ADSB Grant Skyecho 2 etc

[kgwilson]

I received an email today to say my grant application has been successful so they are speeding up. I put my application in on 30 August (No 244)

[Bennyboy320]

Just received an email from the Department of Industry, remittance will be in my bank account tomorrow for my claim number 78.

[bushcaddy105]

Just checked my bank account - $447 paid in today. Proof that the 2 months wait is well worth the effort of submitting an application. The Skyecho 2 must be about the best bang-for-buck safety investment available. It will be interesting to see if near misses in the circuit are reduced once more recreational and GA aircraft take advantage of this offer. 

[kgwilson]

You got a good deal on purchase at $894.00 unless that was ex GST. The price I paid was $1020.00 inc GST direct from Uavionix. It looks like the price went up as soon as the grant was announced.

[bushcaddy105]

No, $895 with free postage was what I paid, admittedly back in April not long after the rebate was announced. The application only allowed whole dollar amounts so I had to round the price down!

 

[kgwilson]

$510.00 deposited in my bank account yesterday so the process was a bit over 6 weeks from submitting the claim to payment. I didn't get a remittance advice though.

[Keenaviator]

Setting up my Skyecho 2 - can anyone advise where i can get the ICAO hex code for my RAAUS registered Jabiru?  Regards Laurie

[Thruster88]

16 minutes ago, Keenaviator said:

Setting up my Skyecho 2 - can anyone advise where i can get the ICAO hex code for my RAAUS registered Jabiru?  Regards Laurie

Send an email to [email protected] requesting a hex code for your RAAus aircraft make, model, serial number and rego number.

[Keenaviator]

19 minutes ago, Thruster88 said:

Send an email to [email protected] requesting a hex code for your RAAus aircraft make, model, serial number and rego number.

Thanks mate 👌

[Kyle Communications]

I bought my SE2 before the date allowed for the rebate 😞 .... but I just bought the ADSB setup for my RANS S-21 as I have a rego for it within RAA. I bought the TailbeaconX but the only version available now is the TSO version. The problem with this is you need a TSO barometric source. My MGL is not certifed for that as it is for experimental use and not TSO. So I needed a TSO source. uAvionix has a bundle deal going at the moment with their AV30-C which does have the TSO source in it and it does a stack more stuff as well. So i bit the bullet and ordered both. just over 8k but should get $4035 back from the rebate...well this is what the rebate paperwork told me when I lodged it earlier today. So will see what happens with this and if I do get back the 50%..I hope so 🙂 because I was willing to spend the 4.5k without the rebate

 

https://www.uavionix.com.au/tailbeaconx-tso-av-30-c-bundle/

 

 

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I put my rebate claim in on the 23rd of Nov....today recieved $4035 dollars back from the rebate program  so only about 4 weeks from lodgement. Pretty great stuff.

 

[Thruster88]

So there was no problem with doing the installation yourself?  I was under the impression that a quote for installation was required. Have been thinking of the same package for the RV6a, get rid of old AH,DG, vac pump and mode C transponder, would save some wieght.   

[Kyle Communications]

I am the builder so its no issue with installation

I sign off the Installer documents..its all cool. Different matter of course on a non experimental

 

[Kyle Communications]

To get a fully TSO'd ADSB in and out system for $4035 after the rebate is pretty damn fine in my books. Even my mrs is impressed 🙂

 

[Kyle Communications]

Latest from the CEO of RAA email today

 

Looks like he got the same as me...4 weeks to get my rebate..my mate with a Skyecho it took almosy 7 weeks to get the bucks back'

 

From the CEO

 

Hi everyone and Happy New Year!

With some great summer weather finally being experienced (in most areas), I do hope that you’re out there getting some hours up. I’m pleased to say that I even got some flying in over the break, bringing my aircraft back from Merimbula to Canberra having taken advantage of the Government ADS-B rebate with a Uavionix TailbeaconX (Mode-S and ADS-B Out) and AV30 being installed before Christmas. It’s a great piece of kit and I was thrilled when ATC called me up when I was inbound to Canberra as they could see who and where I was!

At present the ADS-B Rebate program is slated to run until 31 May 2023, however I’ve also been told by those in the know that this will likely be extended until the funding runs out. It’s my aim this week to try and find this out for sure and communicate this back to you. I’m very aware that there is a delay from some vendors in relation to being able to provide the ADS-B equipment and also that there is a limited supply of B2 LAMEs that can install and calibrate the equipment. Please be patient as we try and get some clarity.

[Kyle Communications]

Looks like the rebate program is finishing in May 2023. so better get in for the rebate

[spacesailor]

The New Sirus will miss out as the winner has to wait untill June .

spacesailor

[kgwilson]

Yesterday was hot and I decided to go for an early morning flight. For me that means about 9am before I get going. I decided to head South from South Grafton around the back of Coffs close to CTR & check my visibility with the SE2 with the Tower. I set Coramba as a Waypoint which is 8 NM from the Tower & called 2 NM North at 2,500 feet. I was invisible on  radar & ADSB as there are hills between me at that height & the tower.

 

Once South of Coramba I could see the Airport & ATC called & said he had me on his display. I was within 500 metres of the zone boundary & climbed to 3500 feet to get over the ridge to my next waypoint of Bellingen. I called at 11NM from Bellingen & gave a position report. I got affirm & G'day. 

 

It's good to know you can be seen & identified. SE2 squawks 1200 but can't be interrogated. It also broadcasts your Rego so they don't need to interrogate you anyway by providing a code & then requesting an Ident which they then have to key into the system. So from a workload perspective ADSB reduces that load from ATC. Once it is in universal use they won't need to provide squawk codes or request idents at all but I suspect that is a fair way off yet.

 

It was pretty hot by the time i got home. My maximum altitude was 5000 feet at about 10.15 am & the OAT was 29.5 deg.

[Garfly]

 

7 hours ago, kgwilson said:

Yesterday was hot and I decided to go for an early morning flight. For me that means about 9am before I get going. I decided to head South from South Grafton around the back of Coffs close to CTR & check my visibility with the SE2 with the Tower. I set Coramba as a Waypoint which is 8 NM from the Tower & called 2 NM North at 2,500 feet. I was invisible on  radar & ADSB as there are hills between me at that height & the tower.

 

Once South of Coramba I could see the Airport & ATC called & said he had me on his display. I was within 500 metres of the zone boundary & climbed to 3500 feet to get over the ridge to my next waypoint of Bellingen. I called at 11NM from Bellingen & gave a position report. I got affirm & G'day. 

 

It's good to know you can be seen & identified. SE2 squawks 1200 but can't be interrogated. It also broadcasts your Rego so they don't need to interrogate you anyway by providing a code & then requesting an Ident which they then have to key into the system. So from a workload perspective ADSB reduces that load from ATC. Once it is in universal use they won't need to provide squawk codes or request idents at all but I suspect that is a fair way off yet.

 

It was pretty hot by the time i got home. My maximum altitude was 5000 feet at about 10.15 am & the OAT was 29.5 deg.

 

Thanks for doing that experiment kgw. This is good to know.

The authorities seem a bit quiet as to the when and where of ATC's 'awareness' of EC devices.

I wonder if it's already happened, right across the country. 

The next question is, what percentage of commercial/IFR aircraft are already equipped with ADSB-IN of some kind?

For example, are most (all?) RPT flights, able to see EC devices on their CDTIs - as we see them, on our ADSB/EFBs? 

(TCAS, I understand, still doesn't cut it for that purpose.)

 

At any rate, here's the official advice from a couple of years back:

 

VFR and visible _ Flight Safety Australia.pdf

 

Can ATC ‘see’ my SkyEcho2?

The prime objective of SkyEcho2 is air-to-air traffic awareness – the device is not certified to the performance standards needed for ATC separation services. Nevertheless, CASA envisages the device being used for situational awareness by ATC.

By early this year, the Airservices Australia ATC system had not been modified to display SkyEcho2; however, it is expected that with a new ATC system on the way, SkyEcho2 transmissions will be displayed to controllers, for situational awareness only, using distinctive symbology which will prevent the application of surveillance separation standards to those aircraft. Given the COVID crisis, there is uncertainty about when this capability may be delivered by Airservices Australia.

[kgwilson]

The SE2 ADSB transmits at 1090 Mhz. This is the same as all ADSB broadcasts from every aircraft. Airservices has had the capability of receiving and displaying this information for years. It transmits a squawk code of 1200 which is in a different downlink code to that coming from a transponder which ATC recognises as coming from an EC device and it cannot be interrogated. ATC had the ability to filter these out which probably was the case but the software has now been modified so EC devices are displayed on the screen differently.

 

It would have been pretty stupid to filter EC broadcasts out as you can imagine what the investigators would put in their report if there was a fatal accident because they had filtered out the broadcast from a mid air collision where one aircraft had a transponder & the other had an EC device.

 

The transmit power from the SE2 is 20 watts which is line of sight so they should see you at least 20NM away if you are high enough and where you position the unit is not shielded by any part of the aircraft. I am pretty sure ATC everywhere can see EC broadcasts.

 

It must display the callsign as when ATC saw me he called me "Romeo 8664" to confirm visibility and should also display GPS location & altitude. I'll ask the Controller I know what detail they see next time I see him.

[Bosi72]

I was flying in a VH aircraft using SE2 on a collision course with another VH aircraft (2500ft/near Phillip Island, Vic)..  I called the other aircraft on MLCEN freq, then ATC asked us to squawk ident.

 

We both pushed buttons on transponders, and controller said he couldn't see neither of us, but he was glad that we resolved conflict between each other..

 

The point: use all available means to look after yourself. Don't fully rely on ATC.

 

[Garfly]

1 hour ago, kgwilson said:

The SE2 ADSB transmits at 1090 Mhz. This is the same as all ADSB broadcasts from every aircraft. Airservices has had the capability of receiving and displaying this information for years. It transmits a squawk code of 1200 which is in a different downlink code to that coming from a transponder which ATC recognises as coming from an EC device and it cannot be interrogated. ATC had the ability to filter these out which probably was the case but the software has now been modified so EC devices are displayed on the screen differently.

 

Yes, that article saying that "it is expected that with a new ATC system on the way, SkyEcho2 transmissions will be displayed to controllers, for situational awareness only, using distinctive symbology"  suggests that it's just a software tweak (if anything at all) that was needed to allow EC 1090 transmissions to display.  Anyway, I guess it means that Area controllers, too, for the most part, are able to see us now - given line of sight and <40NM.

 

1 hour ago, kgwilson said:

// ... It must display the callsign as when ATC saw me he called me "Romeo 8664" to confirm visibility and should also display GPS location & altitude. I'll ask the Controller I know what detail they see next time I see him.

 

There are quite a few RAAus aircraft that operate out of Canberra - including a certain CT with the moniker 0000 (which they used to call "double zero, double zero" but now [by special arrangement?] goes by "Charlie Tango, double zero").  The rest are addressed by numbers alone - minus the generic "Romeo".  E.g:  "eighty seven, fifty-five".   Of course, these aircraft, would be using proper Mode S transponders, since no EC thingy is kosher in Class C).

 

10 minutes ago, Bosi72 said:

The point: use all available means to look after yourself. Don't fully rely on ATC.

Yes, for sure, or as the Feds put it  "The prime objective of SkyEcho2 is air-to-air traffic awareness"

 

[Markdun]

A couple of years back I asked ATC when I was 25nm east of Canberra at 4500asl.  They had nothing from the SE2, but I was visible with the Mode C xpndr.  We also checked whether Musk’s satellites could pick up the SE2 (my brother as the global lead ADSB engineer as he was then, had direct feed from the satellite system) and it didn’t, even with us fiddling with orientation to maximise emissions towards the satellites. That’s the consequence of the low 25w power of the SE2.

I really don’t understand what ‘calibration’ an installer does, or is this another bureaucratic totally meaningless word like ‘committed to’ & ‘take seriously’?

[spacesailor]

Calibration ! .

Is to ' off set the antenna, ' to the tail-fin to Remove the ' null ' , so the aircraft behind you gets your signal .

TV airial's need the same calibration so you get the  best signal possible . Not blanked by a mobile repeater tower .

spacesailor

[kgwilson]

I was only about 12 NM from Coffs Tower when I got confirmation of visibility the second time & I could clearly see the airport. I did see an inbound aircraft about 20 NM away but that is the limit of the software I use as it filters out anything further away than 20 NM or more than 5000 feet above my altitude. Of course receiving ADSB will depend on the power of the broadcast. If it was from a mode S equipped transponder I would assume power output would be much greater than 20 Watts.