Questions on installing a skyBeacon

[Gone Flyin]

Have a few questions on completing the installation of my skyBeacon ADS-B out unit. I'm hoping someone here can help me with that.

First, the skyBeacon manual states "Select ALT mode on the aircraft's transponder. In an area of known radar activity or using a ramp tester interrogate the transponder and verify that the Squawk and Pressure altitude agree with the transponder or known pressure altitude".

Can someone explain exactly what I need to do, here, please.

Second, I'm not clear on where I need to fly to meet the requirements of the initial flight test. The manual says "rule airspace" which is Class A, Class B to include the 30nm mode C area, Class C and above 10,000' in Class E.

At this late stage in the ADS-B rollout... is this still the way it has to be done even though ADS-B is working all across the USA and certainly here in New England where I live?

If so, do I need to obtain prior ATC clearance to enter Mode C and for how long do I need to fly in that area to meet the requirements of the test?

I understand about getting the flight test results from the PAB Reports site. Is it the case where, until I have no RED flags on the report, I must repeat the flight test to be able to use the system?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[Domenick]

Install skyBeacon. Turn transponder to ALT. Go fly. Request PAB report.
You do not need ATC clearance to enter a 30 nm Mode C veil. Just stay out of class B, C, and D airspaces, though you may fly over and under them.
Let us know how the PAB report turns out.

 

[Gone Flyin]

Install skyBeacon. Turn transponder to ALT. Go fly. Request PAB report.

Appreciate the reply... however, fly where? Anywhere inside Class E and below 10K will do it?

You do not need ATC clearance to enter a 30 nm Mode C veil. Just stay out of class B, C, and D airspaces, though you may fly over and under them.
Let us know how the PAB report turns out.

No, I do not need clearance but, as the name implies, I do need a working Mode C transponder and, now a days, a working ADS-B Out system. It's that second item I need to somehow verify meets the FAA requirements, first, do I not?

I flew yesterday in Class E below 10K. The PAB report says "Dur in Rule: 00:00:00", TIS-B Client: 95.6&, Baro Alt (ft): -, Red boxes for NIC all over and zeros everywhere else.

Decode for me if you can.

 

[rotormatic1]

https://adsbperformance.faa.gov/PAPRUsersGuide.pdf

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

First, the skyBeacon manual states "Select ALT mode on the aircraft's transponder. In an area of known radar activity or using a ramp tester interrogate the transponder and verify that the Squawk and Pressure altitude agree with the transponder or known pressure altitude".

Can someone explain exactly what I need to do, here, please.

Have your avionics peep stop by. He/she/it has the thing to read the code on the ground.

 

[Clip4]

You could also fly under the outer ring of C.

 

[Doug Reid]

You were not being received in the system if the duration in rule airspace was 0.

If I knew your general location, I could tell you where your ADS-B towers are located. The towers have to be able to receive your ADS-B out signal in order to grade your performance in a PAPR report. If you have a friend with a Stratux or other ADS-B receiver, you can see if the Skybeacon is transmitting using that info while on the ground.

Here in central NC, you are pretty much sure to be received if you fly for a few minutes at 3000 AGL in the Winston Salem, Burlington, or Charlotte area. There are towers in all three airport locations.

 

[Gone Flyin]

I'm in Connecticut.

The skyBeacon is working because I show up on flightaware for that flight.

There is 00:00:00 for rule airspace on the report because I did not enter any on that flight. It would mean flying into the Mode C of Boston-Logan. I am reluctant to do that until I know this unit is working correctly. Seems there is a catch 22 here.

What I need to know is:

1) Do I need to fly into rule airspace to make this unit fully operational in the eyes of the FAA?

2) Does the report need to be perfect before I can go forward and fly into B, C and Mode C?

What is meant by fly under the outer ring of C? Do you mean inside the second ring of Bradley Airport - Class C here in CT?

Am I inside that airspace between 2100' and 4200' or under the 2100'?

The issue I'm having with the Baro (Alt) not showing up on the report..... is this my plane's transponder not sending the pressure altitude to the skyBeacon or does it require me to fly into, say, a Class D airspace so their radar will "call" my transponder to see what altitude I'm at and, thus, trigger the skyBecon to react?

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

The issue I'm having with the Baro (Alt) not showing up on the report.....

The SkyBacon should automatically report the baro altitude that it is picking up from your mode C. If it's not, the performance report would say that you don't meet the standards for whatever TSO something or another.
So, still some work to do here.

 

[Domenick]

...What is meant by fly under the outer ring of C? Do you mean inside the second ring of Bradley Airport - Class C here in CT?

Am I inside that airspace between 2100' and 4200' or under the 2100'?...

!!
Chart indicates floor of Bradley outer ring at 2100 and ceiling at 4200. Anything above 4200 or below 2100 is out of the class C.

 

[Doug Reid]

Ok...you do NOT have to be in rule airspace to get a successful PAPR.

You no longer are required to fly in rule airspace...that was done to qualify for a government rebate which no longer is in effect.

I have seen this BALT issue happen before in cases where the flight was conducted at a low altitude and on a fringe area of reception.

If your flight shows up on flightaware, and the data shows your altitude and speed, most likely your system is working. I would recommend another flight at a higher altitude.

Since you did not tell me where in Connecticut to look, I see ADS-B towers at several locations: one at Crescent Lake south of Plainsville , and one at Bradley International. There may be others, but these were in my database and it is a few years old.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

https://uavionix.com/products/skybeacon/#faqs
https://uavionix.com/support/skybeacon/mode-3a-failure-on-papr/

 

[Lindberg]

I'm in Connecticut.

The skyBeacon is working because I show up on flightaware for that flight.

There is 00:00:00 for rule airspace on the report because I did not enter any on that flight. It would mean flying into the Mode C of Boston-Logan. I am reluctant to do that until I know this unit is working correctly. Seems there is a catch 22 here.

What I need to know is:

1) Do I need to fly into rule airspace to make this unit fully operational in the eyes of the FAA?

2) Does the report need to be perfect before I can go forward and fly into B, C and Mode C?

What is meant by fly under the outer ring of C? Do you mean inside the second ring of Bradley Airport - Class C here in CT?

Am I inside that airspace between 2100' and 4200' or under the 2100'?

The issue I'm having with the Baro (Alt) not showing up on the report..... is this my plane's transponder not sending the pressure altitude to the skyBeacon or does it require me to fly into, say, a Class D airspace so their radar will "call" my transponder to see what altitude I'm at and, thus, trigger the skyBecon to react?

The 30NM Mode C veil and Class C airspace are two different things. But you can fly under a B out shelf or under the outer shelf of C without talking to anyone and without any clearance. You can also fly in Class C airspace without any clearance. Once you're pretty sure your Skybeacon is working, I'd just go fly.

 

[Gone Flyin]

Ok...you do NOT have to be in rule airspace to get a successful PAPR.

You no longer are required to fly in rule airspace...that was done to qualify for a government rebate which no longer is in effect.

Thank you. You are the first one to tell me this. Even the skyBeacon people do not know this. Total B.S.

I have seen this BALT issue happen before in cases where the flight was conducted at a low altitude and on a fringe area of reception.

I believe I need to fly into airspace that has radar, like a Class D (Brainard-Hartford,) so it will talk to my plane's transponder and it will, in turn, talk to the skyBeacon. I should get something in that box after that happens.... I hope!

If your flight shows up on flightaware, and the data shows your altitude and speed, most likely your system is working. I would recommend another flight at a higher altitude.

I agree. I rarely go up that high... but I will tomorrow. I will fly into Hartford Class D and then up to at least 3000'.

Since you did not tell me where in Connecticut to look, I see ADS-B towers at several locations: one at Crescent Lake south of Plainville , and one at Bradley International. There may be others, but these were in my database and it is a few years old.

I'm in the Middlesex County area so about the middle of the state.

 

[Doug Reid]

I suggest climbing to 4-5 thousand feet and fly SW of Hartford near Crescent Lake.

ADS-B data is received and transmitted by the ADS-B towers, then the received data is sent to ATC, so there is no reason to fly into Class D unless they have a tower.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

I believe I need to fly into airspace that has radar, like a Class D (Brainard-Hartford,) so it will talk to my plane's transponder and it will, in turn, talk to the skyBeacon.

I would be surprised if your transponder isn't getting triggered by airliners, center, etc. if you are anywhere need a metropolotian area. In my ride, the transponder blinky light hardly ever goes out.

 

[Gone Flyin]

Well, I'm trying to fix this report and one of the things that is missing is Baro Alt (ft)

I'm thinking that's because my transponder has not been pinged as yet, from that one flight Saturday in Class E, so it has not talked to the skyBecon (or vice versa ?).

All conjecture here since I cannot get anyone to tell me what's required. Even called the FSDO for my area. No one has called back as yet.

BTW: Thank you for that ADS-B document. I will read that over and see what I can learn from it.

I will fly up to Brainard (class D) tomorrow morning and ask the tower to read out my transponder ALT. I will compare that with what the skyBeacon app says at the same time. Will see if that fixes the Baro Alt issue in the report.

I plan to land at Robertson Airport not far from Crescent Lake and will make sure to fly over it on the way back home.

 

[Gone Flyin]

Made a second test flight yesterday. Report came back "clean" save for that darn red box for Baro Alt.

Mentioned this to an avionics friend of mine. He checked my tail # on Flight Aware.

"I see your issue... you have no Mode C... there are no altitudes showing up"

My transponder is apparently not working correctly at least for Mode C. Has Mode A, as it shows the squawk code correctly on the app for skyBeacon.

I see that idea for checking with Flight Aware was mentioned, above, by Doug.

I see it now as an easy test that can be done anytime without having to fly into controlled airspace.

 

[Gone Flyin]

Turns out the altitude encoder is defective so not sending information to the transponder. A new one is on order.

Interesting factoid. When they do the (around here about $200) VFR-only transponder test on the plane every two years per FAA requirements.... they do not test the altitude encoder.

You can be flying with no Mode C and not even know it... as I was... probably for all the time I've owned this plane.

 

[Gone Flyin]

Installed a brand new altitude encoder. Also had an avionics shop here locally look at my transponder. They found the unit was not even close to being aligned. The "gates" as they call them were out, the receive sensitivity should have been around 74 and it was 68. There were loose grounds inside. All this after I paid this place in Texas $200 only a year ago for their "full overhaul and alignment service". Watch out for them.