I approve of the presentation!
You can make a UHF receiver for “nothing” i.e. a few € or so.
The biggest issue I see is that just about very nearly nobody of relevance to “us” is emitting ADS-B. Only airliners are, and you won’t find yourself in the same space as one of those, and if you do he won’t be interested in your ADS-B emissions; he will be rather interested in your goode olde Mode C emissions because that is what triggers his TCAS.
Maybe 10 years from now the situation will be different, with say 10% of GA emitting ADS-B (presently maybe 0.1%). But it won’t reach the Mode C equip level in our lifetimes (currently probably 30% of the below-2000ft community and 95% of the above-2000ft community) unless they make ADS-B mandatory for all VFR, and the biggest European transponder/ADS-B-OUT manufacturer I spoke to at Friedrichshafen this year reckons that will never happen.
The above hardware (a USB Freeview TV receiver) can also receive Mode S returns, which should be far more useful than ADS-B, but almost no light GA is emitting GPS data on Mode S so it cannot be used for traffic avoidance. Due to historical EASA restrictions, only Enhanced Mode S is allowed to emit any of that stuff, and Enhanced is “illegal” unless you are 250kt+ 5700kg+ or a few other things. Lots of imported N-regs emit Enhanced, however.
Regards 8.33, you can apparently modify a KX155 for 8.33, for not much. Not legally of course… There is a thread here somewhere.
There are plans at EASA to make ADS-B Out mandatory, down to hang gliders even. Not the present form of expensive certified ADS-B but a lower power variant. Projects are already underway. The goal is to get the price down to where everybody sees the value. It would not require certification.
I predict that we will see more of such community efforts to create inexpensive hardware. By combining a few standard components like Raspberry pie, you can have a cheap working product when the typical oldskool avionics designers won’t even have started to write their requirements documents. We will see a massive acceleration there. Hardware has been a very slow and inefficient industry for a long time and now software methods are being applied.
But you have to make it yourself, and at present virtually nobody in GA is transmitting ADS-B.
That looks better
Incidentally, if they are going to allow uncertified ADS-B OUT then surely using say a GTX330 for ADS-B OUT should not require any paperwork 
My 10 year old one won’t do it but I think recent ones can… actually probably not because the box looks for a GPS data stream from a particular certification level GPS. But if one faked that certification-level flag (with a little box between the GPS and the GTX330) that would do it, surely?
Brilliant, this is exactly the sort of effort I was referring to! One smart hobbyist can beat whole armies of fossil corporate staff.
The big IT companies are starting to realize that something big is happening here. Microsoft even made Windows 10 available free of charge for the Raspberry Pie.
Cheapest ADS-B with AHRS
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bad-elf/bad-elf-ads-b-affordable-weather-and-traffic-recei
For anybody who is looking for an affordable ADS-B (traffic) including an AHRS this is the cheapest I found. I ordered the European version and we need more backers for the project to fly. Badelf is a well known company. Have a look. I am not affiliated just a backer.
Placido
What benefit are you expecting it to bring you? In Europe, ADS-B Weather is not available and with regards traffic, I constructed a Pilot Aware Unit and the only aircraft it will pick up when I’m flying in Germany is CAT, mainly because most GA doesn’t transmit ADS-B out. Therefore you are effectively paying for a unit which you will use as an AHRS back up, correct?
Hi Steve,
yes, I am aware that in Europe I won’t get all the traffic today but I am pretty sure we will be moving in the same direction as in the US. New transponders today almost all feature ADS-B out and it’s just a matter of time. And yes I am particularly attracted by the backup AHRS. I have old steam gauges and at that price I find it an affordable investment into additional safety.
I’ve backed it as well but I’m not sure it’s going to reach its funding threshold.
Mid last year, I purchased a Garmin GDL39 3D GPS from a well-known, perhaps the most well-known, UK aviation retailer.
Its intended use was as a GPS receiver for Garmin Pilot, which I had used hitherto with a Garmin GLO. I was to obtain traffic (ADS-B) and to use it for SynthVis and Attitude (AHRS), the subscription free Weather is, of course, unobtainable in Europe.
Firstly, I was informed it came with a battery – it did not – and I had the inconvenience and expense of having to buy a battery – this was needed so I could update the firmware, as the unit would not couple at all without the update. However, the unit is not supplied with a mains lead either, only the battery is supplied with a mains lead.
In fairness, the supplier provided me with a connection cable free of charge and a small discount on the battery purchase. However, when the battery arrived, its mains lead had only a US plug – thus after I explained this to the retailer they kindly sought out the correct fitment.
OK, now I had all the kit, charged the battery, updated the firmware and off we go …
Not so fast, I obtain only ADS-B therefore, whilst I can see Mr. Ryanair 20,000’ above me, to see the hardware likely to cut short my life by running into me if I’m in Class G airspace, it is as much use as the proverbial chocolate teapot.
SynthVis I am sure has its proponents, but unless I am about to carry out bombing raids over Syria, for my flying I have come to realise it is probably profoundly overplayed and it is unlikely I shall ever use its WAAS capabilities either – if they even exist.
Furthermore, simply obtaining a Bluetooth connection is a pain – it takes an age and drops out at the slightest excuse.
Is it a White Elephant? – Yes / Is it my problem? – Yes. I have written this post to exhort anyone thinking of buying this piece of kit, not to bother.
It is on my desk, staring at me as I write – in all its black-clad glory – a £700 paperweight (in which capacity it performs flawlessly by the way).
I should have bought PowerFlarm! (and I still have not, have no pecuniary interest in that firm nor any of its affiliates).
