ADS-B, Anyone?

Bartman said:
interesting placement, it's out of the way there?
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It seems to be, though only tried it once. Downside is possibly bumping into it if it’s left there during intermediate stops.
 
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Discussions on FB about Uavionix TailBeacon not fitting in older rudder nav lights.....the hole in the socket is much smaller than what the TailBeacon needs which is about 1.14" diameter.

Would consider the wing tip mounted version but that only sets up one side without a matching or sequenced Nav/strobe for the other side.

Didn't want to spend many thousands on a new transponder but there don't seem to be a lot of options. Anyone get a TailBeacon to fit and feel like walking us through the process?
 
Not yet, but I have a spare rudder, and can look at it tomorrow. Are you sure of that dimension?

We are putting one on a J3, and another on my Decathlon. Just haven't ordered them yet.
 
What about those slots? From the second link, it sounds like something slips through those and then you rotate to lock?

Welding a new receptacle is not a big deal at all - it needs to be steel, and should probably be .064 or heavier. A good welder can do it in five minutes. Takes me twenty. Maybe uAvionics should stamp out a few?
 
I forgot to check. Been busy with a wing repair. Will try to remember manana.

Sep 25 - forgot again. Was heading toward the rudders and got distracted. Blue Angels close our airspace all day the next three days - I will tie a string around my finger - should have plenty of time.

Sep 26 - same deal. Jets over my hangar - distracting.
 
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Sept 27 - I remembered! My J3 rudder has a plenty big steel thing, and I had necked it down with wood. A rasp opened that right up.

The Decathlon has a skinny stamped affair - a 1.08" socket will slip right in the outer opening - a 1.12 socket won't. There may be enough metal left after grinding, but better to weld in a new receptacle. I bet Steve Pierce will have a few cut out of good steel, and a really good welder could stick one in without much more than an inch from weld to fabric.

If your fabric is nitrate/butyrate, use shaving cream on the fabric. Take the rudder off to do this.
 
Sadly, I put those sockets on top of the caliper case, then put them on the truck cab roof. Calipers wound up in the bed; sockets have not been seen.

We will be getting the first tail beacon this month, for a Super Cub. I will be doing the grinding, and another IA will do the installation and setup. Full report in November. Plus, I will grind the spare decathlon rudder, then test for remaining strength. I think the stamping welded into the rudder is identical for Cubs and Champs. Probably a Grimes part.
 
I ordered mine last week Bob so there's no turning back. Sporadic reports from various corners of the internet seem to indicate it's doable with a bit of effort so we're going that route.

Let us know though what you find out please and thanks for the updates!
 
Are those of you using the TailBeacon leaving it on the nav light circuit or are you pulling that circuit out and putting it another switch?

Any luck with your spare rudder Bob?
 
Yes. We bought a step drill that goes to 1 1/8". I was doing something else, and the owner got impatient, heating up the steel and melting some fabric.

In the end, after about 45 minutes of careful grinding it was in. Test flight was successful. I get to fix the fabric, but I have been busy with a wing in a hangar a half mile away. Just put the last surface tapes on yesterday.

When I do my Decathlon, I will be a bit more patient. Maybe a Dremel with cutoff wheel and safety glasses - touch, but don't heat it up too much. Bet it takes less than 45 minutes.

I don't think it makes any difference whether you put a separate switch in or not. You still have to turn it on. Personal preference.
 
Getting down to the wire here. Has anyone else struggled through the decision on what to do?

I was going to do the GDL-82 and pick up a soon-to-be-plentiful Garmin 327. Currently in the middle of installing a Stratus ESGi in the T-6 and decided to order another one for my Citabria. I'm working under the supervision of the avionics shop and won't start on the Citabria until the T-6 is done. For the T-6 they made up the entire wiring harness for both the Garmin 255 nav/com and the transponder. It's down to laying everything out and mounting the antenna for the transponder GPS.

It's so odd to me that mode C encoders are a separate unit after all these years. My old one is the size of a soup can and the new one is about the size of a pack of cigarettes (and much lighter).

When I start with the Citabria I'll post up some pictures of the install.
 
Since I don’t have a nav/com I decided to go with the gnx 375 and a g5 to at least have gps approach capability and have traffic on the screen in case I forget my iPad and Sentry.
 
Goodyear said:
Since I don’t have a nav/com I decided to go with the gnx 375 and a g5 to at least have gps approach capability and have traffic on the screen in case I forget my iPad and Sentry.
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I don't have the secret decoder ring but isn't the gnx375 a GPS nav/transponder? What are you doing for COM?

My aircraft doesn't have attitude gyro or DG*, nor heated pitot (not sure what year that became a thing in the 7 series) so I haven't sought any approach capability.

It would be nice

*My Dynon D3 is cool but nothing more than supplemental information.
 
I have 2 sl40 coms but no nav. Heated pitot is prudent but not necessarily required for pre 80’s aircraft unless in the poh.
I am only looking for light ifr capability or assistance when visibility is vfr legal but marginal for safety
 
If adsb wasn’t required I would have still added the g5 attitude indicator as I personally believe it can save your bacon.
 
I haven't checked lately, but my impression was that the 8 series was approved after the date for specifying IFR in the type cert, and I think at least the Decathlon is "Day & Night VFR only". Not sure.
 
I think it is per the applicable flight manual which for pre 93 8gcbc is day and night vfr only. The type cert has no restrictions.
 
I called the factory about this about a year ago. I was told only the Scout can be approved for IFR, all other models are VFR only.
 
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