SkyBeacon vs. TailBeacon?

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MountainDude

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MountainDude
Is there any difference in their features or capability?
Thank you
 
Depending on aircraft configuration, one is easier to steal off a plane on the ramp than the other.
 
They’re the two bottom end ADS-B out options on the market. Not much else to say about them. Does the job.
 
Why not just get a real ADSB transponder? The cost isn't that much more..... and you have a fresh nice looking digital transponder instead of a old junky looking one.
 
NordicDave said:
Depending on aircraft configuration, one is easier to steal off a plane on the ramp than the other.
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Why steal a paper weight, because without the wifi code to reprogram them, the first time someone turns it on after it has been reported stolen they will be tracked and arrested for a Federal offense. I just do not see them as a target for theft. Your led strobes will be taken quicker.

Now to answer the OP question, the Skybeacon has a built in strobe and position light, and the tailbeacon only has a position light. The Tailbeacon has a upgraded WAAS beyond that I do not of any other differences. I just installed the Tailbeacon, took 20 minutes in labor. Quick simple install. The other Transponders would have required more labor and the installation of a WAAS ant.
 
I got my answers. They are the same. Thank you.
 
Well, haters gonna hate. Just ordered by skybeacon yesterday. Should be here this week, for my begrudged ADSB-Out compliance. Thought I was gonna rid of the Arrow by the mandate back in 2013. Then life happened. Oh well. Good enough to get the FAA off my case for a while.

As to my GTX-327 being old and junky? I guess so. That's why I don't do fly-ins honestly. Snobby f-----g hobby, this one....
 
hindsight2020 said:
Well, haters gonna hate. Just ordered by skybeacon yesterday. Should be here this week, for my begrudged ADSB-Out compliance. Thought I was gonna rid of the Arrow by the mandate back in 2013. Then life happened. Oh well. Good enough to get the FAA off my case for a while.

As to my GTX-327 being old and junky? I guess so. That's why I don't do fly-ins honestly. Snobby f-----g hobby, this one....
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None airplanes are not getting the ADSB.... I will just stay out of the airspace where the mode C crap is. If I go in the airspace I will fly my buddies ADSB equipped V35B. Most people think everyone needs this ADSB stuff. That isn't the case.
 
^ that. It’s actually a rather small part of the country where you need it
 
But some folks routinely fly inside the mode c veil.
 
Just stuck a Tailbeacon in the Cherokee today. Well worth it.
 
I will be going with the tailbeacon over a new transponder because I have a GTX327 and I do like the idea of having private mode.

I'm going with tail over wing because it puts it a little further away from the panel GPS/G5 (prevent interference) and I like keeping the symmetry of the nav lights.
 
Tailbeacon went on my Warrior this morning, glad to have it out of the way.

Of course it occurs to me that the Warrior is now ready for 2020 and I'm not...so once again I'm behind the airplane :(
 
I got a UAX Tailbeacon installed on my 182R a few weeks ago. On two test flights I tried to track it through Flight Aware and both times it only tracked my plane for less than 10 minutes. Both flights were over an hour in length. Should I try to re-do the software install that my avionics shop did when they installed it? You would think though that since I got something..... the software must be working!
 
If I get one in my plane (no plans to at the moment) I am going to placard the nav light switch saying "Disengage/Engage Cloaking Device"
 
DFH65 said:
If I get one in my plane (no plans to at the moment) I am going to placard the nav light switch saying "Disengage/Engage Cloaking Device"
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Go here to validate test. I've done about every other month to make sure my Garmin 327/Skybeacon combo has worked since this Spring after doing some maintenance to plane each time.

https://adsbperformance.faa.gov/paprrequest.aspx
 
Betmerick said:
I got a UAX Tailbeacon installed on my 182R a few weeks ago. On two test flights I tried to track it through Flight Aware and both times it only tracked my plane for less than 10 minutes. Both flights were over an hour in length. Should I try to re-do the software install that my avionics shop did when they installed it? You would think though that since I got something..... the software must be working!
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I wouldn't assume that the issue is with your aircraft.
How high were you? How far from ground stations? Where are the stations that are reporting back to flight aware relative to your flight?
I passed the FAA ADS-B test on the first pass with no exceptions. My tracks on Flight Aware come and go.
 
Betmerick said:
I got a UAX Tailbeacon installed on my 182R a few weeks ago. On two test flights I tried to track it through Flight Aware and both times it only tracked my plane for less than 10 minutes. Both flights were over an hour in length. Should I try to re-do the software install that my avionics shop did when they installed it? You would think though that since I got something..... the software must be working!
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The avionics guy who did mine says not to expect it to work with FlightAware. He basically described as a 1090 vs 978 thing, but that’s as far as the conversation went.
 
hindsight2020 said:
...Snobby f-----g hobby, this one....
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Truer words about this hobby never spoken.

My Skybeacon works great on my warrior. I went with the Skybeacon over the Tailbeacon in hopes UAX comes out soon with the strobe for the other side. Which, @MountainDude , I think is the only difference between the two in features.
 
If mounted on a balanced flight control I wouldn’t offer installation of tail beacon without R&R of said flight control and balance check.
 
I went with the Tailbeacon because of the uniformity of having the same wingtip strobes. Either option is hard to beat for the total cost.
 
bnt83 said:
If mounted on a balanced flight control I wouldn’t offer installation of tail beacon without R&R of said flight control and balance check.
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How many tailBeacons have you installed and how many REQUIRED a rudder balance due to the tailBeacon?

I have heard this before and have also heard of NO reports of anyone needing to balance their rudders for the few grams difference in weight.

My Grimes Model A2064 tail light weighed: 76.8 grams
tailBeacon and hardware weighed: 91.0 grams.

The difference, 14.2 grams, is the weight of 2 US quarters and 1 penny compared to the integral rudder balance weight of about 4 pounds (1816 grams).
 
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My A&P just got a Skybeacon for his Warrior. I figure if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me. I'm not in a situation where I need it yet but I'll probably get one so I don't have to worry about it in the future.
 
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