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GA ADS-B Trial in Southern England

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Old 15th Jan 2015, 09:37
  #21 (permalink)  
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“Rod 1 "I ran my own airborne tests, but 4nm = about 7.5km so it might manage 10km on a good day"


So over 30 seconds warning even if closing speed is 400 knots?”

My comment on range was in response to using the tec to replace radar etc. ADS-B works out to 30 – 50 nm (I am told), FLARM works out to 3 – 4nm. For GA collision avoidance FLARM is brilliant, but if you have two jets closing at 600kn... The tests were done using a Carbon fibre aircraft and a metal aircraft (MCR01 and RV9).


“I understand that you had problems with PowerFLARM not ignoring the aircraft's own transponder. Was this ever resolved?”

The manufacturer kept saying all the issues I found would be fixed in the next FW release. The new FW would arrive and I would redo the tests at my own expense and there would be no change. Eventually I ran out of money and patience. It may work fine now. The issues were on Mode C detraction.

“And could the warning beeps be heard over the engine noise even if wearing ANR headsets?”

It was just about ok. If I integrated it into the EFIS I could have got more flexibility.


“And were you using the portable box or the core with a separate display and/or feeding the information to SkyDemon?”

Only the portable version was available at the time. My MGL EFIS would have accepted the output but I did not test this.


“Finally, any other comments from your trial? Thanks in advance. “

FLARM and ADS-B do exactly what it says on the tin. FLARM is amazing when it comes to avoiding action. Mode c/a/s detection is a black art, some manufacturers have good solutions, others are very poor. It would be unfair for me to say PF is still poor without retesting.

The tests covered PCAS, ADS-B out, ADS-B in, FLARM, PowerFlarm and Mode A/C/S detection. We had to get special permission from the CAA for the ADS-B out bits, full safety case etc.

Rod1
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Old 15th Jan 2015, 12:38
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Thanks for your very comprehensive reply, Rod1.

Think I will probably bite the bullet and buy the PowerFLARM portable, with warning tones sent to my intercom.

I have no doubt that a more cost effective solution will be found, probably mainly based on ADS-B, sometime in the future but feel that PowerFLARM offers a lot of safety benefits NOW.
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Old 15th Jan 2015, 13:36
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The advantage of PF is that if, as I hope, we get a lot of ADS-b out then you have a good solution regarding traffic detection. I would be interesting to know how the mode c detection is progressing.

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Old 29th Jan 2015, 14:17
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Linked to the ADS-B trial there is now a poll on who has what transponder designed to help NATS;

FLYER Forums ? View topic - Transponder POLL

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Old 29th Jan 2015, 15:05
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There a currently a few options, especially if you have an EFIS or similar to display mode S on but they are not clear cut and have a few gotchas:
Garrecht do various stand alone units that will display mode S and Flarm but not modes A/C, so that is a bit restrictive. However they also do a TRX-1500 blind unit which will display on a Dynon Skyview and a few other EFIS units. Problem again is at the moment it also doesn't display modes A/C.
Powerflarm will also display on their small stand alone units Flarm, mode S and will also do A/C, but also interesting is that Powerflarm Core,another blind unit, will display on Garmin 495/6/695 but not on Dynon Skyview, at least at the moment.

I think there will be other options in this area quite soon so my plan is to hold off for a while.

Last edited by Shoestring Flyer; 29th Jan 2015 at 15:09. Reason: Punctuation
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Old 22nd Feb 2015, 00:26
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PowerFLARM portable delivered early this week, fortunately ordered before the recent large price increase due to the sudden rise in the Swiss Franc!

First impressions using it in car without FLARM antenna were that the internal GPS antenna acquired the GPS satellites very quickly if placed on dashboard and that the display, though small, was very clear. Fortunately, I pass a major airport to/from work so it soon became apparent that it was very accurately picking up airliners with ADS-B and the occasional transponder signal too.

In the aircraft today, I simply attached it with Velcro to the coaming above the top of the panel and decided to fly to a local gliding field where http://live.glidernet.org indicated there were several FLARM equipped gliders and the tug plane.

As I was doing my checks, a friend from another field called on the radio that he was approaching my base airfield. However, nothing showed on the PowerFLARM display as he joined and landed and so I though it was not working in the aircraft. However, as he turned off the runway, I asked him on the radio if he was transponder equipped. Yes, he said, but it was not switched on! A few seconds after he switched on, a small green circle appeared with no difference in our altitudes as he passed behind me. Incidentally, Rod, at no point during this trial did my own aircraft's (mode C) transponder appear on the display or appear to interfere with my reception of others.

In the air, I noticed a few airliners above displayed and the occasional transponding aircraft but a few miles out from the gliding field several FLARM targets appeared. Too many to follow in fact but obviously most of my attention was being used looking out the window.

On the ground, it became apparent that PowerFLARM was displaying the gliders (most of which appeared to be FLARM equipped) very accurately. For example, I lost sight of one on base landing after me but with the help of the display, located it almost directly behind me on very short finals.

Later, soon after take off, PowerFLARM indicated a target 200ft below me and quite close. I could not see it but gave my wings a good waggle. There may have been a few bleeps at this point too but I was not sure because of the engine noise and ANR headset. As I suspected, the audio warning will need to be plumbed in to the headset or intercom. Not sure yet whether I need an extra licence for this feature.

Back at home base, on the ground remember, I noticed that the distances and relative heights of transponder equipped aircraft in the circuit were displayed pretty accurately- although of course, unlike FLARM and ADS-B targets, there was no indication of their heading or where to look.

I later discovered at home that parts of the flights had been recorded on the Open Glider Network, and FLARM transmit ranges analysed on KISS Technologies GmbH website (at or above average up to over 30km). Fascinating!

Negative points were that colours on the display were not too clear through my Sun Tiger sunglasses and, despite these, the scale was sometimes not clear because of sun in my eyes. The battery life was not quite as long as I had hoped, although even when the battery indicator started to flash red, the unit kept working for over an hour even at maximum brightness. Another negative, though not the unit's fault was that I came across at least two transponder equipped aircraft that were flying with it switched off!

So, of course, you still have to keep a good lookout! However, my initial impression is that PowerFLARM is very useful safety aid, particularly if you fly near FLARM gliders (or ADS-B out equipped light aircraft in the trial). I will try to make further posts as my experience in using it grows, and after the next firmware upgrade next month.
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Old 22nd Feb 2015, 08:42
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What kind of idiot flies around with a transponder sitting in the panel doing nothing
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Old 22nd Feb 2015, 08:48
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There appears to be loads of pilots flying around without having the Transponder switched on...Why anyone would do this is just quite beyond me!
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Old 23rd Feb 2015, 15:19
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My instructor switched ours off after we busted Class D, well more of an impinge than a bust
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Old 23rd Feb 2015, 15:53
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"Later, soon after take off, PowerFLARM indicated a target 200ft below me and quite close"

That is exactly what my test unit did when it detected my transponder!

Many pilots do not switch transponders on, including instructors. It is quite interesting to land after an aircraft which was not showing on my PCAS and ask them on the ground. Most come up with one of 2 reasons;

1 I like to keep a low profile - I don't want any trouble if I make a small mistake.

2 The only guy to get prosecuted for the Red Arrows bust was the only guy who was squawking, the others were never traced. (which is true).

I have pushed many times for a sensible harts and minds campaign to get people to turn units on, but such an approach has to take into account human nature not just shout idiotic fool.

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Old 23rd Feb 2015, 16:23
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Originally Posted by Oldpilot55
My instructor switched ours off after we busted Class D, well more of an impinge than a bust
lol Did your instructor really think that the aircraft couldn't be traced by turning off the transponder?
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Old 23rd Feb 2015, 18:36
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I'm sure I've seen some advice on the CAA web pages about encouraging the continued use of Mode A/C

I can't get into the mindset of pilots who have a txpndr switched off when the fly. Do they not wear seat belts?

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Old 23rd Feb 2015, 22:51
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I wrote: Later, soon after take off, PowerFLARM indicated a target 200ft below me and quite close.

In response, Rod1 wrote: "That is exactly what my test unit did when it detected my transponder!"


What mine indicated was a Flarm/ADS-B target, not a transponder. Is that what your test unit did?


Since there were still a few gliders about, and it had not happened after my first take off, I presumed it was a real FLARM target but I will keep my eye out for this in future.


One thing I did do to try to avoid this problem was to switch on my transponder (Mode C) very soon after start up of engine and PowerFLARM, rather than leave on Standby till ready to take off. I know that my transponder takes a while to warm up anyway but reckon that the sooner it is detected and ignored by PowerFLARM the better.


So not sure if this is still a problem or not. And if so, hopefully it will be addressed by the next update in March!
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Old 15th Jul 2015, 22:50
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I have been trialling pilotaware, a non-commercial venture spearheaded by a BMAA member. You can build the unit yourself from parts you can buy off the shelf for about £60. It picks up ADS-B and can then display the data on say your skydemon (pic 1) or runwayHD and identifies them (pic2) It also picks up and displays anyone else who has the pilotaware box (pic 3).

It's an impressive initiative.

http://https://www.dropbox.com/s/ax300pcydxsj054/2015-06-27%2017.14.18.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3kyanghgnw...04.20.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/79ggfn8l1w...56.59.png?dl=0
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Old 16th Jul 2015, 06:59
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Impresive initiative indeed but unless it can be configured to pick up all the rest of the aircraft transponder squawking with non-ADSB Mode S, Mode C and also Mode A, which makes up the majority of GA aircraft, I can't see how it is a way forward.
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Old 19th Jul 2015, 14:50
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From the PilotAware website:

PilotAware is a minimal cost system in which the Hardware and RF Protocol is made public. The System is capable of Receiving ADS-B, Transmitting NMEA messages to a transponder capable of providing ADS-B out.

In the case of Aircraft not equipped with a transponder, an additional transceiver operating in the 868Mhz License free frequency provides additional positioning information using the Open P3I protocol to surrounding traffic.

PilotAware can support interfaces to
- ADS-B (in)
- ADS-B (out)
- P3I (in/out range 25km)
- RS232 Out (NMEA Sentences at 4800 baud)
- RS232 Out (NMEA+ADSB+P3I Sentences at 57600 baud)
- WiFi Software AP (NMEA+ADSB+P3I)


The parts are readily available modules. There are some 3 or 4 wires to solder, the rest just plugs together. I think the weight would be less than 200 grams. I have seen a figure somewhere but can't locate it at the moment. The parts I have bought in preparation seem to indicate a very light weight for the project indeed.
Take a look at the Construction Guide under Hardware here: Introduction - Home

I hope that's useful.
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Old 9th Aug 2015, 18:40
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Impressively cheap ADS-B in/out but not much use until more light aircraft can transmit ADS-B. Anyone know how the trial is going?


Meanwhile, PowerFlarm continues to offer safety benefits now.

The March 2015 firmware update took one backward step imho when it removed the audio warnings from PowerFlarm portable when operating on it's internal batteries. Since this is the most useful feature of the system imho, I now power the unit in the air with a separate rechargeable 8 battery pack. I may plum into my own aircraft's electrics later but the separate battery pack allows me to use the full functionality of PowerFlarm portable when flying other aircraft.

I increasingly do not look much at the screen but certainly pay attention when the unit starts to bleep, now through my headset. This usually means Mode C traffic is near so I have a good look out the window and waggle my wings. This is particularly useful when flying long distances in apparently empty airspace in Scotland/Northern England but encountering other traffic not known about by ATSUs or warned about very late (Of course, under basic service, ATSU have no obligation to warn me about conflicting traffic anyway). The unit also annoyingly bleeps briefly when you are on short finals and there is a transponding aircraft sitting short of the threshold but I suppose this confirms it is working.


I am not sure of the value of displaying traffic on a virtual radar screen (on Skydemon etc). You really do not need to know about most of the traffic nearby- only about the ones that might hit you! You should be looking out the window if traffic is nearby, not at a computer screen. That is why increasingly urgent warning bleeps are so useful.


Since I often fly in Class D airspace too, I think I might have observed a bit of a delay in displayed information for ADS-B airline contacts, mainly height difference. This may be because of the high speeds and descent/climb rates of most airliners and hopefully would not affect the warning bleeps if a collision was imminent but it is a concern if it applies to light aircraft. Has any detailed research been done? FLARM detection continues to impress but not many aircraft, even gliders, have it in the UK at present.


So, despite the fact that lots of traffic does not have a transponder, FLARM or ADS-B out, PowerFlarm is definitely worth having.


PS. I have no connection with the makers or retailers of PowerFlarm.

Last edited by Forfoxake; 9th Aug 2015 at 19:17. Reason: too many reallys
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Old 9th Aug 2015, 19:35
  #38 (permalink)  
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There will be an announcement very soon on ADS-B out with uncertified GPS.

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Old 12th Aug 2015, 21:45
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Further testing this evening at the SVMC fly-in (thanks to Brian Finch for catering) at Long Marston. Looks like we have a reasonably robust unit design now.

Here's some screen shots of me being tracked by a pilotaware ground station (in yellow) climbing out of Long Marston on 02, immediately picking up some unidentified passing, potentially conflicting, traffic (later identified as '406792' out of Wellesbourne, this is not a set-up), immediately above and ahead of me, I am climbing right towards him although I have no visual.

http://www.flightradar24.com/data/ai...g-rvah#7196741

First shot shows him 430' above me, (all offset heights are references against the monitoring ground station), then 340', then 240', then 100', then 100' below me. Picked him up way before I actually saw him. Ok hands up, I never saw him at all, although they could see him from the ground and were collectively catching their breath (must have looked closer than it was from that angle).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wf0r4xfber...26.18.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/87cn2al222...26.16.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/39gg9lj349...26.22.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ejna8dir6q...26.19.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4v7phew7f3....20-1.jpg?dl=0


remember this is a non commercial initiative, build your own box, details here

http://www.pilotaware.com/

Last edited by skyrangerpro; 12th Aug 2015 at 21:50. Reason: links to shots
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Old 30th Aug 2015, 16:33
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feature in LAA magazine

reproduced by kind permission of LAA:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3ez29t1qq8ltwul/PA1.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y880ddw1uhi5jhj/PA2.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0hy9hdd85oj9o4d/PA3.jpg?dl=0

Last edited by skyrangerpro; 31st Aug 2015 at 11:19.
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