![]() The datalink processor connects in line with the existing transponder antenna and has a built-in WAAS GPS. If you already have a healthy and modern transponder and you don’t plan to fly high, Garmin’s GDL82 UAT solution sells for $1795-the second cheapest. Realistically, you’ll want to budget $2000 for an easy installation (including the strobe light), paperwork and flight testing, and a bit more if the light doesn’t exactly bolt directly in place of the existing lamp assembly. Turns out the claim was close enough to crown the skyBeacon a winner for a budget-based solution, the deal sweetened with a two-for LED lighting upgrade. We’ve covered this system extensively, and most recently in the May 2019 Aviation Consumer where we installed one in a Piper Cherokee to see if it really was the world’s easiest ADS-B upgrade as the company claims. If you’ve already invested in a modern transponder upgrade and don’t fly above 18,000 feet, one top pick is the uAvionix skyBeacon wingtip unit with LED position and strobe lamps. You’ll need a reliable unit for the long term. If there’s any doubt about its health, have your shop evaluate it. Old models worth getting rid of include the King KT76/78 series and anything made by Narco or Collins. And if your existing transponder is an aging non-digital (has a cavity oscillator tube) model, our advice is to ditch it and put in an ADS-B transponder. You’ve heard it all before but we’ll tell it to you again: If you fly above 18,000 feet, you’ll need an ADS-B transponder. Don’t Overthink ItĪt this point the ADS-B buy-in decision should be easy. It’s also time for our ADS-B buyer’s guide, and it follows this article. The idea is to arm you with enough knowledge to talk the talk with your avionics shop when they make suggestions for a package. So to help sort it out, in this article we’ll offer an around-the-bases look at the most popular new avionics configurations-from entry-level (for basic aircraft) to higher-budget (for go-places higher-end machines). ![]() Of course the dense market doesn’t make an already difficult buying decision any easier. As we reported in the July 2019 Aviation Consumer, this new company’s AV-series primary EFIS is capable and smartly engineered, with a price that caters to low budgets and an installation that doesn’t require shredding the instrument panel. That’s working out to the benefit of avionics buyers, especially ones with lower budgets.Īdding to the competition are newcomers, with New Mexico-based Aerovonics as one example. Let’s equip and move on because the real news in the avionics market is the serious surge in competition, combined with a shift from expensive TSO approvals to STCs.
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