Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems

[jabodine]

Recently I have been considering adding some sort of TCAS to my craft. Any thoughts, experience, recommendations?

 

Best regards,

Jonathan Bodine

[Alan Fox]

The one to buy is the Goodrich 497 system , these are about 5 to 6 K on the secondary market , and can play out on a Garmin or Avidyne display....The majority of the takeouts are from Crashed Cirrus aircraft.....The antenna goes on top of the fuse , and is but ugly ,  

[PMcClure]

How about a GDL 39 and Ipad. About $1500 and useful for weather, traffic, charts, etc... I don't have one (I have the active TCAS) but if I didn't have one, this is where I would go first. 

[Bob_Belville]

I have a new GDL 88 displaying traffic and weather on a GTN 750. 2020 compliant. There seem to be cheaper options being announced daily.

[aviatoreb]

How about a GDL 39 and Ipad. About $1500 and useful for weather, traffic, charts, etc... I don't have one (I have the active TCAS) but if I didn't have one, this is where I would go first. 

 

I wouldn't rely on an ADS-B solution unless you have and ADS-B out compliant transponder since then you will only see some of the traffic, those near other ADS-B out traffic.  So if you are not near such a plane, then your GDL-39/ipad combo will paint no traffic.  An incorrect indication is always worse than no indication at all in my book.

[smccray]

I'd love to add a traffic system to my plane but I can't get there.  $10k installed for an active traffic system which, after ADSB is in place a $1k system will be perfectly adequate.  I can't understand spending $1k now b/c there's a lot of unknowns with the system at this point and I don't have an  ADSB out transponder, and my gns 480 doesn't supply a WAAS signal for ADSB.  I expect a solution either with the 480 or with another vendor, but time will tell.

 

I want a system, but the economics of an active system don't make sense, ADSB isn't qute there yet for me to pull the trigger.

[mooniac58]

I have an Avidyne TAS600 fed into my Aspen displays and GNS430W.  Awesome system.  Grabs targets at about 8nm (only advertised as the 5nm model) out and has em locked solid the whole time. Audio alerts are given for targets getting inside of the "cautionary bubble" - ie "traffic, 3 o-clock, one mile, same altitude"

[Marauder]

What other hardware do you have in the plane now? Aspen just announced some ADS-B stuff that will do traffic.

[John Pleisse]

TIS will still be around for a while but is likely good money after bad. The great thing about TCAD is you can buy one to talk with ADS-B. And no matter what happens with ADS-B, you solution would always be viable.

[Awful_Charlie]

Were not going to get anything like TIS in Europe ever, and ADS-B is going to be years before we get something usable, so I put in a TAS605.  Love it (although operating in a busy circuit can make the eyes bulge a bit more!) - at the weekend I had something 8000' above me still reporting 23nm away.  I've got it displayed on a 430, 480 and the MX20, and so far have resisted paying another 800USD or so to put in on the Aspen.  Still only reports transponder equipped aircraft, but that is the majority over here, except gliders of course.

[bnicolette]

File IFR.......Use it while it's still free!

[Piloto]

I have a Traffic Watch that works very well for me even in the Bahamas and the Caribean. It shows traffic on my G530 in addition to its own display. If you do not have a traffic display you can see traffic on the unit itself. It also has voice warnings. For about $1K is not a bad option.

 

José

[takair]

Jose

Is the display output now available? Do you know if it will display on a 430, 396 or others. I believe my traffic watch was provisioned with the output. The Monroy web site does not mention this.

[Piloto]

Jose

Is the display output now available? Do you know if it will display on a 430, 396 or others. I believe my traffic watch was provisioned with the output. The Monroy web site does not mention this.

It displays on the 430 and 530 and testing is ongoing for the GTN 750. It will not display on the Garmin portables. It is mentioned on the website specs under external data: ARINC 429. I got mine upgraded about a month ago.

 

José

[aviatoreb]

I have a Traffic Watch that works very well for me even in the Bahamas and the Caribean. It shows traffic on my G530 in addition to its own display. If you do not have a traffic display you can see traffic on the unit itself. It also has voice warnings. For about $1K is not a bad option.

 

José

 

Do you have the optional antena then?

 

I didn't realize that the monroy could display on a certified equipment like 530.  Please tell more.

 

I have the zaon with no bearing information.

[Piloto]

Do you have the optional antena then?

 

I didn't realize that the monroy could display on a certified equipment like 530.  Please tell more.

 

I have the zaon with no bearing information.

I have the directional antenna. The unit is FAA STC approved and compliant with ARINC 429/735 for external displays. 

 

José

[Bennett]

I have previously posted a pirep about using a Garmin GDL 88 with the GTN series. The best part is traffic: TIS-B and FIS-B. To me, the cost is well worth the expense, and if you don't have XM weather, the NEXGEN weather display is quit usable.

[bd32322]

I would just get ADSB out compliant transponder. My dream come true, gtx 33 remote transponder with extended squitter controlled via gns 480.

Then a portable adsb receiver paired to the ipad.

Makes me all set for the ADSB mandate in 2020 and gets me traffic.

[Marauder]

I have previously posted a pirep about using a Garmin GDL 88 with the GTN series. The best part is traffic: TIS-B and FIS-B. To me, the cost is well worth the expense, and if you don't have XM weather, the NEXGEN weather display is quit usable 

 

 

 

Did your PIREP Bennett include some pictures? Curious what some of this stuff looks like in real life. 

[Bennett]

I'll post some photos early next week

[Marauder]

Thanks Bennet! The GDL88 was not ready for prime time when I had my upgrade done. Curious to see how this stacks up against the new Aspen offerings.

[aviatoreb]

I have the directional antenna. The unit is FAA STC approved and compliant with ARINC 429/735 for external displays. 

 

José

 

Wow - that is amazing.  For ~1k + install you can have a decent tcas that will external display?!  How much shop time is it to install including the antenna and external display?  How many targets can it find and external display? Do you find it to be reliable? 

[Piloto]

Wow - that is amazing.  For ~1k + install you can have a decent tcas that will external display?!  How much shop time is it to install including the antenna and external display?  How many targets can it find and external display? Do you find it to be reliable? 

The most it can show is 7 targets but the most I have seen is 4. Occassionally it will show a phantom target but I have seen this on the more expensive systems. The unit is very small and simple to install. About half a day a to install.  Very handy at uncontrolled airports but a little bit annoying at airports with high activity because the display keeps poping up the traffic window that blocks the NAV window. However the traffic window will not show when an approach is selected but you can see traffic on the unit display. If you are flying into uncontrolled fields I recommend it.

 

José  

[N601RX]

Did you top or bottom mount the antenna?  Assuming you bottom mounted it, does it do a good job showing targets above you? 

[Piloto]

The antenna is mounted on the belly. Never has seen any problem showing traffic above. It is recommended to have the antenna on the belly for balanced coverage for traffic above and below. On final approach it detects traffic ahead and below that warns me to slow down.

 

José