Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2014-2015 - 70

ADS-B EARLY ADOPTERS
Continued from page 68

contemplating an avionics upgrade to the ADS-B
Out standard likely will need a WAAS-enabled
GPS navigator capable of sharing its positionfinding capability with other installed equipment, for
example, a suitable transmitter .
And there is a significant number of in-service
general aviation aircraft equipped with WAAS
GPS, since the technology became FAA-approved
in 2003 . Already having WAAS GPS may or may
not simplify installing ADS-B Out . The ADS-B
transceiver must have an interface to the installed
equipment, which may or may not be compatible .
But market penetration can dictate a simple
solution . Meanwhile, many non-WAAS GPS
navigators can be upgraded to the WAAS standard
only after replacing the associated antenna and
cabling, along with a software upgrade .
At the same time, many non-WAAS navigators
can't be upgraded to the WAAS standard . They will
have to be replaced, or at least supplemented by a
WAAS-enabled GPS receiver . Under this scenario,
the existing non-WAAS navigator is retained for
navigation, while a second GPS receiver with
WAAS capability might be installed simply to
provide the location data ADS-B Out requires . This
second GPS receiver likely would be part of a socalled "single-box" solution designed to provide
ADS-B Out capability with minimum hardware or
installation costs, and little downtime .
The worst-case scenario involves an aircraft
lacking any GPS navigator, or one that isn't
upgradeable to WAAS and capable of interfacing
with ADS-B Out equipment . In this instance, a
wholesale panel revision may be in order, further
increasing costs and downtime . The good news with
this scenario, of course, is the operator can use
the opportunity to install the latest and greatest of
everything .
The typical equipment customers of Sarasota
Avionics are installing centers around the Garmin
equipment they already have in their panels,
according to Fryar .
The ADS-B In/Out solution "seems to be
(Garmin's) GDL 88, to display on the GTN 750 or

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GNS 530W/430W, at this time," he said . "But if you
want to go a little cheaper, a lot of people are doing
(Garmin's) GTX 330ES, with the GDL 39" to display
ADS-B In data on their Garmin handheld or tablet
computer .
Anglisano agreed, mostly .
"From my experience, 1090 ES transponders,"
like Garmin's GTX 330 ES and offerings from Trig
Avionics, "have been more popular installs than the
GDL 88," he said .
Back to the future
Will the "one-size-fits-all" avionics product bring
ADS-B In/Out to the masses? If current trends
continue, the answer is a resounding no . One key
involves receiving and displaying data available
via the ADS-B In standard, which operators can
obtain at relatively little expense, thanks to portable
devices . Yes, that solution has limitations on
available TIS-B information, but so many operators
have been without the data it provides, receiving
any traffic is a plus for them, even if the data only
can be displayed on a portable device .
Meanwhile, many operators enjoying the use
of compatible displays - or who are in the market
for a complete panel makeover - are opting to
install both ADS-B In and Out solutions . And while
operators look for easy, relatively inexpensive
routes to comply with the 2020 ADS-B Out
mandate, considerations may be given to Garmin,
FreeFlight Systems, Trig Avionics and other
manufacturers and their 1090 ES or UAT solutions .
These options may afford opportunity for growth
while meeting the mandate well in advance and
avoiding the rush many predict .
There are less than six years before ADS-B Out
will be required to access the same airspace where
a mere Mode C transponder is required now . The
promised benefits to general aviation of ADS-B In
easily can be realized for around $1,500, a bargain
when compared to the aforementioned five figures
for installed ADS-B In/Out solutions .
What will happen in the market before 2020
arrives is anyone's guess, but it appears many
general aviation operators don't seem to be in a
rush to upgrade . This may result in a future backlog
as the deadline approaches . q

Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2014-2015

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