey Steve

Do the gdl39 and or gdl52 send aural alerts directly to the audio panel or through an efis or tablet etc? Can those alerts be setup for proximity within the gdl?
 
Hey Steve

Do the gdl39 and or gdl52 send aural alerts directly to the audio panel or through an efis or tablet etc? Can those alerts be setup for proximity within the gdl?
All aural alerts come from whichever display unit one would use to display the traffic. That would be EFIS displays of whatever manufacturer you choose to use, GPS displays of whatever manufacturer you choose to use, moving map displays of whatever APP manufacturer you choose to use that is running on whatever tablet from whatever manufacturer you choose to use.

In my case I have a Garmin GDL-39 sending ADSB-IN information to two distinctly different instruments, a Garmin GDU470 and an Ipad running Foreflight. Those two units are in turn sending individual and separate audio signals through hard wiring to a Garmin GMA245 audio panel.

There are no audio connections directly from the GDL-39 to the GMA245 audio panel. The GDL-39, or any other ADS-B IN unit, is only providing specific DATA, in a specific standardized format, to the various other instruments that either display that data visually, or aurally, or both.
 
In case a picture helps to explain this.

GDL 39R

eE9j4bcyFdDyNWyVcoOxY5TnsNwly16Zm5ZHdCs36k3kyBG6D_wWHtGQ-yYET9-chH0vD3nThSN7zZBKGr9TxZkH8Yq3Tm6qTat0sGpWeBwta8jgkRPtcn54WY0yEzrSKQr6RZJoSN-ruHLDVc0b-b7NREUyJGK4upB1K-HjaL_oH5cRD7zAsqGgaNzjaAxQUvQYm7a-Uh3624H28byirjpWADFSsa4m7hVWnwplthByD5B715PPm8zNo8WsYur97giyvszZVBOdkieBUaPxkaULjLgMVGD5G_iGlZ510VA7nTv8HjtPrUsKyTMxxbbxRYIj04Ypl8hIRBOEmMhFEvPOZnprLc2YVvprrN3HIVlwJC_gGVJg0OEWk7LvI5auRKjSbp4uY1_nYvO2bolpj6DEwt4yquILqwWUYJgjE57z5aNukoYr7NdPXKTGqwVPlGUSvh4OOCT2PwMVp6qzJpxKddf8riAVwnAShtxtwAMz7cel-xKg4qg6jK5whvkv60UMDtYH1xXJpXZQQRu2QlpVsrrJ3U1zMUI5iVP5q7srIZEsOozyrO5Ejgbm3NbFykH_LebZdYi6dKp964IcVFtmWxK1DhXbZS3LNMA=w543-h754-no


GDL 52R

_1QwfZJ9P_Z1pG0F1UmopkUAvLX4z4oXam2tql_aSY2jrHv83utdBI6JxxhBxEfr85HG-5WyOndcKDgGkWSuGQRWNsZr5KDfPDY7cS6oqrFKNMP9XGh2pXZxm42BPP2VXaCFRUF_958KjdRU_jog7-0JeaSFJTMNr2jSF8uHHGULrzBhlUKminzNwHpo8o4CjmYUw6TRYAYAfRHi9OhMlasn6eStSFzOm0kOhIcSfXqfIxlNPOttkToPHSKYJ18Rb5BFPkkOw-naq25ElSx4B6F6xt36YPUwdKi5fWcCEzZVZYsgFOOtLi35hgZUpRv8JCMMw0V2bh8d7gLG4qhPbTxCvf02cuVgfiVokfpFC5itzEcta8EA7dOa9h-kss2K4wer1qqP2c2rMfIoA9JSJyO4Rl4MVGnF510R4VzfXQ14d-y1LjhzrgHk_rRDNb8hjT2Cwtc2EFkz1CYN4i_qg0_B3QDEMZhxzwVC_-9cQmgFDPEKCRWP-Umg8e0L-0dfprWqio03CFHF2oYdhB1tyh1jLDfCOzLJMFe6Xnd_Hdd_-RwniqijSe0ttthUbq9pQOIaRzKPSu9fBtQJLWXVZc0lKE_DcXIEjMUwY0Q=w557-h754-no


Thanks,
Steve
 
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