Rich Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Moving On's info post on the Sky Guard got me thinking again on a low cost solution for ADS-B out. Having the GDL-39 requires only the SG transmitter for $995. SG is seeking FAA certification. Speaking to Don today from SG, anyone who buys their non-cert unit now will be able to send their non-certified unit back for the certification upgrade at company cost. The cost may be as high as $600 if a circuit upgrade is required. If the upgrade is only software, it will be much cheaper. Either way, your 2020 compliant for under $1600, at the most, with the GDL-39. If you need the SG TWX (transmit and receive) I believe that adds another $600 to $800 which will bring the certified upgrade to approx. 23-$2400. Either way, it's the low cost solution to getting the total traffic, weather and info now with the upgrade at the 2020 mark. The next lowest cost is a cert. unit, now going for $3500, from Free Flight (Free Flight??) which adds the cost off interfacing cables and installation, to work with certain Mode S ES Transponders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S3flyer Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Rich, I've got the Garmin 795/GDL-39 and SkyGuard transmit combination. Works flawlessly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Dave, are you mounting the SG on top of your instrument panel glare screen or do you have this mounted remotely? If remotely, what are you doing about Xmit antennas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S3flyer Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Dick - I have the unit mounted behind the copilot seat in my S3 and am using the supplied suction cup antenna on my rear canopy. I wanted avoid adding another external antenna, if possible, and this setup seems to work. Easy to add a blade at a later date. I also grabbed power from my GDL-39. Although I got my manufactures approval, I'm not so sure an LOA would be required the way I have it installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 I like the idea of this, but with power for GDL-39 (assuming you don't want to use battery), power for Skyguard, GPS antenna, and ADS-B antenna, it seems like this could make a cluttered, wired mess of a cockpit. In a CT I'm not sure where all this would go. I guess you could pay and A&P to hard-wire everything to ship's power. I also don't really like the "keep the ADS-B antenna a minimum of 8 inches from any part of the body" admonishment. There is not really a place in a CTSW to mount the antenna vertically (as required) that you can guarantee this distance from you or a passenger. Microwave radiation is no joke and you can really hurt people with with transmitting antennae in the cockpit. Again, I guess you could get an external antenna and mount that on the outside of the airplane. To make this work the way I'd want it to would probably require a few hundred dollars in A&P time to tuck everything away safely and conveniently. Other than that, this is probably the cheapest ADS-B solution out right now, though Rich's estimate of $1600 seems a little low. I see the Skyguard for $995 and the GDL-39 3D for $849, for a total cost of $1844. You can probably shave $100-150 if you get the older GDL-39 without the AHARS. And of course even less if you by used gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S3flyer Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Andy -- Depends on the route you want to take. If you have no ADS-B equipment, then you would only need a single Skyguard TWX device (transmit and receive). This will feed WingX and iFly on your tablet or the iFly device itself. This is either $1500 or $1800 depending if you want AHRS. If you want to feed a Garmin portable, then you would need a GDL-39X paired with an ADS-B transmitter or the super expensive GDL-88 for both functions. I also didn't do the work myself. It took Sportair (US importer for the Sting) around 3 hrs labor to have the system put in to where it looks like a factory installation. Can't comment on antenna location in the CT. Certainly doesn't look like there is a place in back. A fin antenna is less than $100, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Ah, thanks Dave. I don't love WingX, so I'd probably need the GDL-39 to feed Garmin Pilot or a Stratus box for ForeFlight (if that will work with a Skyguard). The new Synthetic vision in Pilot with the GDL-39 3D is pretty sexy, though I know WingX has SynVis also. It's also possible that carbon fiber is transparent to microwaves, so one might be able to mount the antenna in the CT baggage bay. Probably just better to get the blade antenna and mount externally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S3flyer Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 I'd suggest the Delta Pop external antenna: http://www.deltapopaviation.com/UAT_Antenna.html. I was told but Team X at Garmin that carbon fiber may block microwaves (fiberglass does not). I've not researched it myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Good morning, Andy, Price estimates are: $995 for the SG Transmitter. If you already have the GDL-39 receiver , that would be the only cost at this time. At the 2020 mandate SG will upgrade their non-certified transmitter to a certified unit for $600 or less depending on the upgrade needed, bringing the certified units total cost to $1600 or less. Without the GDL-39 the SG TWX will be required, and that estimate is $1800 for the non-certified unit. Near the 2020 mandate, add another $600, or less, to upgrade to the certified unit. Total estimated cost in this situation would be $2400. This price is still $1100 cheaper than the next alternative with Free Flight. ADS-B units may become cheaper as the 2020 mandate approaches, but for now, this seems like the most inexpensive way to proceed in order to have the complete traffic picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Thanks for the breakdown Rich! I'm definitely interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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