Ok, aviation post for a change. (I should post more aviation posts.) I decided recently to acquire a uAvionix tail beacon ADS-B unit. It’s described here: https://uavionix.com/products/tailbeacon/ . I wanted something in 1099 but the price here was hard to beat and I wasn’t ready for the 1099 solution, which includes other stuff I need to get, for example replacing one of my comm radios. I need to save more money.
This solution was trivial to install. I ran the checkout flight the other day and it went pretty much flawlessly. Bottom line is follow the directions and it’ll likely work out well. uAvionix tells you how to do it here: https://uavionix.com/support/skybeacon/flying-a-performance-or-rebate-flight/ . I left kFLY after a good solid 15 minute warmup, flew over COS for over 30 minutes, and did some 360s as indicated in the directions.
A colleague of my IA’s wrote this up about my result:
The report is a passing report and the unit is effectively certified. A hard copy of the report should be placed with the aircraft paperwork. A logbook entry is required that states the ADSB unit was tested as per FAR 91.225 and shown to meet FAR 91.227. There is annual continued airworthiness that must be performed as per the Continued Airworthiness Manual that should be printed and placed with the aircraft paperwork.
It looks like he did not wait long enough for the GPS system to meet the WAAS standards and that is what caused the very small percentage of NIC/NACp errors. It is still a passing report, so just advise Jim to wait a little longer before takeoff.
The advice to wait longer is sound, but after waiting 15 minutes to depart, I think kFLY is simply in an ADS-B hole. Anyway, I had a good experience here and I hope yours is equally good. Please let me know if you have any questions and I will try to answer them.
Oh, here is my report, suitably sanitized and kinda totally outta format but you’ll get it if you have seen other reports. You get your report after your flight here: https://adsbperformance.faa.gov/PAPRRequest.aspx .
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration ADS-B Performance Monitor
Public ADS-B Performance Report
Broadcast ICAO: A8A255 (52121125)
Period: 10-19-2019 21:45:33 to 10-19-2019 22:28:23
Operation Analysis Overview
Airborne UAT
Prepared By
Surveillance and Broadcast Services (SBS) Program ADS-B Performance Monitor
October 20, 2019
Note: Items high-lighted in red within this report indicate the ADS-B Out system installed on this aircraft failed to meet the corresponding performance requirement as specified in § 91.227.
For more information on this report, reference the User’s Guide.
OMB Control No. 2120-0728 | Expiration Date 4/30/2017
Operation Summary
Operation Id: 412384628 Start Time: 10-19-2019 21:45:33 End Time: 10-19-2019 22:28:23
Broadcast ICAO: A8A255 (52121125)
Duration: 00:42:50 Reports: 13371 Stationary: No
Mod: 00:42:50 Best Msg: 2539 Baro Alt (ft):
Rule: 00:40:48
TIS-B Client: 97.6% 6800 – 10900
Link Version: Last Flight Id: Operator:
Airborne
Surface
Out Capability:
UAT
In Capability: DUAL
Airborne
UAT Analysis Summary
Start Time: 10-19-2019 21:45:33 Duration(s): 00:42:50 Mod: 00:42:50
Link Version: 2
Emitter Category: 1 – Light (<15,500lbs) Last Flight Id: N6555A
Exceptions:
End Time: 10-19-2019 22:28:23 Rule: 00:40:48
Out Capability: UAT Antenna(s): 1 – Single
Total Reports: 13371 Processed Reports: 2511
In Capability: DUAL
| NIC | NACp | NACv | SIL | SDA |
| No | No | No | No | No |
Airborne UAT Analysis
Missing Elements
| Category | NACp | NACv | Vel | Flight Id | Mode 3A | Emit Cat | Baro Alt | Geo Alt |
| % Fail | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.08% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Max dT | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:02 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 |
| MCF | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Integrity & Accuracy
| Category | NIC | NACp | NACv | SIL | SDA |
| % Fail | 0.12% | 0.12% | 0.12% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Max dT | 00:00:04 | 00:00:05 | 00:00:05 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 |
| MCF | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Category | NIC | NACp | NACv | SIL | SDA |
| Avg | 8.3 | 9.2 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 |
| Min | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Max | 10 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Kinematics
Other Checks
| Velocity | Position Δ | |
| % Fail | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| MCF | 0 | 0 |
| Baro Alt | Baro Alt Δ | Geo Alt | Geo Alt Δ |
| 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.08% |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Emitter Cat | Mode 3A | |
| % Fail | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Max dT | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 |
| MCF | 0 | 0 |
| Flight ID | Tail # Mismatch | Non-US | No “N” | Only “N” | Partial | Spaces | All Spaces | Illegal Char | Unavail Char | FP ID Mismatch | |
| % Fail | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 100.00% |
| Max dT | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | |
| MCF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air on Ground | |
| % Fail | 0.00% |
| Max dT | 00:00:00 |
| MCF | 0 |
Note: The above FP ID Mismatch field can be disregarded when no flight plan was filed for the associated flight.
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