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By: 13th January 2007 at 17:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Do you mean Mode-S?
By: 13th January 2007 at 17:14 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-yes
By: 13th January 2007 at 21:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Seen a few being advertised on the GA mags. Uncertified it seems. Didn't the Minister or CAA state recently GA would be excluded from mandatory Mode-S fitment?
By: 14th January 2007 at 00:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-I sure hope this is the case, with the approach of yearly CofA ,rising fuel and insurance costs operating a simple single engine older aircraft is getting more expensive.Its not surprising that sales of recent design lightweights are up,but when you are addicted to vintage aircraft its no substitute.
By: 19th January 2007 at 19:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Supposedly this will be the answer to your prayers.
My inclination is to wait as long as possible, as they are likely to come down to the price of current transponders once the sales volumes are up.
With most of Europe mandating them sooner or later, the market should soon be swelling.
By: 21st January 2007 at 14:14 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Nothing stated on their website:
http://www.kinetic-avionics.co.uk/howtobuylast.php
http://www.kinetic-avionics.co.uk/pressrelease210406.php
By: 21st January 2007 at 14:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Nothing stated on their website:
Which was the reason I asked the question ;)
Moggy
By: 21st January 2007 at 15:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-You can bet certification will take years if they go down that route
Then the paperwork fees will equal about 50% of the unit's price
Add another another 50% for labour.
So say a £1000 unit will instantly become £2000.
However
Is portable radio equipment exempt from certification? The Kinetics unit might be like use of portable GPS... Does it say anywhere you need a fitted and certified transponder for SSR use?
By: 23rd January 2007 at 15:22 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Part of the remit was to produce it to a price such that glider pilots, balloonatics etc, would come on board - about £500 for the LPST if I recall.
They do seem a bit cagy about quoting a price as, I guess, it'll depend a bit on the sales volumes they can expect.
As the RIA depends on it being affordable, it's a sort of chicken and egg situation.
By: 23rd January 2007 at 18:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-The problem is when they start bulding them cheap. There is a cheap radio on the market. I had one. It was totally unsuitable for its job. Apparently they are fine in gliders but I know a lot of people who have junked them from GA and microlight aeroplanes. It cost over £600 and I might as well have burned the cash for all the good it did.
The same company make a mode C transponder. Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
Bet they introduce a mode S too.
Still won't touch it.
Here's hoping common sense prevails.
By: 27th January 2007 at 22:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-According to some theoretical research carried out by the PFA the hand held unit concept is flawed for several reasons.
1 The detectable range is likely to be very low.
2 The occupants of the aircraft are likely to be exposed to above the EU health and safety levels of radiation.
3 the unit as specified will not meet international standards so would only be of use in the UK.
4 The unit does not yet exist in a completed form and no firm costs are available.
The French have issued exemptions to almost all its GA fleet, and the CAA have announced a second consultation and are in negotiation with the various GA groups on a compromise after less than 1% of the people who responded to the last consultation were in favour. I would strongly recommend that you wait, or buy a second hand mode a/c, which can be obtained for <£200 if you have to have something.
Rod1
PS some people have got the microair to work.....
By: 29th January 2007 at 02:26 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-According to some theoretical research carried out by the PFA the hand held unit concept is flawed for several reasons.1 The detectable range is likely to be very low.
2 The occupants of the aircraft are likely to be exposed to above the EU health and safety levels of radiation.
3 the unit as specified will not meet international standards so would only be of use in the UK.
4 The unit does not yet exist in a completed form and no firm costs are available.
Preferable to being dead though. Fewer radio calls along the lines of "Pop up traffic, 12 O'clock, 1 mile, no height information, probable glider" etc...
By: 29th January 2007 at 09:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-PS some people have got the microair to work.....
Yeah, I met one. But just the one.
Posts: 2,810
By: scotavia - 13th January 2007 at 15:56
With the approaching need for Uk aircraft to all have transponders what is the most cost effective one available. I am hoping that portable ones will be available.