uAvionics SkyBeacon functional?

Also not excited about leaving Nav lights on, but for the price (significantly lower than other ADS-B out solutions), there are sacrifices to make.
 
Mine will be going in during annual in March.

Not sure what everybody’s heartburn with nav lights is. I always fly with mine on. (Strobes too, when appropriate).


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Since the skybeacon piggy backs on a existing transponder what does the power output have to do with it?
 
You can run another wire, you do realize that don't you? Jeez.
 
Replace all Nav lights with LED's and don't worry about leaving them on.

Question for those who have installed these, how do the strobes look? Are they as bright and intense as traditional strobes? I have not seen one in person.
 
My Cessna is now in the shop for annual inspection & will come out with the SkyBeacon installed. Will provide PIREP after install.
 
Two of my friends and I all got our TSO’d SkyBeacons in late December. We have installed all three in Cessnas (150, 152, 182) and all 3 have failed their certification flights. Uavionix sent me a new SkyBeacon to try but it has also failed. I have adjusted my transponder threshold several times per Uavionix’s Directions to no avail. They are now developing a “diagnostic tool” to help us set the sensitivity and we should receive those next week. I hope this is the cure because I have failed 7 certification flights after adjusting and testing my equipment. All flights have been within the Seatac “mode C veil”. How many of you have passed your certification flights with the SkyBeacon? If you did, what type of plane?

Thanks,

Randy
 
I also failed two validation flights yesterday with the Skybeacon in my Cessna150. Very interested in following this thread to get the ADS-B operating correctly.
 
A bit of a tangent... Can those of you with Cessna 150's post a picture of your install and tell me what model 150 you have? A private message is fine if you don't want to clutter up this thread. The reason I ask is because the Skybeacon just shipped for my wife's C150E. The wing tip adapter on the uAvionix website lists it as fitting new models but not the E. I e-mailed them to try and get better pictures, dimensions, or something to help me know if their adapter will fit but never got a response. I'd like to see some pictures of other 150 owners' installations to decide if I want to order the uAvionix adapter and take the chance that it'll fit or make my own.
 
I have a 1971 Cessna 150L, with Skybeacon installed using an oem provided adapter. My A&P trimmed it a bit to fit, per instructions, and he said install was very straightforward. Now, I just need to pass my validation flight.
 

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bourneredi said:
......................>> How many of you have passed your certification flights with the SkyBeacon? If you did, what type of plane?
Thanks,
Randy
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I installed mine, which took about three hours, since I had to remove the Met-Co-Aire wingtip.........and do some slight modifications. Piper PA-28-180C. Passed my proving flight on first try, over KMWH at 10,500', on 2JAN. Here's the flight.

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MGS402 said:
I have a 1971 Cessna 150L, with Skybeacon installed using an oem provided adapter. My A&P trimmed it a bit to fit, per instructions, and he said install was very straightforward. Now, I just need to pass my validation flight.
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Where did you get adaptive fairing? Haven't had much luck.
 
I would be very interested in hearing about which transponders are in the 150/152 models that are failing the certification flights.
 
jaycee said:
Where did you get adaptive fairing? Haven't had much luck.
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Yes, I received the wingtip adapter from Uavionix.

My transponder is a Narco AT50
 
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Lachlan said:
I would be very interested in hearing about which transponders are in the 150/152 models that are failing the certification flights.
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I have a RT-459a. Just Incase it was causing the failures, I removed it and had it tested at an avionics shop. It is functioning fine so it is not the problem.
 
I have mine sitting in a box waiting for a couple of weeks till my AP gets back from Florida. I have a 150f with a Narco AT50. I’ll be testing mine at 10.500 feet as well. Just broke out my oxygen bottle last week and took the little plane up to 12,600 to see how that works out.
 
Matthew Rogers said:
I have mine sitting in a box waiting for a couple of weeks till my AP gets back from Florida. I have a 150f with a Narco AT50. I’ll be testing mine at 10.500 feet as well. Just broke out my oxygen bottle last week and took the little plane up to 12,600 to see how that works out.
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The ad for their fairing adapter only lists 150L and M. Does it look like it will work for your F? I don't know what changed in the wing tip over the years.
 
I actually have droop wingtips. Installed several owners back. I think that they will have to have some minor modifications to make the beacon fit. I don’t see any major issues. The tip it is going on was already cracked and repaired at some point when another owner hit a hangar while slowly parking the plane.
 
I passed the ADS-B certification first flight with mine. No problem.
 
Thanks for the updates on what gear is in the 150s. Also, are any of you in the 150-152 club? Some pretty good info on there, and several members have SkyBeacons installed and functioning now.
 
Here are some pictures of the wingtip off my wife's C150E. Notice that there are only 2 screws for the light. The skyBeacon has 3. The two existing holes line up with two of the skyBeacon holes, but there's not enough room for the third screw (the one at the 1.74" dimension). So for those of you who bought the skyBeacon C150 adapter, does it somehow move the mounting so that there is room for that back screw?

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Your wingtip looks like mine. I had this made by a 3D printer: SAP install 1.jpg SAP install 2.jpg
 
Punkinhead said:
That's what I had planned. Any chance you could send me a CAD file or STL? I have Solidworks so can read pretty much any CAD format or can print an STL. No big deal if you can't - I'm comfortable modelling it. Thanks.
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Yeah, mine is the same. I would also like the file and could send it out to a company online that 3D prints. The other option is to cut back the wingtip and do some fiberglass work.
 
Received a replacement SkyBeacon today, after emailing with tech support on my installed unit Uavionix wanted to exchange mine for a new one. Assuming my next validation flight, after install of new unit, will receive a passing grade.
 
Here's what I did yesterday for adapting to the 2-hole wingtip of my wife's C150E. White ABS with heat-set 6-32 inserts. My A&P/IA is out of town until tomorrow so I'll install it on the plane and test it tomorrow night or Wednesday after he gives his blessing.

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I think I am going to do a similar thing, but old school with a rough block of plastic or glass reinforced bondo and hand shaped. I don’t have the current software, hardware or knowledge for 3D printing.
 
Punkinhead said:
Here's what I did yesterday for adapting to the 2-hole wingtip of my wife's C150E. White ABS with heat-set 6-32 inserts. My A&P/IA is out of town until tomorrow so I'll install it on the plane and test it tomorrow night or Wednesday after he gives his blessing.

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That is nice work. A+.
 
Hi Guys, I hear some are having luck with the skybeacon but after having mine installed by a shop with what I believe is a good transponder, several adjustments later and still bad flight tests.

Am I the only 1 with bad luck?
 
I orderef a SkyBeacon for my 1968 172. It wouldn't fit my wingtips and uAvionics did not have a proper adapter so back it went. In order for me to use it I needed new wingtips for about $1k installed and that still left me with a 40-something year old KT-76 transponder. For the extra AMU, I'm going Garmin 335 installed.
 
Took me ~6 hours to install on my Fly Baby. Actual installation of the device on the wing took ~15 minutes. Rest of time was for addition of a new electrical circuit, wires, switch, fuse, and disassembly of the aircraft to make the wiring work easier.
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Passed validation on the first try.

Ron Wanttaja
 
Nice Flybaby! Glad it worked out for you.

I have a Collins 950 transponder. Hopefully I can get the skybeacon to work soon.
 
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