Radar Altimeter

[aviatoreb]

In April I bought a M20K Rocket with TKS - love it.  I have been having my local shop work through several things, some from the prebuy and some improvements and upgrades.  I am almost done with all that.

The only thing on the panel that doesn't work is the radar altimeter.  My knee jerk is to make everything work.  I am hesitating on this item because I am guessing it will be very expensive, finicky and maybe it has less relevance than it did in the 1980s since now we have TAWS built into our wonderful GPS - even my handheld Aera gives me an audible warning in English when passing below 500ft AGL.

So I would love to hear your collective opinions and experience with this item.

-How much have you folks spent in getting your legacy radar altimeters up and working again?

-Are they finicky?

-Or is this a no longer necessary piece of equipment that can be tossed overboard/removed to share shelf space in my hangar with that nice ADF and Argus already now removed and on the shelf?

Thanks,

Erik

[fantom]

Pull out that boat anchor, and save both weight and $. The radar altimeter was cool in the 80's, but not now.

Maybe put an ADF into the hole so you can listen to sports, or a backup electric AI for safey.

[carusoam]

Aviatoreb,

 

Based on what was installed in my panel when new....

It seems by 1994, loran and radar altimeters were out,  GPSs with programable altitude warnings were in.  ADF was still in use and included a dual flight timer to increase its utility.

 

Best regards,

 

-a-

[ToddDPT]

I agree with fantom.  Get rid of that boat anchor!

[jetdriven]

One thing a radar altimeter does is ding or light up when reaching minimums, something that is pretty valuable.

 

[aviatoreb]

Quote: jetdriven

One thing a radar altimeter does is ding or light up when reaching minimums, something that is pretty valuable.

 

[aviatoreb]

Quote: ToddDPT

I agree with fantom.  Get rid of that boat anchor!

[aviatoreb]

Quote: carusoam

 

Aviatoreb,

 

Based on what was installed in my panel when new....

It seems by 1994, loran and radar altimeters were out,  GPSs with programable altitude warnings were in.  ADF was still in use and included a dual flight timer to increase its utility.

 

Best regards,

 

-a-

 

[aviatoreb]

Quote: ToddDPT

I agree with fantom.  Get rid of that boat anchor!

[jetdriven]

I fly a Boeing which appears to have the same model number of radar altimeter and let me tell you its worth it.  It lights up and to me that says "land or go missed".  PLus the ability ewhen getting vectored in IMC just how high you are in a glance.   Im not sure what the cost to repair is but start with the manual for it and try to determine if its the display, the magic box, or the sensor.    We have an aera too and uncertified stuff has a lot more callouts.  None of them ding at minimums though.

[bnicolette]

Hello Erik,

I will give my $.02

If it is in the panel already and you're not hurting for panel space or useful load (can't imagine it weighs that much anyhow), I would say it wouldn't hurt to see what it would cost to get fixed.  I am with jetdriven in that it can be yet another tool to tell you it's time to make a go/continue decision.  I have never had experience with RA in smaller aircraft but in the larger aircraft they were never finiky and work like a charm as previously stated with a ding and a bright light.

Bottom line as with anything it is personal preference and budget.  Personally though I would rather see an instrument than a blank in the instrument panel.

Good luck and Blue skies,

B~

[Cris]

Quote: aviatoreb

 My Mooney had a "sky phone" in the 1980s.  I bet that was the cat's meow back then!  It is there in the book of STCs that came with the logs.  The phone is long gone though.  Someone really loved this Mooney in the 80s and 90s as that book of STCs filed is pretty thick.

[Hank]

Quote: aviatoreb

...my Mooney came with an ash tray.  (I know ALL of yours did too).  Wish I could get ride of that.

[fantom]

Subject boat anchor is probably about 3 lbs, but we neither know the model in question, or what the OP means by "finicky". Is it working, now?

With your 430W and Aera 510, a suspect RA is not only overkill, it's an unnecessary distraction...both in the cockpit and for your budget planning. If you need another "nice wake when you hit IMC minimums" then IMHO your investment should be with a CFII, not in fixing your "finicky" RA.

Take it out, if it's in working order sell the thing, and if you are worried about your budget, put a blank in the hole until something better comes along, which it surely will.

Good luck!

[aviatoreb]

Quote: Hank

 Yeah, aren't they lovely? At least we only have one, unlike the trainers I learned in that all had TWO!

Visit Spruce and search for "ash light." It's pretty cheap [~$25], and replaces the ash tray with four little red LEDs. I've had mine for two years now, still on the original AAA batteries. My ashtray is now on the hangar shelf. Notice that there are two sizes, get the right one. A little extra cabin light never hurt nobody, flashlights are hard to shine on the panel while flying [bTDT], and I've already had one electrical failure [daylight just below the overcast].

With a light right there beside you, it's hard to loan it to someone, set it down in the hangar or leave it behind the back seat when you need it in the air. Can't reach the hat shelf from either front seat . . .

[tbrickey]

My J has a working radar altimeter that has not been any trouble in the year I have owned the plane.  I use it on every approach as the final indicator that I am truely not getting down and I need to prepare for the missed.  I typically set it above the DH.  It took me a while to incorporate it into my routine.  Now I set it when I'm doing my approach brief earlier in the flight.  I sometimes get false readings from dense clouds below me.