tcas

I am finally getting more serious about some sort of TCAS.
I have tried one portable and was unimpressed since it just made more confusion(voice, azimuth, distance weren't adequate) in the cockpit at times and didn't seem all that accurate.

The avidyne 600 system seems popular and about 12K to put in.
Mode S sounds like it is to be discontinued and obviously is not helpful out of radar environment.
What concerns me is the hassle and $$ of putting TCAS in when ADS-B seems to be coming down the pike and sounds like it will be mandatory. From the FAA website/s, implementation of the ADS-b is slated somewhere between 2010-12, so it is a few years down the road if one is an optimist. Other countries, like Australia, seem to be ready to implement sooner.

I'm a little fuzzy(lot's actually) about if I put in TCAS, would it be screwed up by ADS-B in the future and how much crosstalk the two systems might need. If ADS-B is not mandatory except in high traffic areas or certain types of controlled airspace, then you'd still need TCAS for that added layer of safety of non ADS-B transpondered aircraft. I'll forward this to Kent M and try to get his input as well.

Appreciate any insights out there in Peterson Performance land.

Bill Witrak

I'm having the Avidyne TAS 600 system for 12k installed in my Katmai. I personally don't want to wait until 2010-2012 (which will end up being 2020 if the government has anything to do with it!). I want to use it today and I personally would rather have this than a 2nd Garmin 430. To each his own though!

How do you plan to display the Avidyne output? On the Garmin GPS?

Yes. I plan on having it display on the Garmin 530 that I'm installing. I have a KMD 850 sitting in a box here at my hangar that I tore out of my TBM, but I just can't put that OLD technology in my new Katmai!