JKeeth

This might be a stupid question, but is the intercom switch in the ALL or CREW mode? If the intercom is in the ISO mode, then I believe what you are experiencing is normal, as only the pilot can transmit on the radios when the intercom is in ISO mode. I'm in the process of troubleshooting a very similar issue with a Sigtronics SCI-4 intercom, but in my case transmitting from the copilot side works fine. I cannot however transmit from the pilot side when the intercom switch is in the ALL or CREW mode. The radios appear to be transmitting as the TX indication appears on both radios, but there is no voice heard on the receiving end. However, if the intercom is in ISO mode, then transmitting on the pilot side works correctly and sounds great, which tells me the wiring is okay from the pilot mic jack and PTT switch to the intercom, and from the intercom through the aux mic jack and to the audio panel. I'm leaning towards the intercom being defective, which was installed new a couple of weeks ago. Not sure what you mean by this statement. Can you elaborate? Also, can you confirm the intercom audio is working normally at all seats? Pilot and passengers can hear copilot, and vice versa? If so, then that would indicate the wiring from the copilot mic jack to the intercom is good. Jim K.

That’s correct for the Skywatch TAS/TCAS system but not for Stormscope. The only way to interface with the WX-500 is through the controlling display.

The fault log cannot be cleared. The 20 most recent faults are shown in the fault log and cannot be erased. In your unit code 16 has occurred twenty times over the past approximate 1 hour (53 hours 16 minutes to 54 hours 24 minutes). Kinda odd to see a 9 year old unit with only 54 hours of operation!

Thanks for the pics! This is very helpful! Error code 16 is the reason the unit is failing, and a code 16 is caused by either a bad antenna (very rare) or a wiring problem in the antenna cable. Most likely there is a short or open in the antenna cable. A continuity check should be performed on each wire in the cable to ensure none of the wires are open or shorted. Processor s/n 97420 was manufactured in 2011 and has never been returned for repair. Hope this helps! Jim

Can you send me a pic of the Stormscope Configuration Page from the 650? I’m curious to see if the data displayed on that page matches the actual configuration (strapping) of the unit. Also, what is the serial number of the WX-500 processor? I can look up the history on that unit and determine if it had been returned to L3 for a serial comm problem in the past. Feel free to email me at jim.keeth@L3Harris.com.

The first step in troubleshooting a WX-500 failure is to retrieve the fault codes from the WX-500 fault log, and that is accomplished through the display that is wired to be the master control for the WX-500. Hopefully the GTN650 is wired as the control, as the GTN does a good job of displaying the fault log for the WX-500. I don't have any experience with the GI275 and WX500 combination to say how well that interface works. The Stormscope data is accessed in the External Systems page in the GTN's configuration mode, and section 5.5.4.2 in the GTN installation manual has a good description of how to access the fault log and how to view additional data for the WX-500. If you can't view the Stormscope data then there is likely a serial communication problem between the WX-500 and the displays. It is very important that the RS-232 RX at the WX-500 is coming from one display only, which would be the master control display. FYI...L3 sold the Stormscope product line to Extant Aerospace last year. Hope this helps! Jim

I could walk you through the process to update the software. It's not too complicated and depending on your laptop and USB speed could take as long as 15 mins. You would need a Windows 10 computer, the Lynx software tool and files, and a USB to mini USB cable. Shoot me an email and I'll send you some info early next week. Jim

Hi Steve, Nope, not a wifi configuration issue. ForeFlight does not display the active traffic targets, but I believe they are working on correcting that. Jim

Hi Derek, I think I can help you out. Most likely the WiFi dongle needs to be reconfigured, which is very easy to do. You'll need a Windows 10 laptop and a software tool. Send me an email (jim.keeth@L3Harris.com) and I will send you the tool and instructions. Jim

I'll confirm the bench fee and repair pricing this week, but I'm fairly certain the bench fee won't apply if it is determined that the processor requires repair. That's been our normal repair philosophy for quite a long time. Regarding the picture of the processor, the only LED that is a concern is LED 7, and that LED will be on when the system is in a failed condition. However, that doesn't necessarily mean the processor is faulty. You could have a bad antenna or antenna cable, or it's possible the controlling display isn't configured properly for WX-500 operation. Do you have a picture of the Stormscope fault log from the controlling display? That would be very helpful for troubleshooting the system. Jim

What fault codes are being recorded in the fault log, and is the WX-500 in a failed condition at all times, or only temporarily? Was the WX-500 failing before the panel rework? Also, it’s not a bench fee AND repair. It’s a bench fee OR repair fee Jim

Yes the Lynx NGT-9000+ does send the active traffic targets out on the wifi to be displayed on the apps. However, last I checked, which was a little over a year ago, ForeFlight only displayed the ADS-B targets and not the active traffic targets. Don't know why that is, as most of the others apps have no problem displaying both ADS-B targets and active traffic targets from the NGT-9000+. I would recommend you contact ForeFlight and ask if their app will display the active traffic targets (TAS/TCAS) from the NGT-9000+. My information is dated, so it's possible ForeFlight has finally implemented this in a recent update to the app. Hope this helps! Jim

TargetTrend is exclusive to Garmin products because they designed, developed, and patented it. The Lynx NGT-9000 is the only unit on the market that offers ATAS (https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/programs/adsb/pilot/atas/), plus a built-in color touchscreen display to see the traffic and weather, plus a built-in TAS/TCAS processor, plus diversity, plus terrain. I'd call that feature rich!

FYI...as of the start of the year, ATAS traffic alerting is included free of charge from L3.

No. The NGT-9000+ outputs 250W maximum for the transponder function and the active traffic function. The 9000 w/TAS doesn't output any more power than the 9000 w/o TAS.

Hi James, Unfortunately the "popping" noise coming from the NGT-9000 is a fairly common problem, and there are a few different things that need to be checked with the installation. The most likely culprit of the noise has to do with how well the transponder coax RF connector at the back of the NGT-9000 rack are grounded. Poor grounding, or bonding, of the connector will cause the noise to be more prevalent. I would suggest that the installer starts with inspecting the coax connections behind the rack, and I'm guessing they will find that the RF connectors are not making good contact with the RF grounding spring-clip piece. The other issue could be poor bonding of the transponder antenna to the fuselage and/or an insufficient antenna ground plane. Lastly, relocating the transponder antenna further aft may be required to completely get rid of the noise. Please have your installer call me at (616)285-4436 and I can help them resolve the issue, if they haven't already called and talked to myself or one of my coworkers. Hope this helps! Jim Keeth L-3 Aviation Products jim.keeth@l3t.com

Hi Marauder, Nope, haven't heard any talk about estimating the number of owners that will not comply with the mandate. Perhaps AOPA has some survey data that could be used to determine that. Your concern is valid about the increase in traffic in certain areas that will result after 2020 due to non-equipped airplanes trying to stay clear of the ADS-B rule-compliant airspaces. Hi Chupacabra, That is correct. If the yellow radar dish symbol is visible on the traffic page of the NGT-9000, then you are below coverage of the ADS-B ground stations and at that point you will not see any TIS-B traffic on the NGT-9000. The only traffic you will see is other ADS-B out equipped airplanes. Non-transponder equipped aircraft are invisible to everyone, ATC included. I think you are thinking of primary radar, which is far different than secondary-surveillance radar (ATCRBS) that ATC uses. Primary radar is used very little in the ATC environment, and only as a backup system. Hope this helps! Jim

It's possible you were under ADS-B coverage, and that would be indicated on the Lynx NGT-9000 traffic page with the little yellow radar dish symbol. If that was the case, then the Cessna, which I'm assuming wasn't ADS-B OUT compliant, would not have been transmitted to you as a TIS-B target via the ADS-B ground stations. Or...do you know if that Cessna was squawking mode A and mode C? Mode A targets will not be received by radar and re-transmitted as a TIS-B target; they have to report pressure altitude also in order to be a TIS-B target. Perhaps that 150 was only squawking 1200 w/no pressure altitude (mode C). If that was the case, then he'd be invisible to everyone except aircraft that have active traffic systems (TAS/TCAS) like the NGT-9000+. There are many other scenarios that could explain why those targets weren't picked up by the NGT-9000, such as the status of the ADS-B ground stations around KOCF. Sadly, the FAA doesn't publish NOTAMS when ADS-B ground stations are inoperative and unable to send up TIS-B traffic.

The ADS-B system must be receiving magnetic heading from a digital source (AHRS) in order to display traffic when stationary. Without mag heading, the system will use GPS track to determine the direction the aircraft is pointing, and track can't be determined if not moving. Therefore no traffic until taxing if magnetic heading is not available.

What ADS-B out equipment do you have, and is the GPS providing the in-air and on-ground logic, or is that being done with an external airspeed or squat switch? The reason the FAA's system failed the "in-air on ground test" is because your airplane was reporting that it was in air mode while sitting on the ground (duh!), and in my experience this tends to happen most often after landing rather than prior to take-off. If your airplane reported that you were still in-air after you taxied off the runway, then that would cause the failure of the "air on ground" test. Of course, this would only happen at an airport that has coverage from an ADS-B ground station. If no ground station coverage, then your ADS-B OUT will never be received into the ADS-B system and therefore not see the "air on ground" discrepancy. Fixing this depends on the ADS-B system in your airplane. For the Lynx NGT-9000, for example, GPS groundspeed is used to determine when to go from air mode to ground mode, and the groundspeed value is configured into the unit during installation. If the groundspeed is set too low then your airplane could be outputting air mode while taxing after landing, and in that case, increasing the GPS groundspeed would be the corrective action. Generally, the GPS groundspeed setting should be 70% of Vso.

The FAA has always been concerned about approved, or non-approved, pairings between the GPS receiver and the ADS-B out equipment. So while a form 337 would list the equipment used, I don't believe it would necessarily ensure that the GPS position source has the right software and/or accuracy requirements, which is probably why the FAA encourages a performance check. Of course pairing issues aren't a concern with transponders or UAT boxes that contain internal GPS, so in that regard you bring up a good point about simply submitting the 337 for the rebate. Also, test equipment such as the Aeroflex IFR-6000 is more than adequate for testing ADS-B out on the ground to ensure a system is valid, except for the pesky "air on ground" issue that has been a problem for some installs.

takair is correct; the flight test is only required for the $500 rebate. However, the FAA encourages installers and users to request an ADS-B Performance Report to validate the performance of the newly installed ADS-B Out equipment. Not a requirement, but recommended. The flight for the performance report can be accomplished in any airspace where ADS-B coverage is available. However, the flight for the rebate must be accomplished in rule-compliant airspace as per FAR 91.225. I believe the OP's error was not flying in the rule-compliant airspace that is required for the rebate. AC20-165B is for the initial airworthiness approval of an STC. Once the STC is approved, the installer follows the manufacturers instructions using the prior approved STC data. The installer doesn't follow the AC, only the STC. Jim Keeth L-3 Aviation Products

You could install a combo VHF/GPS antenna for the NGT-9000 and existing COM radio, but those antennas are pricey.

The NY164 TAS directional antenna needs to go on top of the airplane. The NGT-9000+ will consist of three antennas: transponder antenna, WAAS GPS antenna, and the TAS directional antenna. Diversity is optional, and if enabled with the active traffic (+) option, then the NY164 TAS directional antenna serves as your transponder diversity antenna also.

I'm not sure what criteria FF is using to prevent the display of own-ship, but obviously it is using more than just tail number. I agree that an app should be able to ignore and not display a target if its tail number matches your own tail number. The NGT-9000 will ignore and not display a target if that targets tail number matches your tail number, among some other obscure requirements it uses to prevent the display of own-ship. Very happy to hear that Steve! Thanks for the PIREP! We also have not seen this issue with other apps like WingX, FlyQ, and FltPlan GO, only FF so far. Yes, many people have asked about autopilot outputs from the ESI-500. The ESI-500 does have an ARINC 429 output and will output pitch and roll digital data, but we don't have any plans to make a converter that can convert those digital signals into analog signals for autopilot computers. I think if we did go that route then the price of the unit wouldn't be much different than an Aspen EFD, and at that point the Aspen unit would provide more "bang for the buck". The ESI-500 can definitely be approved to be used as a primary AI. While we market the ESI-500 as a standby, and our STC gives installers approval to install the ESI-500 as a backup system to primary systems (Aspen, Garmin, etc.), there is nothing stopping a dealer from installing and getting approval to install the ESI-500 as a primary AI. The TSOs, MOPS, DOs, etc., do not differentiate between primary and standby. The TSO approvals for the ESI-500 are the same TSOs approvals for primary systems such as the Garmin G500.