My experience with PCAS is positive. I use it in a glider which has no transponder, and this may be the reason why I believe I have had no false positives or ghosts, certainly none of which I am aware.
(I have set out in other threads why I cannot fit a transponder, and do not propose to repeat it here.)
I have the simplest Zaon MRX device, which cannot give directional information; only range, relative height, and height trend of the nearest/most threatening contact.
I don't agree that it causes me to have more significantly more head down in the cockpit time. I do include looking at the unit in my normal instrument scan, which is insignificant in terms of total time, and the main thing I do when it gives an audible alert is to look out even harder than I already was.
In my last 40 hours/one year of flying, I have had one really serious alert which I was very glad to receive, relating to an aircraft coming up from below and behind to which I was completely blind visually.
I have had several other alerts which showed me just how bad my normal lookout is - and I can assure you I really do try, but my eyes, in common with almost all amateur pilots and a good proportion of professional pilots, are an imperfect device for acquiring 100% of other traffic.
Chris N
Last edited by chrisN; 3rd Sep 2010 at 10:11.