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kmach
08-05-2013, 04:22 PM
Hi everyone,

I had a close call last week and am considering a passive collision
avoidance system.

I think my wig wag landing lights and strobes from Aeroleds saved my bacon. the 172 passed level from 1 oclock to my 9 from out of the late evening sun while I was in the downwind of a private unregistered strip. I had completed a position report on the enroute freq a minute or two earlier and changed to the airfield freq and called the downwind, I was completing the landing check, when my passenger called "plane", I looked up to see it go by at the 11 pos 100yds away. I think if I didn't have a passenger , I don't think I would of ever known of it's presence!

I have tried the Zaon XRX last year , but was unable to calibrate its internal compass , it did not like the electonics in my dash, so I sent it back.

I am now considering the Monroy ATD-300 with the externally mounted antenna .



I know of the pcas limitations , but, just maybe one might save an incident, alerting of an aircraft that your mark II eyeballs can't see while your head is swiveling, also a person has to look at the panel once in a while !

Anyone use one of these, are they another useful tool ? Experiences ?

DesertFox4
08-05-2013, 09:51 PM
Kevin , Dan B has a traffic alert device but I'm not sure of the name brand.
It's about the size of a pack of cigarettes and sits on top of the glare shield. Seems to work pretty good.

I purchased a new Area 500 Garmin gps and the ADS-B receiver also from Garmin. It's amazing how many aircraft are out there that you don't see with your eyes but this thing finds. Sometimes you still can't see them even when you know where to look. Kind of alarming at times.

Glad you saw yours in time. The other guy likely never saw you at all and never knew how close he came to another aircraft.

P.S.
I also fly 100% of the time with all strobes and the AeroLed wig-wags going.

SS7Flyer
08-06-2013, 12:02 AM
I know a fellow that installed a very basic smoke system. He pops a couple second burst on downwind and base at every field. This was his solution after he survived a middair. Something to consider or do what I do and stay below 1000agl where the spam cans don't fly. :D

SkySteve
08-06-2013, 05:34 AM
LOL. Looks like your finger got stuck on the zero and added an extra one!

SS7Flyer
08-06-2013, 06:20 AM
Didn't want to get the safety police excited and for people to start quoting 91.119.

SkySteve
08-06-2013, 06:23 AM
Oh yea. I must have misread your post. I thought you said you were landing!

MotReklaw
08-08-2013, 08:51 AM
I have the ATD300 but haven't used it yet... Would be interested in real life experiences.

Thanks

kmach
08-08-2013, 09:53 AM
Hi, Where did you mount the unit ? The external antenna ?

I ordered the ATD - 300 with the external antenna ,I am looking at putting the unit on the glareshield center and am looking at places for the external antenna to go .

If you have pictures of your install , I would be grateful

MotReklaw
08-08-2013, 02:01 PM
We used it on C-140 but just mounted it on the glareshield and used local antenna.... Sorry

War Eagle
08-10-2013, 03:38 PM
I have a Zaon PCAS mounted in my glare shield.
I have a couple of pictures showing the mounting configuration in the top of my glare shield. I didn't want the whole instrument sitting on top of the glare shield so I made a canted mounting so the face of the instrument shows.

I don't have a good picture of the final PCAS install but you can see it in the picture of my finished panel.

I don't have a picture of the PCAS antenna mounting, but I used a blade type DME/Transponder antenna for the PCAS. There is a minimum recommended distance it must be placed from your transponder antenna. I use the bulb type transponder antenna mounted under the passenger side of the fuselage and the PCAS antenna is mounted back under the baggage compartment so as to meet the minimum separation distance required.

N8053H
08-28-2013, 08:34 PM
I use this unit. It works great. Keeps me alert of traffic so I can look out for slower traffic that does not use a transponder.
I fly from a small airpark that has a fuel stop for the local Air-e-vac team. Some times these guys and gals come in a few times when I am flying. Now I see them 5nm out and can keep an eye out for them long before I see them with the naked eye.
For the buck its a great little unit and sometimes you can pick up a used unit as I did and save some cash.


Harold

kmach
08-28-2013, 08:54 PM
Hi, I am using the ATD -300 in its portable configuration right now, and am going to install the external antenna sometime in the near future. How do you have yours setup ? mounting location , antenna setup etc. Did you wire into your audio , if so how ? as you know pictures are always welcome:)

N8053H
08-29-2013, 08:13 AM
I have no electric system in my airplane. So I power this with a lipo. After 1 hr flying I use around 300 Mil amps from this 2650 lipo 14.8 v battery. Its velcro'ed in place.

I was using a radio for the first year I flew out of this field. Not one time did I hear any traffic. I then asked one of the helicopter pilots what channel he monitored and he said, Capital airport.
That explains why no traffic on the radio. I would hear traffic miles away but nothing local to me.
Since I installed this unit now I see them coming.

N8053H
08-29-2013, 08:15 AM
Not sure why only one pic went through but here are more...

kmach
08-29-2013, 03:05 PM
Hi N8053H, Thanks for sending the pictures.

Are you using the Monroy patch cord for the audio? It turns my headsets to mono , I only hear the traffic warnings in my left ear, so I need to wire it differently.Maybe into the intercom.

In the top picture, is that the units "portable" antenna? on top of the glare shield, or is it for something else.

N8053H
08-30-2013, 04:09 AM
Yes that is the antenna for the Monroy sticking up you in that one pic. My unit plugs into my helmet or headset.
I thought about pointing that antenna down instead of up, but I was not sure how it would work. It works great this way so I will leave it alone.
The next time I get my airplane out I will take a short video of this unit working in action. I can show how this unit plugs into my helmet also.

Tony

kmach
08-30-2013, 08:10 AM
It looks like you are flying a mostly wood aircraft, I get false hits with the unit on the glareshield and the stub antenna, the kitfox has those two metal angled support tubes that go into the glareshield and its hard to keep the unit away the required 6" from the tubes . I will be installing the external antenna in the next few days if everything goes as planned. The external antenna is supposed to do wonders for overall accuracy. then i can give it a good test.