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Can GPS be used in place of DME for IFR?
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Yes and no. You can use GPS in place of DME if the fix appears in the GPS database For instance, if you were flying a VOR-DME approach without a DME in the aircraft, the GPS can be substituted if the required fixes are named and included in the GPS database or the VOR upon which the approach is based can be found in the GPS database. Remember DME is slant distance. If not taken into account in the database, it's not the same as GPS distance.
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Why can't some avionics be sold over the counter (without dealer installation)?
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When a company becomes a dealer for a major manufacturer, it is required to commit to a dealership agreement. Most manufacturers state in these agreements that no new equipment, unless otherwise specified, will be sold outright. Therefore, they must be installed by the dealer. The primary reason for this is they want their equipment installed by known trained and knowledgeable technicians instead of yahoos. They also want to make sure the customer is happy and not complaining to the manufacturer about installation related problems beyond their control.
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Most manufacturers have definite installation policies for their TSO'd and IFR products. What are they?
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In order to ensure proper installation and certification of
specific panel-mounted products, most manufacturers require the dealer to personally
install every new IFR or TSO'd product they sell. There are usually two exceptions to this dealer
installation only policy. First, a dealer may sell the equipment for amateur built/kitplane customers provided that this equipment is sold as part of an entire panel, with all interfacing between systems and bench testing completed by the dealer. With simple systems, a complete harness is sufficient. Second, a distributor may sell equipment direct to another dealer. VFR equipmnet is usually exempt from this requirement.
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| Do low cost headsets work as well as an expensive ones? |
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| No, low cost headsets are part of the "planned obsolescence
cycle" They have smaller gauge wire, less strands, usually not
shielded and have poor quality microphones. Their noise
canceling characteristic are also poor. They are not designed to
last. It is impossible to make a good headset for under $100.
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| I have a 360 Channel radio, are they still legal? |
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| The number of channels has nothing to do with it. The
transmitting frequency tolerance is the problem. Any transmitter
that does not meet the new .003% accuracy is not approved in the USA.
You may use them to receive but not to transmit. Most of the
older 90 and 360 channels radios fall into this class but there
are some older ones that do meet the new specification. In
Canada, regulations state that any radio device must be on
Industry Canada's approved list (REL) or be FCC approved when imported
into Canada. Industry Canada's list, now available on the
Internet, is somewhat confusing. Some approved radios that meet
the .003% tolerance and have been approved, have been taken off
for no apparent reason. You should consider replacing your old
radio anyway. If we all used wide tolerance radios, there would
be no problem. But most radios are now .0025% or better and are
only receiving on this narrow band. If you're not transmitting on
it you just won't be heard.
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| What does the term 'Re-cycle your transponder' mean? |
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| Not much any more. It was a term used in the good old days and
is believed to have originated from early digital shift registers
losing count. This would give ATC the wrong code and they would
ask for a recycle of the count. Today it usually means that the
code received by ATC has an error or your code is intermittent. If
you fly mostly VFR, your transponder displays 1200 most of the
time. The portions of the switch wafers not used sometimes
collect dust. If you are asked to recycle, turn the transponder
to 'stand-by', rotate the code switches a bit, returning to the
original code and then turn it back on again. Some controllers
use the term 're-cycle' as a polite way of saying your
transponder is not set right. |
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| I'm thinking of buying an aircraft. What are the requirements in respect of avionics maintenance? |
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| In Canada, you have to have your ELT checked by an
approved A.M.O. every year. If you plan to fly in class A, B, and C airspace or IFR, you will need your altimeter, transponder and encoder checked every 2 years. Routine checks by an A.M.O. are advisable if you are flying IFR or on long trips to other countries. |
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| My mechanic says that I have to have my altimeter checked every two years even if I don't fly IFR. Is this true? |
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| Before an amendment in 1998 to CAR's the wording implied that altimeters in all aircraft had to be calibrated every two years. It has since been amended. In summary, the altimeter has to be checked every two years only if you fly in class B airspace, IFR, and with a transponder and encoder. |
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| CAR's say that my encoder must be calibrated as well as my altimeter, is this true? |
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| CAR's does require that all altimeters and altimetry devices (encoders) installed in aircraft operating under Instrument Flight Rules, or under Visual Flight Rules in Class A, B, and C Airspace, be calibrated every two years. The problem is the reference to the Standards outlined in Appendix "B" of Chapter 571 of the Airworthiness Manual. This standard refers to altimeters only and clearly does not apply to encoders. It specifies accuracies to 20 feet at sea level when encoders only output altitude information in 100 foot increments. Some AME's have taken this to mean encoders anyway and have informed owners that they must send out their encoders for calibration, which is technically correct. However Airworthiness Manual 571 Appendix "F" requires that encoders be correlated (matched) to the altimeter after any
maintenance to the system. Calibrating an altimeter is considered maintenance and this section then applies. This correlation, when performed after the calibration to the altimeter, would then
nullify the calibration to the encoder if it too had been done. Due to the lack of specific references to encoders in CAR's it is considered acceptable to ignore calibrating your encoder. The
correlation, in effect, does calibrate the encoder to the Standards required (125 ft) in Appendix "F". The only case where an encoder has to be calibrated is when a separate encoder is
installed and is supplying altitude to the pilot (such as an IFR GPS or air data computer) or supplying altitude to an autopilot. In these cases they are usually supplying altitude accuracies much greater than 125 ft. |
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| Can I install avionics in my homebuilt myself? |
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| Yes you can. A special rule applies to a
transponder and encoder. They must be certified by an avionics shop or someone with calibrated equipment. |
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| What avionics equipment do I need for IFR? |
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| You need a means of communicating with Air traffic Control, 2 means of approved navigation, a transponder and an encoder. You will also need approved equipment for an approach at the your departure, destination and alternate airport. |
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| Where can I get my transponder/encoder checked? |
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| You must take your aircraft to a facility that has the
personnel and equipment to do the test. Most avionics shops can do
this as well as some larger maintenance organization. |
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| The book says that my GPS software can be updated in the field. How do I do this? |
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| Most manufacturers will provide the software and hardware so you can program or update your unit in the field. An adaptor cable, the
software for your computer and the update is all you need. This is supplied through the internet or on floppy disk. Most Avionics shops, when they sell you the GPS will agree to do the update free whenever you buy updates from them. Newer GPS units can be updated directly with a data card on the front of the unit. This has nothing to do with the navigational database which you get through your normal subcription. |
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| I have an old tube-type radio that is giving me problems. Should I get it fixed? Is it worth anything? Should I pitch it? |
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| No! No! & Yes! |
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| Will a portable GPS do the same job as a panel mounted IFR GPS? |
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| No! It may seem to be navigating just fine but it has a few major flaws. The most serious one is the update rate. The portables use fairly slow microprocessors and the program is written with "features" in mind, not safety. Error routines in the main program are not given high priority and may not display immediately. When they do, these error messages may go unnoticed since there are no flashing annunciators with portables. If an error goes unnoticed once, up to three to four minutes may elapse before a serious position error is discovered. Coincidently, this is the time it takes to do an approach. Panel mounted units usually flag within seconds. |
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| Can I install an exterior mounted antenna for my portable GPS and will it help? |
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| Yes, you will get a significant improvement in reception over the portable or integral antenna. This allows the unit to see more of the sky. Long cable lenghts though, can negate this advantage. |
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| How do I get my handheld radio to work better in my aircraft? |
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| Have an external antenna installed or use a spare antenna. Your reception will improve somewhat and your transmissions will improve two to three fold. Always terminate an unused jack or cable. If you don't interference may result with your existing panel unit. |
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| Do I have to send by altimeter to an instrument shop to have it certified before I have the transponder/encoder check carried out? |
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| No. most shops have the equipment to certify the altimeter and do the transponder/encoder at the same time. In any case, it has to be certified before the encoder check is done. If the altimeter requires major repairs or overhaul, they are usually sent to an instrument shop. Exchanges are sometimes available. |
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| My ADF won't point to the station, my VOR's are out 10 degrees, my gyro's tumble a lot and ATC can't pick up my transponder. I've been to many avionics
shops and they can't solve my problem. What can I do? |
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| Sell the airplane! |
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