Tailbeacon - Who has it?

[59Moonster]

Just curious who else picked one up. Their website says 4-6 weeks but I got the sporty's in stock mass email and ordered one Monday and just got it today. Looks simple enough. I'd give a pirep but my plane is still down. So once I get a whole new exhaust it had better be ready to fly again 4.5 months later 

[Two7Victor]

Ordered mine direct from uAvionix on 9/16 but only saw the 4-6 weeks estimate on shipping...no updates yet.  Should have gone to Sporty's. 

I was able to reserve one of the FAA rebates they release on Wednesdays though.

Really wanted the Stratus ESG but was quoted $2000 for the install by the one shop that had time.  The $3000 saved by doing the tail beacon will buy a lot of avgas.

[59Moonster]

4 hours ago, Two7Victor said:

Ordered mine direct from uAvionix on 9/16 but only saw the 4-6 weeks estimate on shipping...no updates yet.  Should have gone to Sporty's. 

I was able to reserve one of the FAA rebates they release on Wednesdays though.

Really wanted the Stratus ESG but was quoted $2000 for the install by the one shop that had time.  The $3000 saved by doing the tail beacon will buy a lot of avgas.

Nice. I tried today but didn’t have any luck. 

Try canceling your order and go through sportys. Last I looked this morning they had stock. It says on the product page. 

Kinda sad that they shipped a ton to sporty’s and not the people who preordered. 

Edited October 3, 2019 by Rinj
Incorrect autocorrect

[Two7Victor]

32 minutes ago, Rinj said:

Nice. I tried today but didn’t have any luck. 

Try canceling your order and go through sportys. Last I looked this morning they had stock. It says on the product page. 

Kinda sad that they shipped a ton to society’s and not the people who preordered. 

Thanks for the info.  I'll probably do that in the morning.

On the rebate, I setup two browsers and after 1:00 Eastern kept refreshing.  Took several tries but eventually a form appeared.  Answered everything as fast as possible and clicked submit because it doesn't lock in the reservation until the form is done and you are probably competing with lots of others.  Mostly it was just good luck I'd guess.

[carusoam]

Great report on the FAA rebate site...

I was unable to get it finished...

took a few tries to get it started...

And never got it completed...

Best regards,

-a-

[Hank]

1 hour ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

I pre-ordered a tailBeacon months ago and it arrived very promptly as soon as they were approved.  Our C model has the “short rudder”,  so there are no control balance concerns.  One thing to be aware of is that the Grimes tail nav lights on our vintage Mooneys do not use ground wires.  The tailBeacon installation manual contemplates and provides guidance for this, but it is something that we are going to have to deal with that complicates the installation a little bit.  A ground wire has to be run and attached to the structure.  I haven’t decided yet where to attach mine.  Shorter is better but where is best?

What's the closest screw not into a panel? 

[Hank]

3 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

I’m not sure, but it isn’t in the tail cone, which is where I would prefer the ground to terminate.  I’ll let you know, but I’m afraid it is going to involve a longer run of wire than I would prefer.  

There's significant structure in the vertical stab, complete with internal mid-repair pictures postes last week from a bird strike. If that won't suffice, there's those wonderful knuckle plates in the tail joint that we all had to inspect per AD a few years back--ought to be a good screw there; if not, leave some slack and head for the jack screw or ground plane in your belly somewhere . . . .

[carusoam]

Great tech question...

The Huck bolts are there, but probably not a good place to put something under...  

Next is the antenna ground plates overhead... but bringing electricity there may not be really good...

Running a wire all the way back to the avionics shelf in the belly is something to consider...

Or it may require drilling a new hole...

PP guesses at best... not an electronics wizard... or mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

[Andy95W]

For the ground wire, you probably wouldn't want to attach it anywhere aft of the moveable tail structure.  It would probably be an adequate ground, but the only real connections are hinge points and pushrods. 

Better would be to run the ground wire next to the power wire, then once you are forward of the moveable tail you can find a small hole in one of the aft formers or stringers.  Clean up the hole with scotch Brite and use a 6-32 screw and locknut.  Or you can drill a 9/64" hole in a former where convenient and mount the screw.

Its really pretty easy.  It probably took me longer to type these instructions on my iPad than it would take to actually do the work.

[Andy95W]

17 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

The ox is slow, but the earth is patient.  

 

Dang, I think the last time I heard that one was in the movie "High Road to China" back in the 80's.

[59Moonster]

10 hours ago, Two7Victor said:

after 1:00 Eastern kept refreshing.

I tried that as well, but no luck. How long did you try for?

[Two7Victor]

6 hours ago, Rinj said:

I tried that as well, but no luck. How long did you try for?

It was like 3 or 4 minutes after 1 when i got the form.  Took ~30 seconds to complete and submit.  

[Two7Victor]

From #6 - May be grounded via the mounting screws but recommended  to connect the black wire to the battery ground.

Maybe try with just the screws then run a a wire if needed?

[Hank]

2 hours ago, Two7Victor said:

From #6 - May be grounded via the mounting screws but recommended  to connect the black wire to the battery ground.

Maybe try with just the screws then run a a wire if needed?

Wow! My battery is in the firewall, clear at the other end of the plane.

[bonal]

Well seems like the wing mounted unit might be less hassle. I liked the idea of the tail as it would keep my wing tip lights matching I know they sell a match for the other wing but not sure the cost.

[59Moonster]

46 minutes ago, bonal said:

Well seems like the wing mounted unit might be less hassle. I liked the idea of the tail as it would keep my wing tip lights matching I know they sell a match for the other wing but not sure the cost.

I don't think it is approved yet.

[MooneyMitch]

My experience with my wing mounted SkyBeacon..... securing the unit to the existing navigation light mount was not sufficient for grounding the unit.

It was necessary to connect the SkyBeacon ground wire to the aircraft structure.  I did not run a separate wire directly to the battery.  

I installed a longer screw through one mounting hole and connected the ground wire, with a locking nut, inside the wing.

[bonal]

I was under the impression that the factory  wing tip lights have a two wire connection positive and negative wires

Edited October 3, 2019 by bonal

[MooneyMitch]

I do believe my nav lights have one voltage wire only.  Ground is achieved via mounting screws into structure.

[sportbiker929]

On 10/3/2019 at 4:07 PM, MooneyMitch said:

My experience with my wing mounted SkyBeacon..... securing the unit to the existing navigation light mount was not sufficient for grounding the unit.

It was necessary to connect the SkyBeacon ground wire to the aircraft structure.  I did not run a separate wire directly to the battery.  

I installed a longer screw through one mounting hole and connected the ground wire, with a locking nut, inside the wing.

Thats what I did!

[SantosDumont]

On 10/2/2019 at 5:42 PM, Rinj said:

Nice. I tried today but didn’t have any luck. 

Try canceling your order and go through sportys. Last I looked this morning they had stock. It says on the product page. 

Kinda sad that they shipped a ton to sporty’s and not the people who preordered. 

Wish I would have seen this thread earlier in the week, just placed an order through Sportys and will cancel my pre-order with uAvionix on Monday.

[Planegary]

i pre ordered thru aircraft spruce and received my tailbeacon on wed. now just to find time to install it 

[Planegary]

unusual problem with my tailbeacon. Here in the rural area i am in there are very few towers to be able to get xpdr interrogation on the ground and that is a requirement to initially set up the tail beacon. guess i will have to find some place around with a tower and ramp space i can land and just sit on to initialize the tailbeacon

[59Moonster]

On 10/8/2019 at 6:37 AM, Planegary said:

unusual problem with my tailbeacon. Here in the rural area i am in there are very few towers to be able to get xpdr interrogation on the ground and that is a requirement to initially set up the tail beacon. guess i will have to find some place around with a tower and ramp space i can land and just sit on to initialize the tailbeacon

I don't see that as a requirement in the manual. It just says you need to know your pressure altitude. Couldn't you just fly straight and level and verify with ATC that your transponder is working and ask them what altitude it is reporting?

[Planegary]

The system disabled in flight. So the initialization must be some on the ground and the xpdr must be replying to imterrogation