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uAvionix skyBeacon ADSB-OUT Installation and Review
uAvionix has recently introduced the "skyBeacon," a FAA-approved (meets 2020 mandate requirements), wing-tip mounted ADSB-OUT transmitter with an internal WAAS GPS that features a simple, 2-wire installation using existing nav light wiring and no additional antenna installation or cabling - and it only weighs 90 grams!. uAvionix sent me a pre-production sample to beta-test. I just received it yesterday and finished the installation today. The following is a description of my installation:
This first picture shows you what's in the box: The skyBeacon, "Click-Bond" nut plates, miscellaneous installation hardware, and instructions. The instructions are not very detailed, nor do they need to be, since the installation is so simple!
My installation is a bit different from usual since there was slight curvature in the Zenith STOL 750 wing-tip necessitating a base mounting plate with a rubber gasket underneath to accommodate the wing-tip curvature and provide a flat mounting plate for my AveoLED nav/strobe. I made the mounting plate a bit oversize so it could also act as a reflector:
I removed the light and mounting plate and used the skyBeacon as a template to mark new mounting holes with a 1/8" drill bit. A similar technique could be used to mark holes if attaching directly to a wing-tip.
After drilling 1/8" holes at the marked locations, I mixed the Click-Bond adhesive, applied it to the nut plates, and used the blue fixtures to align the nutplate against the hole and hold tension while the adhesive cures. There are excellent videos on YouTube explaining the Click-Bond process, but the important things to remember is that you only have about a 3 min working time once the adhesive is mixed and need to have a squeeze-out of a bead of adhesive around the periphery of the nut plate. It reaches 75% of strength in less than an hour but full strength takes 24 hrs. I let them cure overnight before removing the fixtures and almost 24 hrs before I installed the 6/32 machine screws.
After the nut plates cured, I re-mounted my aluminum mounting base, connected the skyBeacon's red power wire to the nav light power wire and the black ground wire to my nav light's ground wire. (Sealed heat-shrink connectors are included with the skyBeacon.)
I then powered up the skyBeacon with the nav light switch - the red nav light is quite bright!
Then, using the skyBeacon app on my smartphone, I configured the skyBeacon via wifi and then switched to the monitor page on the app to verify it was broadcasting the correct data. You can also use this app in-flight to verify the system is working properly.
I found the skyBeacon to be very easy to install. It would be perfect for someone who already has an ADSB-IN receiver and wants ADSB-OUT to enhance their safety and meet the 2020 ADSB mandate. Also, the ADSB-OUT assures you'll get the "puck" of TIS traffic data centered on your plane (+/- 3500' and 15 nm radius). Everything is included for the installation and there is nothing else to buy. The only negative I see is the lack of a strobe and rear position light, but uAvionix says this is in development and will be available soon. Also, the unit I installed was a pre-production beta and uAvionix says there will be some upgraded sealing on the production units and also an additional reflector for the red nav light - although it seems very bright as-is!
John
N750A
(No commercial or business relationship with uAvionix.)
Comment
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Comment by Timothy Finley on October 30, 2017 at 3:36pm
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Very nice and thorough review John. It is an interesting product. I am living with the Navworx in/out system and waiting to see how we resolve the AD. It works great though.
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Comment by Joe Hopwood on October 27, 2017 at 3:22pm
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Oh! I tried flighttracker24 and I never show up. Don't know if they only report heavier planes or what. I have looked on web for a place where anyone can check on flight history and I haven't found one that reports when ADS-B Out is the only source. e.g., not IFR or flight following.
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Comment by John Austin on October 27, 2017 at 12:27pm
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Joe - On the PAPR report, I had one parameter that was off despite the rest of the report being perfect. (I suspect it was due to marginal radar coverage.) I requested a manual review of the PAPR report and the FAA included the Google Earth tracking with the report.
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John could you give me a hint on using Google Earth for ADS-B Out Tracking? It is not obvious. At least not to me. :-)
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I'm wondering, with the antenna being located where it is, and not under the fuselage, couldn't the the ADSB-out signal be blocked at times?
It doesn't seem to be a problem so far with the ADSB ground stations, even at low altitudes. I flew a FAA Public ADS-B Performance Report and obtained a Google Earth tracking of my plane depicting my flight path tracked by ADS-B-OUT reception. The flight path involved turns in all directions. At no time did it appear that the stations lost my signal. My home airport is down in a 1000'-deep valley surrounded by plateau. The tracking was continuous right down to the plateau's ground-level (and perhaps slightly below ground-level of the plateau!) as I ascended and descended out of the valley. Obviously, when I was down in the valley, I was well below ground stations' line-of-sight and the ADS-B reception was broken - also, obviously, that also occurred with my previous belly-mounted antenna, too!
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Comment by Jason R on October 27, 2017 at 6:56am
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I was wondering the same thing about the signal being blocked
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Comment by Loren Warner on October 26, 2017 at 10:42pm
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I'm wondering, with the antenna being located where it is, and not under the fuselage, couldn't the the ADSB-out signal be blocked at times?
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probably gets the code from it as well
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The skyBeacon requires that the plane is equipped with a transponder so as to wirelessly obtain pressure altitude data.
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Curious, do you know if this will this work without a transponder, like the iLevel's Beacon?
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