Microair Upgrade

[PaulN]

G'day,

 

I have a Microair T2000SFL transponder. ATC has recently been advising that I fade on and off their radar. So contacted Microair support to be advised that my unit is what they term a "revision 5" version and that it needs to be upgraded to "revision 7" at considerable cost . Apparently this is due to changes in Air Services radar systems over the past 12 to 18 mths.

 

Has anyone else experienced this? Is their someone other than Microair that could satisfactorily complete this upgrade?

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

 

 

[PaulN]

Someone has advised that there have been no such changes to Air Services radar facilities and that Microair's transponders were known to be faulty in their original new condition when supplied.

 

Can anyone add support to this?

 

If this is indeed the case, and can be backed up with evidence (anecdotal or documented) I will be persuing them for a free upgrade.

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

 

 

[jetboy]

Firstly Paul I dont think you'll get anywhere on this one as i already represented the issues to said manufacturer in as simple terms as possible but they denied that the product was ever non compliant to the TSO.

 

If you are technically inclined please read the copious data from Keith Peshak probably the only person in the avionics game that knows how these things work (NOT)

 

Do transponders even work? - Democratic Underground

 

Now on to answer your question:

 

In NZ March/April 266 Vector publication (probably still available on the CAA website) there is an article detailing the fact that Airways NZ changed their radar system and susequently discovered it no longer worked with certain mode C transponders mainly Microair that till that time had been properly working. Microair claim they built the T2000SFL compliant with the TSO, and they probably did, like many other manufacturers previously had.

 

The most well known glitch with the TSO was the "Terra problem" that occurred in the USA some years ago and required a huge recall program that ultimately crippled the company. The cruel joke is that it seems the TSO is faulty, and no one will fix it.

 

So in 2006 Airways NZ changes the radar causing everyone with a pre rev-6 Microair to stump up for a factory return and refit program. Our club had just purchased 2 Rev-5 and the avionics shop would not certify them until they were fixed, although the mod for these units was free of charge to recent purchasers.

 

I dont know if the Aussie Airservices have done a similar job to their radars, from my observation you wont be able to do anything about it - but why worry, ADSB is just around the corner, and a T2000SFL wont work for that................

 

Ralph