ADS-B out options and discussion

[Sb2021]

The best thing to do is leave ADS-B off the airplane and save money, weight, space, and watts. The only downside is that it limits where you can fly.

My home base is ok for no-transponder but I have friends and family near Chicago and Detroit where it would be nice to land at a satellite field near them. It would be nice to have!

I’m wondering what people think about this or have done.

 

[John B]

Not sure where you are getting information. Here is the electrical load analysis I did for my Kitfox which includes an autopilot as well as the other stuff. The charging system on a Rotax 912 is 22A max but 14A recommended max. Plenty of power for everything that a Sonerai 1 would need. The loads shown are from the manufacturer documentation or scrounged from various sources.

WIRING LOAD
Rotax 912 standard generator outputs
14.2A at 22A max. (recommended 14A max)
	min	typical	max
Garmin SL40	0.35	0.35	3.2
GTX327	0.75	1.25	1.83
Encoder (N/A, using G5 as encoder)
G5X	0.2	0.2	0.25
magnetometer	0.1	0.1	0.1
AP Servo 1	0.36	0.36	1.8
AP servo 2	0.36	0.36	1.8
GMC507 autopilot controller	0.11	0.11	0.2
Engine Monitor (Home brew)	0.05	0.1	0.13
NAV LTS (Kuntzelman LED strobe/NAV)	2	2	2
STROBE LTS (N/A see above)
LANDING LTS TBD	3	0	3
Total	7.28	4.83	14.31

 

[John B]

Oh, and the EchoUAT says 2 watts max power required.

 

[Sb2021]

Interesting. I was looking at the transmitting power, but I guess it’s not transmitting continuously. 1.8 amps at 14 v is much better.

 

[Sb2021]

N109jb, thanks for providing that list. That’s a really sensible setup. No intercom?

 

[John B]

Yep forgot that one. Intercom is 0.16 amps

 

[r1penguin]

I bought the trig adsb bundle and the trig ty 97 raido. The heads are in my back seat dash and the brain boxes are under my front seat base. Tt-22 transponder

 

[Sb2021]

Looks good r1scott! Where did you put the gps antenna? Also is that a mount for a portable?

 

[subnoize1]

ADSB out and transponders for the drones we manufacture run at 5 volts 423ma and about 22 grams minus antenna and heatsink. All the rest of the power and weight is there to make somebody feel they like they worked hard for those tax dollars.

 

[r1penguin]

Looks good r1scott! Where did you put the gps antenna? Also is that a mount for a portable?

The gps antenna is on the turtle deck behind the canopy, com antenna a foot behind that, elt antenna a foot behind that, and the little transponder antenna is in the belly pan under the back seat.

 

[dreamerF16]

based on what I’ve read so long as an aircraft is certified without an electrical system then its adsb/transponder exempt

 

[buckaroo]

Right, as long as you are not certified with electrical and are out of B and C you don't need it.

 

[dreamerF16]

View attachment 15433
Right, as long as you are not certified with electrical and are out of B and C you don't need it.

I was also told that the key word being “certified” that after you’re certified without an electrical system and you decide to install one after you’re good to go

 

[buckaroo]

I was also told that the key word being “certified” that after you’re certified without an electrical system and you decide to install one after you’re good to go

I am just wondering exactly how the certification works. When the DAR comes out does he note on an official form whether it has an electrical system or not? Or does he just note in the limitations that it does not?

I am also wondering when they collect information on exactly what engine you have. In the affidavit of ownership it asks, but surely the DAR has something he fills out about the engine?

Would appreciate if someone withe experience certifying a homebuilt would chime in.

 

[John B]

Don't muddy the waters. If you have an engine driven electrical system, whether it was there originally or not, you need a transponder and ADS-B "IF" you want to fly into airspace where they are required. If you really want to get technical about it, a J-3 that has an alternator added will have it done by STC (Supplemental Type Certificate.) An E-AB that has one added doesn't need an STC, but whoever puts an engine driven alternator on will be the person certifying that it is airworthy with that alternator installed.

 

[dingo1]

n109jb is correct in regards to if it is a certified aircraft or E-AB once an engine driven electrical system is installed you must comply with the transponder and ADS-B rule if you use the airspace requiring it. An alternate is one of the small air turbine alternators or generators as found on some old Champs, Taylorcrafts, and Luscombs with a small battery.

 

[dreamerF16]

n109jb is correct in regards to if it is a certified aircraft or E-AB once an engine driven electrical system is installed you must comply with the transponder and ADS-B rule if you use the airspace requiring it. An alternate is one of the small air turbine alternators or generators as found on some old Champs, Taylorcrafts, and Luscombs with a small battery.

ok that makes more sense, so basically to keep it simple, if you don’t want to add a transponder/ADS-B, all you need to do is stay away from towered airports and controlled airspace i.e (A,B,C,D airspace) or simply NOT have your sonerai equipped with an engine driven electrical system? is that correct?

 

[John B]

In the USA, not all towered airports require ADS-B. Only B, and C, airspace airports require it. Many towered airports are Class D and would not require ADS-B.