The International Cessna 170 Association

I believe Bruce has the right idea... to wait a while. A lot of products are in development which will drastically lower the cost of ADS-B Out, and IN has already approached affordability. I remember when Transponders were over $8K and weighed 25 lbs and the talk was requiring everyone to have one. Narco dropped the AT50 onto the market for < $500 and lots of folks followed the lead.
When encoders first came out they were also high-dollar... soon dropped below $500 also....then below $200.

This is only ONE product that is approved for experimental, and the drone market is about to get a lot of inexpensive units approved for certificated airplanes. There is another product which replaces the tail light that will not interfere with wingtip strobes. The pricing is rapidly dropping below $1200.

https://www.uavionix.com/products/skybeacon/

Agreed.

I only made the move because my old transponder died earlier this year. In a way I wish I had installed a cheap transponder for now and waited on the ADS-B out installation.

I have a feeling now that the $500 rebate is done, vendors will start offering $500 rebates to keep sales going.

bagarre wrote:I have a feeling now that the $500 rebate is done, vendors will start offering $500 rebates to keep sales going.

I don't know, I scheduled installation of my ADS-B last May to be installed in October. The shop had a 4 week backlog in May. I checked with the shop today to confirmed my date for mid-October and was told my install would probably be in November and they were now scheduling installations for MARCH! 6 months out! I was also told shops all over the country are having trouble hiring enough install technicians. Sounds to me like it is going to get worse before it gets better.

One of the first things I did after purchasing 62C was schedule the ADS-B upgrade, just to get it out of the way. It's scheduled to go into the shop today to start the work - I'm out of town this week so hopefully when I return it will be all set to go. Just a note for folks considering the upgrade, I also had to upgrade my antenna at the same time. Since 62C has two shark fins on top, and one of them is being replaced with a newer model for the ADS-B upgrade, I'm also replacing the "other" one both for aesthetics and performance. Collateral spending, apparently, but I just couldn't see walking up to a beautiful plane and wondering why the symmetry was broken.

For those of you who haven't seen it, and I had not until a couple of weeks ago, this is what the FAA can see with just your N number using ADS-B. I had emailed the FAA with a question about applying for the ADS-B rebate. I was a little surprised when they emailed me back with this picture and a comment that my transponder was showing airborne even when it was on the ground. (One month old, it needed a software update already). That is the Murfreesboro TN airport (KMBT) with my wobbly landing and taxi route displayed in amazing detail.
A local guy tells me that some of the pilots who want to fly without being under such scrutiny are installing two transponders. They use the ADS-B one when needed and the other one where ADS-B is not required. I'm not going to that trouble and expense but it is apparently worth it to some people.

Big Brother is watching you Keith

170C wrote:Big Brother is watching you Keith

Apparently he can if he wants to!

What happen to that pesty circuit breaker that keeps tripping when you need to be incognito?

KG wrote:
A local guy tells me that some of the pilots who want to fly without being under such scrutiny are installing two transponders. They use the ADS-B one when needed and the other one where ADS-B is not required. I'm not going to that trouble and expense but it is apparently worth it to some people.

I believe that if you have ADS-B installed, by regulation it needs to be on. Those pilots may want to double check the regs.

Many of the UAT only transponders have a feature that "randomizes" the aircraft ID when squawking 1200. That means the feds will still see the plane and all the position data, but will not have the ID data. Although one should never break the rules and thus never have to worry about it, I kind of like this.

DEM

Just read a post that currently 30,000 A/C in compliance w ADS B.

A little dismay was expressed. Pilots are waiting.

No more switching off the Mode-C when busting altitude either. (I've only heard of this happening.)

Since purchasing a Scout unit I have had numerous occasions to use the unit. Last Saturday, coming back from a breakfast flyin, the visabilty wasn't great. Heard another aircraft report they were 10 miles from the airport I had just left and we were probably 7 miles away. Couldn't see much at a distance, but there on ForeFlight was the other plane at approximately my altitude and almost on my direct route. Called him to verify where he was in reference to a power plant I was approaching and fortunately our paths wouldn't have met, but it was nice to know in advance where he was prior to getting the warning on my FF/iPad. Some I have talked with say they have a circuit breaker that could be pulled to shut off the ADS-B. While one would hope not to enter an area they weren't supposed to enter, pulling the cb might keep one from being caught, particularly if the transponder were also off. Of course 170 members wouldn't be guilty of such anyway

I was reading the ADS-B regs the other day and noticed that 14 CFR 91.225(f) states, "Each person operating an aircraft equipped with ADS-B Out must operate this equipment in the transmit mode at all times." Others can decide whether someone can pull the circuit braker while in the transmit mode and still be in compliance.

MoonlightVFR wrote:Just read a post that currently 30,000 A/C in compliance w ADS B.

A little dismay was expressed. Pilots are waiting.

I'm not surprised.

1. The price keeps coming down.
2. You only need it if you fly in Class C or higher. You can do a whole lotta flying, to a whole lotta airports, without touching Class C.
3. Technology is solving installation concerns.

That being said after KGRB Approach tried to run me into Delta RJ this weekend, I'm really starting to think TIS-B traffic wouldn't be such a bad thing.

DEM