Bruce Robbins

Another last blurt! To answer your original question, the Skyecho does not interface at all with your transponder. It is a standalone transmitter that does not need a radar system to trigger it. If you are out the back of no-where, out of radar range, your transponder will go to sleep unless it is also capable of, and in ADSB OUT mode. So no-one will know where you are. If you have the Skyecho, it will be transmitting your position for any other aircraft or ground station with ADSB IN capability to pick up. (Up to about 20 miles)

Skippy, One last blurt. By law, if you have a transponder it must be switched on in flight. If it is out of the calibration checks required every two years you can set it to Mode A (commonly shown on the transponder panel as ON).

Hi Skippy, We had quite a long discussion on this in a previous thread. A transponder does not know where it is. It simply replies when “pulsed” by a radar system. The radar system (ATC or another aircraft with TCAS) then works out where the transponder and thus the attached aircraft is. The transponder also returns some information. In Mode A it sends the Squawk code In Mode C it sends the Squawk code plus altitude In Mode S it sends Squawk code and Aircraft ID plus altitude if in ALT mode ADSB is an ad-on system that piggybacks on the transponder and uses it to transmit additional information, like the current position of the aircraft. ADSB needs to know where it is, so must have a GPS input. Your transponder may support ADSB, but without a GPS input, it will not transmit ADSB data. The Skyecho is a standalone ADSB Out transmitter, and also an ADSB receiver. You can configure the Skyecho to act as a receiver only, and not transmit your position. If you have compatible software on a tablet, phone or EFIS you can display the traffic picked up by the Skyecho. Note: The Skyecho will only “see” aircraft fitted with ADSB OUT. So, Leave the transponder ON and use a tablet to display traffic picked up by the Skyecho. Other aircraft with ADSB IN will see your aircraft, because the Skyecho is transmitting ADSB OUT. You will only see non ADSB traffic if you have an internet connection while flying and the application you are using is displaying traffic sent to it through the internet from the people that provide the application.

Hi Aro, I know about the receiver network. I run one myself that feeds into FlightAware. I put it in because I could only see aircraft down to about 1500' in my local CTAF. I can now track them along the taxiway 🙂 The receivers will only pickup aircraft running ADSB OUT. They will not pickup any aircraft with transponders only. An aircraft with a transponder only (no ADSB) will only be detected by a radar system. ADSB OUT is NOT a requirement for VFR in Australia, including access to Class C, D or E airspace. IFR aircraft DO require ADSB OUT for access to all controlled airspace in Australia. You can replace an existing Mode A or C transponder if it is faulty, but any new installation requires a Mode S transponder. The Mode S transponder does not require ADSB OUT functionality for VFR.

Skippy, Bored yet? 🙂 The DYNON Skyview system needs to have a GPS if you want to use their mapping functionality. The basic GPS is called a SV-GPS-250. They have another model (SV-GPS-2020) with better accuracy that is required for an IFR installation. It is four times the price. The GPS's are a white plastic lump that look like a small pack of cards, and the only visual difference is the model number printed on it. The Skyview will list what you have in the settings menu. If you want ADSB OUT, you may be able to connect you Trig transponder to the Dynon System and the Skyview can then supply the GPS data to the Trig so ADSB OUT can be enabled. I have two aircraft with Dynon Skyview and ADSB OUT functionality. Both use the Dynon SV-GPS-250 but have a Dynon transponder. Aircraft 1 has ADSB OUT only. Aircraft 2 has also been fitted with a Dynon ADSB IN receiver, so on that one we can see ADSB OUT aircraft on the Dynon screen.

Skippy, More ADSB ramblings. ATC can see you based on their SSR radar system picking up your Mode S transponder. A transponder in Mode S is also broadcasting your aircraft ID. All RA-Aus registered aircraft should have their ID set as R followed by the last four digits of your rego. eg: R8500. Flight Radar 24 and other tracking apps like FlightAware receive a data feed from the Air Services radar system giving aircraft position and ID. Air Services only provide the information for Mode S transponders, so if you have Mode A or C transponder you will not appear on FR24. To determine the aircraft position from a transponder (Mode A C or S) you need a radar system. ADSB OUT is different. The aircraft is broadcasting its own position. Any one with a receiver operating on the right frequency can pick up the information. This is know as ADSB IN. uAvionix make two devices that pickup ADSB transmissions. Ping USB and SkyEcho. If you have a gizmo with an app that can use that information you can plot the position of the aircraft. Avplan and Oz Runways both support those devices and can then show you the aircraft position. This is real time position, and does not need the device to have an internet connection.

Hi Skippy, I think you (and several others) are confused by ADSB. First a bit of background info: A transponder is a device that transmits a reply when it is "pinged" or in other words receives a signal from a radar system. The radar system has to work out where the transponder is. This radar system is called SSR (Secondary Surveillance Radar). Without a working transponder it cannot "see" your aircraft. Primary Radar is a different system that can see you aircraft whether you have a transponder or not. These are more expensive, shorter range, and Air Services are slowly phasing them out. Transponders work in three different modes. Mode A: The transponder replies with the Squawk Code. Mode 😄 The transponder replies with Squawk Code and Altitude (based on a preset QNH of 1013) Mode S: The transponder replies with Squawk Code, Altitude and Aircraft Registration. So in Mode A the ATC controller's radar screen will show a moving dot with the Squawk code. In Mode C he will also see your altitude. In mode S he will see your registration as well. In Mode A,C or S the transponder does NOT know where it is. The radar system has to figure that out. ADSB: Automatic Dependant Surveillance Broadcast (ADSB) is an system that knows where it is, and broadcasts that position. The out-going broadcast of position is called ADSB OUT. If you have a receiver that picks up the ADSB OUT transmission, and a screen that can display the information, you will be able to see any aircraft with ADSB OUT. To prevent the need to have yet another expensive gizmo fitted to your aircraft, ADSB OUT is implemented by adding extra data to the information already broadcast by a Mode S transponder. In order for the transponder to know where it actually is, it needs to get that information from a GPS. So in summary: ADSB OUT is an aircraft broadcasting its position via an add-on to a Mode S transponder and cannot work without a GPS. ADSB IN is listening in to aircraft transmitting their ID and position. Not all transponders are able to transmit the extra ADSB information. The Trig transponder that you have installed can, hence being described as ADSBOUT capable, but without GPS derived position data is NOT functioning in ADSB OUT mode. Regards, Bruce

Hi Glen, The ends are pressed in. They can be removed if you are carefull, but I have never attempted to do so, though I have seen it done. I measure all the pushrods lengths before assembly. Assemble the heads to the barrels and torque down with NO oil in the lifters so you can compress them easily. Take note what length pushrod went you used. Push down on the rocker at the pushrod end and measure the tappet gap with feeler guages. The lifters have a working range of 3mm from memory, and I can't remember what that translates to at the tappet end. The idea is to get the lifters somewhere near middle of range if possible. From memory on the last one we did I had about 80 thou as the largest tappet gap with the lifter compressed. Others were zero or close to it. That's when you get to pull a whole lot of heads off again and swap pushrods around till you're happy that all cylinders have reasonable tappet clearances. If you have already filled the lifters or turned the motor over and pumped up oil pressure, you may need to remove the lifters and pump them on the bench to empty the oil. Some of them seem very reluctant to push down by hand once in the engine and full of oil. They probably bleed down under running loads, but unless you make a tool to compress then insitu, they can be hard to do by hand. Just as an aside, I have seen a Jab engine fire up and the stop after 1-2 seconds with zero compression. The oil pressure was way above spec, and had pumped all the lifters straight up to max length. Took about two hours for them to bleed back down and get the compression back.

Glen, It is quite a common problem. Don't risk running with little clearance. Jabiru supply two different length pushrods. Measure yours and contact them. You can also shorten the pushrods by removing the ball ends and machining the tube. I've also heard a few "clattery" Jab motors which i think have the opposite problem. Too much gap for the lifter to take up. On the last engine we did a top end on we ended up with 10 standard pushrods and 2 short pushrods.

11,400 feet

FredBBear, Jaspers Brush is closed for upgrade and will be for some time yet. Bruce

Barry, Military Airspace when active is still controlled airspace. (see references quoted by ARO) So RA-AUS RPC only - No Go. RA-AUS aircraft and current PPL - Maybe. Aircraft must meet the requirements and PPL must have the airspace endorsements. R421 usually closes 12:30 Friday through to Monday morning, so is available to RA-AUS aircraft and pilots. Note that R453 is often still active on weekends, even when R421 is de-active.

Colyaer Freedom Bruce

Hallelujah Brother. If not Oval circuit, at least the Downwind to Final turn. I believe the FAA are evaluating the proposal, or if not are being lobbied to.

Jetjr, This is what I was trying to post this morning before rushing off to work.