Questions about SkyBeacon ADS-B

Kevin Wetzel

Kevin Wetzel

Filing Flight Plan
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K Wetzel
New here but not to flying. I would like to know if any other pilots that have equipped with the SkyBeacon wing tip ADS-B have had any issues. I’ve noticed that it takes quite some time to see the broadcast (usually after I climb through 3000 ft) for a few minutes after takeoff. I’m seeing other aircraft at my field showing up even when they are on the ground. The device seems hit or miss. One time it works great and the next time it may not show up in the data feed for 10-15 mins and then it’s fine for the duration of the flight.

I always connect with WiFi and make sure that the device has position as part of my pre-takeoff checklist so it’s not an issue of acquiring GPS that I can tell.

Kevin W
Cessna Jockey
 
I have the tail beacon with a narco transponder. Zero issues with it.
 
Could be that wherever you are, you’re not getting interrogated by radar until you hit that altitude. The aircraft you’re seeing on the ground may just be broadcasting their ADS-B data continuously. I’m not familiar enough with the requirements of ADS-B to say for sure, so this is pure speculation on my part.

I have no idea when my skyBeacon starts broadcasting because I’m configured to ignore my own ship. I do know that my Garmin 330 transponder isn’t sending out a squawk code on the ground at my airport, so I assume my skyBeacon isn’t transmitting anything either. One of my pre-taxi checklist items is to connect to the skyBeacon via WiFi and check its status via the app. Nine times out of ten, status is ok but it’s not displaying a squawk code, which means my transponder hasn’t been interrogated.
 
Your transmitting on 978MHz UAT. There aren’t many private receivers tracking you so you don’t show up until your seen by an FAA tower or the few flight feeders or Piawares on 978. I put a 978 flight feeder at my airport so my family could always see the start and finish of a flight. Plane to plane performance is the same as 1090.
 
UAT utilizes the existing transponder and encoder. The encoder first has to warm up before it begins to send pressure data to the transponder. The Skybeacon cannot activate until the encoder wakes up.

Now, if everything is working but you are not seeing your track on Flightaware, that is because they have more 1090ES receivers in the field than UAT. At my airpirt, you will see 1090ES aircraft taxi to the hangar...my UAT will not be tracked until I am airborne.
 
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I'm going to disagree with basically everyone here.. I don't think the OP is at all worried about his ADS-B out not working.

OP, is your concern that you aren't getting ADS-B IN targets from the Skybeacon until 3000 feet, in some cases? If so, that's pretty normal, since you need to see the ADS-B towers to receive that, depending on where you are.
 
manac said:
...I put a 978 flight feeder at my airport so my family could always see the start and finish of a flight. ....
Click to expand...
How did you do that?

Without ADS-B In how do I determine if my home drome already has a 978 feeder?
 
Kevin Wetzel said:
New here but not to flying. I would like to know if any other pilots that have equipped with the SkyBeacon wing tip ADS-B have had any issues. I’ve noticed that it takes quite some time to see the broadcast (usually after I climb through 3000 ft) for a few minutes after takeoff. I’m seeing other aircraft at my field showing up even when they are on the ground. The device seems hit or miss. One time it works great and the next time it may not show up in the data feed for 10-15 mins and then it’s fine for the duration of the flight.

I always connect with WiFi and make sure that the device has position as part of my pre-takeoff checklist so it’s not an issue of acquiring GPS that I can tell.

Kevin W
Cessna Jockey
Click to expand...

Since the SkyBeacon is just ADS-B Out, what are you using to receive ADS-B In with?
 
Kevin Wetzel said:
New here but not to flying. I would like to know if any other pilots that have equipped with the SkyBeacon wing tip ADS-B have had any issues. I’ve noticed that it takes quite some time to see the broadcast (usually after I climb through 3000 ft) for a few minutes after takeoff. I’m seeing other aircraft at my field showing up even when they are on the ground. The device seems hit or miss. One time it works great and the next time it may not show up in the data feed for 10-15 mins and then it’s fine for the duration of the flight.

I always connect with WiFi and make sure that the device has position as part of my pre-takeoff checklist so it’s not an issue of acquiring GPS that I can tell.

Kevin W
Cessna Jockey
Click to expand...
Contact Uavionix they are great in helping out, I had an issue with mine and they replaced it, have you done the software update?
Older transponders and encoders can be problems but you are better off contacting Uavionix rather than coming to the guessing forum here
 
jrcox19 said:
OP, is your concern that you aren't getting ADS-B IN targets from the Skybeacon until 3000 feet, in some cases? If so, that's pretty normal, since you need to see the ADS-B towers to receive that, depending on where you are.
Click to expand...
The SkyBeacon is an ADS-B Out solution only, so you’ll never receive IN data from it, regardless of where the towers are.
 
I agree with many commenters here that on first blush, your problems seem to be of ADSB-in nature. That means that unless you have a functioning receiver (Stratux or other) and that the receiver can pick up both 978 and 1090 MHz, you will not get some or all targets on the ground unless your airport is colocated with a GBT.
So without direct reception of the transmissions from aircraft around you, your only other way is from the GBTs that may only be able to be received at altitude. It might require 3000ft in some areas.

Even if you had no functioning Sky/TailBeacon, a receiver with the proper frequency receivers will pick up direct transmissions from other aircraft, and weather from TIS-b.

Now aside from an adsb performance check mentioned above, if your skybeacon is not in anonymous mode, and you have not selected to block your own N number on your EFB software on your IPad, you will see your own tail number on your moving map, which proves your Sky/TailBeacon is transmitting AdsB out.
 
Domenick said:
How did you do that?

Without ADS-B In how do I determine if my home drome already has a 978 feeder?
Click to expand...
FlightAware web site wasn’t tracking my flights until I got to 1500-2000’.
I put in a request for a UAT flight feeder and they sent it to me. Now when I’m taking off I’m seen. You can also setup a PiAware yourself.
 
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