Sky Beacon- STC approved, NOW shipping

Badger

Badger

Pattern Altitude
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Badger
good timing for them. I bet their booth will be busy
 
Good timing by them. ;)

Just like the big announcement the other day from Garmin.
Timing is everything!
 
Is it just the skybeacon or is the tailbeacon also certified?
 
Sounds like just the skybeacon. I'm waiting on the tailbeacon myself, so I have another 18 months (yup, I'm that guy). Worst case I slap one of these doo dads on my Arrow wingtip and keep on flying into controlled airspace. These dudes probably saved me 3+ AMUs on extraneous labor and garmin pricing potato on a mandate I didn't want in the first place. Bravo zulu.
 
Sounds like just the "out" is ready and the "in" side is still pending?
I'll ask at EAA booth.
 
Yupp, very cool and you also get land nav lights which by itself the TSO ed ones costs an arm and a leg for nothing.
 
This is a game changer..now all those NORDO guys don't have any more excuses (/me ducks and covers)
 
Challenged said:
This is a game changer..now all those NORDO guys don't have any more excuses (/me ducks and covers)
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Not entirely.

This is indeed a nice option for many, but the whole wing tip blade thing just looks stupid on the vintage/rag wing planes.

Won’t work on the Waco, T6 or Beech 18.

I’m not criticizing SkyBeacon, just wishing some of the other fuselage mounted options would come down in price.
 
I cut out the drawing on their webpage and it won't fit my wingtip so I'm still waiting for the tail beacon.

On the other hand, I could probably get someone to 3D print an adapter....hmmmm.
 
Challenged said:
This is a game changer..now all those NORDO guys don't have any more excuses (/me ducks and covers)
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Wow. Talk about an installation nightmare. Having to fish and secure wires all the way to the wingtip?
I could see it iffen I was doing a re-cover, but otherwise? NFW.
 
cgrab said:
I cut out the drawing on their webpage and it won't fit my wingtip so I'm still waiting for the tail beacon.

On the other hand, I could probably get someone to 3D print an adapter....hmmmm.
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The tail beacon sounds great, unless it's installed in a balanced rudder, which is coming off any time balance is affected
 
Challenged said:
This is a game changer..now all those NORDO guys don't have any more excuses (/me ducks and covers)
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Aren't they generallly NORDO because they don't have any electrical systems?
 
Need to ramp up my sarcasm tag usage I see. Also, low wings are better.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Wow. Talk about an installation nightmare. Having to fish and secure wires all the way to the wingtip?
I could see it iffen I was doing a re-cover, but otherwise? NFW.
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It says it uses existing wiring, so you won't have to fish a wire all the way out there. I think it is completely self contained, just needs power, which it gets from the nav wire.
 
Are they making or are they going to make a matching LED nav/strobe for the other side?
 
Install Instructions:
1) Remove existing left position light.
2) Detach power wire(s)
3) Connect the red wire to the switched power wire.
4) Skybeacon may be grounded to the aircraft structure via the mounting screws.
5) Connect the yellow wire to the strobe wiring, the strobe power supply must be bypassed.
6) Mount skybeacon using three supplied screws.
 
Challenged said:
...Also, low wings are better.
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I used to think that.
Now I have one of each.
I told my wife I'm now ambidextrous. :cool:
She disagrees and thinks its a sign I may have a gender identity issue. :eek:
It's so confusing...o_O
 
Groundpounder said:
Considering you can't go to much of the airspace that requires ADS-B
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Hardly. Most of the airspace I fly in now will require ADS-B if you have an engine driven electrical system, but not a radio.
But, the point was, if you are NORDO, then you probably don't have nav lights so the SkyBacon doesn't exactly eliminate the excuse for not wanting it given what a nightmare it would be to install - which what I was replying to.

I will point out that if you don't have an electrical system, then you don't need ADS-B for most airspace where you would otherwise need it.

"91.225
(e) The requirements of paragraph (b) of this section do not apply to any aircraft that was not originally certificated with an electrical system, or that has not subsequently been certified with such a system installed, including balloons and gliders. These aircraft may conduct operations without ADS-B Out in the airspace specified in paragraphs (d)(2) and (d)(4) of this section. Operations authorized by this section must be conducted—

(1) Outside any Class B or Class C airspace area; and

(2) Below the altitude of the ceiling of a Class B or Class C airspace area designated for an airport, or 10,000 feet MSL, whichever is lower."

So, don't assume that you will be seeing everyone on your doodlewop display even after 2020 and even inside the Mode C veil.

Personally , my ride does have an electrical system, so I will need ADS-B to get inside the 30nm ring of death that is purd near centered on my house - nearest airport outside the ring is close to an hour's drive on a good day vs 10-15 to where I am now. But, what I don't have is nav lights...
 
As I understand, the Skybeacon requires Nav lights be on all the time. Stealth mode is just a flick of the switch away.
 
cgrab said:
As I understand, the Skybeacon requires Nav lights be on all the time. Stealth mode is just a flick of the switch away.
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I thought a part of ADSB install is that it can’t be switched off... so how does that work?
 
Some ADS-B installations allow you to basically transmit 1200 I believe. Is that only a UAT thing?
 
WannFly said:
I thought a part of ADSB install is that it can’t be switched off... so how does that work?
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o_O:confused: ?

Even the ADS-B transponders such as the Garmin GTX-335/345 have "On" & "Off" functions right on the box.
 
GRG55 said:
Even the ADS-B transponders such as the Garmin GTX-335/345 have "On" & "Off" functions right on the box.
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You are required to never turn the ADS-B off.
The ADS-B has to provide the same code and altitude as the transponder.
But you are required to turn the transponder off if you exceed the 24 month limit or are requested by ATC.
How is it possible to comply with all of those regulations at the same time?
o_O:confused: ?
 
Did these guys reveal anything during Air Venture? They claim to be TSO certified. I keep checking the website for updates and today I noticed it says "Shipping September 2018". Yesterday it said August 2018. I'll be optimistic and assume their August inventory got gobbled up at Air Venture, so they need to churn out more and wont have availability until September. Or, maybe they had some certification issues with the FAA and haven't sold a single certified unit. :dunno:
 
Their booth was crowded when I went by.

One vendor I talked to said they had received $250k in inventory already, and $500k that they will take after certification.
 
Still don't understand how it's wired.... Sounds like the strobe needs to be on for it to work?
 
NordicDave said:
Still don't understand how it's wired.... Sounds like the strobe needs to be on for it to work?
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It needs two power wires, switched and unswitched. It'll draw it's power for the adsb part from the unswitched supply. The switched one goes to the nav light portion. If all you have is a lonely nav-light wire (iow no wingtip strobe) you would have to pull a second wire. First I would talk to an IA about changing that single wire to a 'always on' configuration. That way you wouldn't be able to turn the nav light off, but considering the minimal draw from a couple of LEDs there is little downside to doing so. Don't know whether there is a regulation that would require a switched nav light.
 
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weilke said:
It needs two power wires, switched and unswitched. It'll draw it's power for the adsb part from the unswitched supply. The switched one goes to the nav light portion. If all you have is a lonely nav-light wire (iow no wingtip strobe) you would have to pull a second wire. First I would talk to an IA about changing that single wire to a 'always on' configuration. That way you wouldn't be able to turn the nav light off, but considering the minimal draw from a couple of LEDs there is little downside to doing so. Don't know whether there is a regulation that would require a switched nav light.
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I don't think this is right. It has 3 wires: Nav power, nav ground and strobe power. If you don't have a strobe, you just don't attach that wire (per the rep at the booth). It does not require or appear to even support unswitched power. You do, in fact, just leave your nav lights on all the time. Of course, that presents an issue for those who have dimmer circuits on the nav light switch (which then dim the gear indicator lights).
 
This is something that the FAA should let aircraft owners install (we are allowed to mess with landing lights, service oleos, and some other scattered odds and ends.) Gonna guess that three screws and three wires would cost three Benjamins at my local shop.
 
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