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ADS-B Weather on the AF-4500

N402RH

N402RH

Well Known Member
Here is a quick video from last night showing ADS-B and XM weather on the AFS EFIS screens in our RV-10. I have been extremely impressed with how well the Navworx ADS-B box works compared to my GTX-330 mode S transponder.

I usually pick up ADS-B traffic as I am taxing out to the runway on the ground and there are a lot more targets than I ever get from TIS on the GTX-330. My airport is located about 25 miles from the ADS-B ground transmitter. With the TIS traffic I don't pick it up until I am around 3,000 FT and if I fly south for over 10 minutes it is gone.

I really don't see any reason to purchase a mode S transponder now that ADS-B is on the way. I am currently working on a new panel design for the RV-10 and when I install it I will no longer need the GTX-330, stop by and see us at Sun-n-Fun to see why :cool: I will also have the GTX-327 for sale from the RV-4...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DnhzU2G6fo

Rob Hickman
Advanced Flight Systems
N401RH RV-4 N402RH RV-10
 
Rob, this is great.

I look forward to trying the new software on my plane.

I noticed that the ADS-B had a red spot up ahead of you and the WX didn't show it as red. You should have flown through it to see if it was in fact red. :D

Kent
 
The plane is nice and clean after the video....

There was also someone flying either in or too close to the KUAO traffic pattern in the rain without using the radio !!!! I had them on the ADS-B and they were not on the TIS.

I had another potential close call about two weeks ago on the way to Eugene and while using flight following, without the ADS-B traffic it would have been very close.

Rob Hickman
N401RH RV-4 N402RH RV-10
 
Question

Hey Rob,

Check your company forum for a question I posted regarding this video.
 
N401RH said:
I really don't see any reason to purchase a mode S transponder now that ADS-B is on the way. I am currently working on a new panel design for the RV-10 and when I install it I will no longer need the GTX-330, stop by and see us at Sun-n-Fun to see why :cool: I will also have the GTX-327 for sale from the RV-4...
Click to expand...

Rob,

So now I'm curious... which transponder would you recommend using? I'm giving a lot of thought to my panel these days, and your comments would be appreciated.
 
I would use a mode C Transponder, now if there was only one available for around $1650 :cool:

Come see us at Sun-n-Fun.... or come by the office after Sun-n-Fun and I will take you flying in the RV-10.

Rob Hickman
Advanced Flight Systems
N401RH RV-4 N402RH RV-10
 
So, I have a non-S AFS3500, what's it going to cost me to add the ADS-B receiver?
I am guessing $4K.
 
AltonD said:
So, I have a non-S AFS3500, what's it going to cost me to add the ADS-B receiver?
I am guessing $4K.
Click to expand...

You can upgrade your AF-3500 to a AF-4500 for $2500 list price and that gives you: new LED screen, Synthetic Vision, new High Speed CPU, Dual knobs, a Joystick, all new case.

I think the NavWorx ADS-B receiver is around $2495.

Check with me at Sun-n-Fun, we could have a special...


The Garmin GDL 90 ADS-B Receiver is $7,999



Rob Hickman
Advanced Flight Systems
 
N401RH said:
...

I think the NavWorx ADS-B receiver is around $2495.

...
Click to expand...
You will also have to get 2 other items. One is a UAT antenna for 59.99 and that is also on the Navworx site and you will need a GPS antenna. Get the Garmin antenna for the 430 (NOT the 430W). Around here (OKC) they are going used for $50.00.
 
NavWorx antenna location

Hi Rob,

I am getting ready to mount my ADS-B antenna on my RV-9a. I am planning on mounting the antenna on the bottom of the fuselage in the bulkhead area 1 space aft of the pitch servo, centerline. I will use the Vans ELT mounting bracket behind the baggage compartment bulkhead to mount the control box.

Sound OK?
 
I jsut did this over the last couple of weeks. I mounted the Navworx receiver on one of Van's Strobe/ELT mounts right behind the baggage bulkhead in the RV-10. I mounted the Delta Pop Aviation transponder antenna on the belly just aft of the battery, close to one of the bellcrank support ribs. I did not put the GPS antenna outside yet, but fashioned an "L" bracket and have it being held at the top of the baggage compartment on the forward side by one of the #8 screws that holds the baggage compartment on. The receiver shows I have 10 sattelites (service vehicles) tracking, so reception is great.
Now for some observations. I have had XM/WSI for a long time, on this 10, the prior 10, and the 7. There are pluses and minuses for both.
XM:
I REALLY like being able to see the weather prior to takeoff, especially on IMC departures. The Nexrad is usually loaded within 2-3 minutes of power up. METARS and TAFs take a little longer, 5-8 minutes. Traffic only works when in TIS covered geography, so for a good part of the country there isn't any traffic awareness.
There is also the subscription fee.

ADSB: Traffic is outstanding. I was on the ground at PDK last week and while I was listening to the ATIS I noticed that my PFD was blinking bright yellow and black. It only lasted a few seconds, but I thought the pfd was going South. This happens faster than I can tell it, but there was a corporate jet taxiing right by in front of me, and it was being displayed quite largely by Rob's s/w! Pretty impressive!
In the Atlanta area I now routinely see 20 or more targets, 28 being the max so far. The only negative is that ADSB doesn't have audio for close traffic warnings, but Rob says he is working on that.
ADSB weather is free, but I certainly am not going to give up on XM yet. The weather seems to routinely take 10-17 minutes to load.That's really too long for an IMC departure. Rob says he thinks they can get this shorter by doing local weather first. That would be great! Unlike XM, the METARS and TAF's seem to load right away.

Right now I am in Suzhou, China until Wednesday, so replies will be kind of slow. :)

Vic
 
I tried the new software last Saturday.

The weather and traffic showed up as advertised.

Free weather, you got-a like that.:)

Kent
 
So this is just ADS-B In, correct? Are there any plans to support the NavWorx ADS600-B transceiver? I would like other people to know where I am :rolleyes:

--Bill
 
I actually installed the ADSB-600B transceiver. I know it broadcasts because I was seeing a ghost target following me everywhere until I talked to Bill and we added another signal line from the 330. I documented it on the AFS support forums.

Vic
 
ADS-B on 3500s

Rob,

Will the Navworxs system work on a 3500s? or will I have to upgrade to a 4500 if I want to add this.

Thanks
 
Just an FYI, anything over 8.8 feet of RG400 on your tansponder is not recomended and will likely result in you failing the output power test on your biennial transponder test. RG58 has even more loss than RG400 so making an extension with 58 was not a great idea, in fact any extension of a transponder cable will result in additional power loss due to the connector losses.
 
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Another issue with RG-58 is that it's only single shielded and thus a lot more of the energy ends up inside the plane. We've had quite a few customers that have noise in their intercoms from the transponder, and moving from RG-58 to RG-400 always fixes it.
 
ADS Bs on 3500s

Rob,

Will the Navworxs system work on a 3500s? or will I have to upgrade to a 4500 if I want to add this.

Thanks
 
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