ADS-B Questions

cgrab

cgrab

Pattern Altitude
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Huntsville AL
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cgrab
1. Since my first validation flight, I've flown four times and none of them have shown up on Flight Aware. Why is that? Is there another Flight Aware for ADS-B flights?

2. There is an area between Huntsville and Chattanooga where the controller says he can't pass me off because I'm too low (<6k) and that in a few miles I can contact CHA. Does that mean that planes are not being painted and therefore my ADS-B in is not effective?
 
1. Create an account with FlightAware if you don't already have one and then check the "show position-only flights" box.

2. The MEA between HSV and CHA is 4000; how low were you flying?
 
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1: Do you have UAT or 1090? Many 3rd party tracking services don't have the ability to track UAT due to a lack of ground stations.
 
My ADS-B is UAT out, and I show up on FlightAware just fine between about 2500' and typical cruising altitude of 5500'. GeorgeC's tip #1 is key.

I did notice that the more times I flew, the more complete the flight traces became. I hear they're even better if you file a flight plan, but I rarely do as most flights are 30-minute lunch hops.
 
None of our Skybeacon equipped aircraft show up on flightaware, unless they receive flight following. I'm assuming due to the UAT only output.
 
GeorgeC said:
1. Create an account with FlightAware if you don't already have one and then check the "show position-only flights" box.
Click to expand...

This! Don't forget to make sure the N number is added to "My Aircraft" in "My FlightAware"

1.png

You'll see two different notices when viewing these flights:
2.png
3.png
 
midwestpa24 said:
None of our Skybeacon equipped aircraft show up on flightaware, unless they receive flight following. I'm assuming due to the UAT only output.
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Interesting.... my Skybeacon equipped Cherokee flights do show up on FlightAware if I search for my tail number. Certainly was not on flight following for them.
 
Not all my flights will show up, some do some dont, flight following or not. I dont understand that either.
 
So far, none of my flights have shown up. I got my skybeacon installed and verified a few weeks ago.

Funny thing is the last plane I was partners on, we installed a Stratus, and every time that bird flies it shows up on flightaware.
 
Eric Lehto said:
So far, none of my flights have shown up. I got my skybeacon installed and verified a few weeks ago.

Funny thing is the last plane I was partners on, we installed a Stratus, and every time that bird flies it shows up on flightaware.
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Stratus is dual band, Skybeacon is 978 only.
 
Try Flightradar24. Our helicopters with ADS-B show up usually all they way down to around 1500 ft on it.
 
Velocity173 said:
Try Flightradar24. Our helicopters with ADS-B show up usually all they way down to around 1500 ft on it.
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FlightRadar24 doesn't do 978. A friend of mine has 978 on his plane and is setting up a receiver for them so he asked about it. They have no plans to support it, and no interest.
 
I have a Skybeacon and a Flight Aware account set up as advised. I'll not worry so much about tracking but to the second question...will my ADS-B IN work if I'm below 4000' (the MEA) between HSV and CHA where there is no radar coverage?
 
cgrab said:
will my ADS-B IN work if I'm below 4000' (the MEA) between HSV and CHA where there is no radar coverage?
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You won't see mode C traffic if there's no radar coverage. Otherwise, depending on your ads-b in solution, you'll get air-to-air traffic on 1090 and/or 978, and/or uplinks from a ground-based transceiver if there happens to be one nearby.
 
cgrab said:
Does ADS-B out transmit without an interrogation from a radar?
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1090 does. I don't know what 978 will do in a non-radar environment.
 
cgrab said:
How would I get air-to-air traffic if it isn't painted by a radar? Does ADS-B out transmit without an interrogation from a radar? If they do, what transponder information do they have if the xpndr is not activated? This site says I can get ADB-B in down to 1500'.
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Planes show up in the national system if they are either painted by radar, interrogated by land based ADS-B towers, or ship to ship interrogations in the vicinity.

-David
 
A good presentation on the various methods of getting traffic on your ADS-B in.

 
cgrab said:
2. There is an area between Huntsville and Chattanooga where the controller says he can't pass me off because I'm too low (<6k) and that in a few miles I can contact CHA.
Click to expand...

I fly this area, and I think the reason they do this is not just for Radar purposes, but as a practical matter of Radio reception.
They often wait until I are closer to CHA before I switch because they can't get VHF radio communications on the south-east side of CHA when you are that low. Talking about the area around Stevenson (7A6), if I fly around there then CHA can't hear me on the radio, and often out of Radar coverage also.

cgrab said:
Does that mean that planes are not being painted and therefore my ADS-B in is not effective?
Click to expand...
Its already been discussed in this thread, but also know:
most ADS-B IN receiver's software (e.g. ForeFlight and others) can display the location of active Ground Towers (GBT - Ground Based Transceiver) on your map. (I think you must have ADS-B OUT for this to work). That's what I did during my ADS-B validation flight, to make sure I was near the ground towers.
 
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cgrab said:
will my ADS-B IN work if I'm below 4000' (the MEA) between HSV and CHA where there is no radar coverage?
Click to expand...

ADS-B does not require radar coverage to work. However, with the Skybeacon, which is 978-only, you will not see Mode C traffic when you're not in radar coverage, and you will not see 1090 traffic unless you're within range of an ADS-B tower.

Doug Reid said:
Be glad you have 978 UAT...lack of flight tracking is a plus, IMO.
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978 *can* still be tracked, just not all the sites do it. However, 978 does have an anonymous mode that will not transmit your tail number's particular Mode S code when you're squawking 1200, if your equipment supports it and your avionics shop set it up properly.

Also, when it comes time for your transponder check every two years, your check will be less expensive.
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How so? :dunno:

cgrab said:
How would I get air-to-air traffic if it isn't painted by a radar? Does ADS-B out transmit without an interrogation from a radar?
Click to expand...

Yes, ADS-B transmits constantly and does not require interrogation. Because the Skybeacon is only 978MHz, the only other planes that'll see you are the ones that either also have 978 or have dual band. If you're within range of the ground stations, they will rebroadcast your position on 1090 if you're within 15nm and 3500' vertically of a 1090-only aircraft. Likewise, it'll rebroadcast their position to you.

ChopAndDrop said:
Its already been discussed in this thread, but also know:
most ADS-B IN receiver's software (e.g. ForeFlight and others) can display the location of active Ground Towers (GBT - Ground Based Transceiver) on your map. (I think you must have ADS-B OUT for this to work).
Click to expand...

At least in ForeFlight, you can see the towers you're receiving on In (via Stratus, Sentry, Scout, or other devices) even if you don't have ADS-B Out.
 
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