Any pros and cons to using Sky Echo ADS-B?

[NT5224]

Hi folks probably a dumb question!

 

A couple of years ago when the subsidy came out I bought a Sky Echo. For some reason I never got around to registering and fitting it to my aircraft. 
 

I don’t fly much and live in a remote area, fly from my own property and so never had much pressure on me to register. 
 

I don’t have any particular reason why I don’t at present. I believe the risk of collision where I live and at the altitudes I fly very low.

 

Has anybody had any experiences using ADS-B to convince them it’s a really good thing or conversely a bad thing? 
 

Has it saved your bacon ( avoided collision) or maybe landed you in hot water (landing fees, airspace violations). Has ADS-B had any unexpected consequences? 
 

I note now that  going online, anybody in the world can now track flights with ADS-B activated. 
 

Alan 
 

 

Edited yesterday at 07:40 AM by NT5224

[SGM]

Hi Alan

I was motivated to get one after seeing an aircraft cross my path at Carrum (near busy Moorabbin airport in Victoria) quite a bit earlier than Avplan (via internet mobile connection) had indicated.

Since then, I use it pretty much all of the time.  I have spotted many nearby aircraft cross-country that would have escaped my visual scanning.  Even in circuits when I am a bit unclear from others radio calls about where exactly they are, I can have a quick peek at the iPhone or iPad because the location is very accurate.

For me it just gives me comfort knowing it's probably going to show me 80% of all other aircraft, to at least 20nm (more like 40nm at altitude). And even if I'm not looking at my phone or iPad, there is a good chance they will notice me on their display.
 

[skippydiesel]

I fly from the Sydney Basin. When I first used SE2 I could not believe the numbed of aircraft that were in my vicinity. OzRunways on its own, only showed other OzRunways carrying aircarft. I now get almost all aircraft - much safer. Must still use the Mk1 eyeball but now know where in space to look.

 

Annoyances:

• The suction mounting seems to pick the worst times to drop the whole shebang.
• I get an annoying "tick" in my headset . Comes and goes depending orientation of head to SE2 .
• I follow the recommended charging regime - at home. I would much rather charge from the aircraft power.

I highly recomend this little white box 😈

[Thruster88]

I don't see any down side with ADSB / SkyEcho2 unless one is a drug runner or tin foil hat wearing type.

 

The positive, there are many more aircraft in the sky than you will ever see. Flying south from the Old Station flyin recently my SkyEcho2 + ozrunways showed three aircraft ahead that we slowly overtook and two behind that overtook us. We were all tracking towards Goondiwindi. All passed within 5 miles but we were only able to see one of them with four eyeballs and knowing were to look. There was no doubt a few more about with no traffic out.

 

Unalerted See and avoid away from the circuit is a BS. Very difficult to reliability see an aircraft at greater than 3 miles, often that is less than 60 second to impact. Area that can be scanned from the cockpit is maybe 40% at best.

 

I find EFB with traffic on a screen makes flying more enjoyable.