Ops-Normal.org

I've just posted this in TOP

I guess if I Gargle it, or Wiki it I can find some answers, but briefly ... does anyone know of a 'portable' transponder that I can use in a Druine Turbulent (no generated electrical power ) microlight ?

I fly off an "unattended" airfield, i.e. no ATC in Class G airspace, but we have a mandatory broadcast zone for the benefit of the Dash 8 Air New Zealand commuter service four or five times a day, so no NORDO a/c are permitted, and I have rigged up a handheld radio with a fixed aerial and spare battery, but the zone is also Transponder Mandatory down to 2,000 ft. agl. so that Air NZ can see us on their TACAS gear, but their pilots are putting pressure on our CAA to lower the TM section down to ground level.

Unless I can find a small transponder to work off a battery, similar to my radio, then I will be permanently grounded.

Thanks.

'Purchasing a SunPass Mini transponder or Portable transponder is easy because they are available at over 3,100 retail ...'

Yes you lazy old sod. Even in the middle of the bush on 3G I found it. Not free research for you just interested. Is your flight eng on leave or something.

This could be interesting - ex shiny fleet at 20 paces

ex-Ascot - many thanks, will follow that up, just fired off a missive to the NZ Gliding Ass'n. I guess they have the same problems.

Research ? wot are friends for ?

( but - ask 3 people and get 5 answers )

and ........ I'm sure the www. will point me to many models - if they exist, and it would appear that there are some, thanks - but I'm more interested in specific reports from Users that might have a clue as to which is best for my situation from their personal experience.

I thought you needed to be putting out Mode S with extended Squitter (aka ADSB) to give produce a TCAS advisory/alert??,
I don't know of any portable transponders that do that

edit...I expect you mean it's simply a TMA and the ATC is relaying positional information via a traffic/procedural/deconfliction service, which is a different thing entirely to showing up on TCAS,
in which case you just need Mode C

Not TMA, No ATC, Class G airspace but with a Mandatory Broadcast Zone around the airfield and including Transponder Mandatory down to 2,000 ft amsl

With no transponder I can join "overhead" at 1.500 ft agl,( 500 ft. field height ) then descend to 1,000 ft agl into the circuit, but the SkyGod pilots of the occasional commercial operation with a turbo-prop want to see us in the circuit on their TCAS, and are demanding a change to ground level for Transponder use, and so yes, most aircraft on the field carry a mode C transponder, but we also have a lot of basic microlights, i.e. the rag and tube brigade, as well as my personal Turbulent, and without some sort of portable transponder battery operated, we will be grounded. The CAA are having second thoughts, and I think the problem will probably melt away until 2021, when ADSB equipment will be required, but our MBZ/TM area isn't strictly Controlled Airspace, so it will depend on what stance the CAA take in 5 years time, by which time I may have swapped the Turbulent for a motorised wheelchair ( but maybe not ! )

Personally I would like to see a glider on TCAS. I know it is more regulations and restrictions on a sport , but...They are jolly difficult to see visually especially if you are like me and glued to instruments even VFR - habit. I have had two very serious air misses. Two heavy 4 jets IFR seconds before (ATC at fault). Twin turbine v glider. I missed him by two feet if not less. He was in a drop zone, permanent danger area, which I should have had to myself so probably reading the newspaper at the time until I saw a flash of white going under out of the corner of my eye.

Yes, it was a near miss with a glider that has caused the local Commuter pilots to ask for TM airspace, but .... both were "legal", how many of Nanny's apron strings do we want to be tied to ? The local gliding club operate out of a nearby airfield that isn't even Mandatory Broadcast, so they don't carry transponders and so can't help me with suggestions.

ExEpauletteWearer, I am not sure what you want exists, NATS in the UK have been talking about releasing a portable low powered XPDR they are calling LPAT, for at least the last 3 years, but as you no doubt know, NATS/CAA couldn't organise an orgy in a whorehouse, so although the unit has physicaly existed for about 7 years and I believe the latest iteration has been built by funkewerk in Germany, I imagine some american will get it to market first.
good luck (are you anywher near Edinburgh by chance?

Dirk, thanks, not really, about 12,000 miles away in NZ.

Lucky bleeder, only been once, spent most time around Queenstown and Wanaka, such a beautifull country and open friendly people, (OK the big city up North has it bad points, but then don't they all) I very much hope I get to make it there again.

How does it get altitude encoding?

When I was installing the occasional Transpondor we used to take a feed off the altimeter. Go back 55 years and we had a piece of kit known as IFF X in our Vulcans. IFF being Identify Friend or Foe from WWII. Three modes of operation being Mode A, B, and C, with mode C being able to be programmed, at the time manually by thumb switches. Years later the idea of having it display altitude became the accepted norm.

Alison

Barometric capsule using grey code linked to xponder for mode C.

As for gliders, had loads of trouble with them along with a couple of near misses at a DZ at which one used to fly. NOTAMs ignored and they don't bother listening out on freq or talking when they bimble through your airspace. More than one occasion when we had to go around on jump run when the JM spotted a couple of them below the drop ship over the DZ. Waste of time trying to talk to them as well. Just got a load of attitude and told to F-off when we went to see them at their home field to ask them to avoid our DZ when paradrop operations were in progress.

A Lutra Continua wrote:Barometric capsule using grey code linked to xponder for mode C.

As for gliders, had loads of trouble with them along with a couple of near misses at a DZ at which one used to fly. NOTAMs ignored and they don't bother listening out on freq or talking when they bimble through your airspace. More than one occasion when we had to go around on jump run when the JM spotted a couple of them below the drop ship over the DZ. Waste of time trying to talk to them as well. Just got a load of attitude and told to F-off when we went to see them at their home field to ask them to avoid our DZ when paradrop operations were in progress.

I would have thought using Fl Lt Morgan's technique for downing enemy helicopters when he couldn't
get a firing solution would work well. High speed pass close by ?

Too much trouble descending a couple of thousand feet to make your run at them then climbing back up to drop altitude. Commercial operation so minutes in the air cost money.

Alisoncc wrote:When I was installing the occasional Transpondor we used to take a feed off the altimeter. Go back 55 years and we had a piece of kit known as IFF X in our Vulcans. IFF being Identify Friend or Foe from WWII. Three modes of operation being Mode A, B, and C, with mode C being able to be programmed, at the time manually by thumb switches. Years later the idea of having it display altitude became the accepted norm.

Alison

Yeah I was designing an IFF control interface for a UAV last week, there are alot of different sub modes now. My personal favourite is mode 4 Lethal