vlittle
Well Known Member
Normally, I try to limit my posts to factual/how-to-do-it information, but there is an issue that is really bothering me.
It's the cost of ADS-B.
My figuring is that it will cost about $10,000 +/- to equip an aircraft to be compliant with the new regs, dominated by the TSO'd GPS (Garmin).
Effectively, this means that your aircraft has to be IFR compliant to fly. This is a huge threat/opportunity to General Aviation. If you have built an economical aircraft ($30K for a Sonex to $100K for an RV), this means that 10 to 25% of the cost of an aircraft will be just to comply with the ADS-B regulations.
Add in 406 ELTs and there is even more cost.
Does anyone else not think this is absurd? The solution to this is political, of course.... or is it?
All of the technology to build an ADS-B compliant transceiver with a TSO'd GPS exists today. I'm not referring to companies like NavWorx and Garmin, I'm referring to Apple's iPhone. Short of TSO compliance, I think an iPhone is pretty darn close to being the complete technology package.
Of course, this is not practical for the cockpit, but given the large market to retrofit ADS-B to the fleet, an aggressive avionics company should look at cell phone technology and where it can take us to get the hardware costs down.
My challenge is to the EFIS manufacturers... stop messing around with seldom-used features and focus some R&D on the ADS-B problem. There is a big opportunity here that Garmin's culture probably is incapable of addressing.
I have a $100 APRS tracker in my RV-9A, connected to a handheld GPS. It provides a similar function to "ADS-B Out", so why do I need a $10,000 solution? How about a $1000 solution that contains the TSO'd GPS, UAT and/or mode S transponder in one box? Make it a black box (no panel) to interface with existing EFIS systems, or a slide-replacement for a GTX-class transponder. Spit the GPS data out so it can drive the 406 ELT (which needs TSO'd GPS info) and the Nav software in the EFIS.
Such a box would be very compelling because it gives you ADS-B compliance, plus the benefit of an IFR certified GPS driving your displays and ELT. Keep the cost down and seize huge market share from Garmin.
My R&D budget won't allow this, but Dynon or GRT or AFS or MGL or NavWorx or Trig might be interested.
..end of rant and market feedback.
Vern
It's the cost of ADS-B.
My figuring is that it will cost about $10,000 +/- to equip an aircraft to be compliant with the new regs, dominated by the TSO'd GPS (Garmin).
Effectively, this means that your aircraft has to be IFR compliant to fly. This is a huge threat/opportunity to General Aviation. If you have built an economical aircraft ($30K for a Sonex to $100K for an RV), this means that 10 to 25% of the cost of an aircraft will be just to comply with the ADS-B regulations.
Add in 406 ELTs and there is even more cost.
Does anyone else not think this is absurd? The solution to this is political, of course.... or is it?
All of the technology to build an ADS-B compliant transceiver with a TSO'd GPS exists today. I'm not referring to companies like NavWorx and Garmin, I'm referring to Apple's iPhone. Short of TSO compliance, I think an iPhone is pretty darn close to being the complete technology package.
Of course, this is not practical for the cockpit, but given the large market to retrofit ADS-B to the fleet, an aggressive avionics company should look at cell phone technology and where it can take us to get the hardware costs down.
My challenge is to the EFIS manufacturers... stop messing around with seldom-used features and focus some R&D on the ADS-B problem. There is a big opportunity here that Garmin's culture probably is incapable of addressing.
I have a $100 APRS tracker in my RV-9A, connected to a handheld GPS. It provides a similar function to "ADS-B Out", so why do I need a $10,000 solution? How about a $1000 solution that contains the TSO'd GPS, UAT and/or mode S transponder in one box? Make it a black box (no panel) to interface with existing EFIS systems, or a slide-replacement for a GTX-class transponder. Spit the GPS data out so it can drive the 406 ELT (which needs TSO'd GPS info) and the Nav software in the EFIS.
Such a box would be very compelling because it gives you ADS-B compliance, plus the benefit of an IFR certified GPS driving your displays and ELT. Keep the cost down and seize huge market share from Garmin.
My R&D budget won't allow this, but Dynon or GRT or AFS or MGL or NavWorx or Trig might be interested.
..end of rant and market feedback.
Vern