UAvionix TailBeaconX mounting and performance
 

Does anyone have a TailBeacon X flying? How is performance?

The installation manual suggests mounting it high on the tail to avoid shadowing by the elevator.

The RV8 tail light is down low, and not in the recommended location.

It looks like it might be OK as there is a bit of room behind the elevator. Only GPS satellites on the horizon neat the flight course would be blocked.

A second concern is that the tail beacon is low on a tail dragged and at risk of FOD.

Finally, I need to mount a rear strobe for night flight.

I am leery of relocating the beacon to the top of the rudder as it a flight control. On the flip sid, the TailBeacon X is only a few ounces.

If I use the standard, low location I would mount the rear strobe in the fairing at the top of the vertical fin and would not disturb a flight control.

TailbeaconX
 

I installed a uAvionix tailBeaconX In the NAV/Strobe light position on the rudder of my RV-10 about a year ago. The ADSB 1090 out tested perfectly with the FAA on the first try and the Transponder hasn't missed a beat from the beginning.

Several months ago I contacted Trent Martinez of uAvionix and asked him to get me ADSB tracking readout from the Aireon satellites which he was able to obtain from Nav Canada. He got me tracking information on 3 flights in Canadian airspace outside of the US ground based ADSB stations. Tracking of my flights looked similar to what you would see on Flight Aware.

This information is not available from Nav Canada to the general public as yet. It is available to some Emergency services and SAR.

Thanks for the help!
 

I appreciate your feedback. I looked at the Beacon X again last night. The antennas are really quite small and it looks like the rudder itself will provide some protection against FOD. I will need to watch ground handling.

Based on your experience as well as the simplicity I will go with the Vans tail light mounting.

On less “project” to worry about before flying.

Installed on the 8
 

I installed the tail beacon on my 8.

You will need to do a fair amount of interior cleaning of where the box portion of the beacon goes into the fibreglass. When the adapter/mounting plate goes on the fairing, you will be limited on space.

The tail beacon goes in at an almost 90 degree offset so that it turns and locks into the adapter. When you turn that mode S transponder box, you will have difficulty/interference if you do not remove a fair amount fibreglass inside the fairing to accommodate the turn.

Just took a little time to do it and run the extra 2 wires to hook up to the AV30.

Great little unit and no issues.

The two antennae’s seem flimsy, but I haven’t had any issues.

Setup on the first try with the FAA and Nav Canada.

Don

I have one on my RV-6 and it's worked perfectly in the stock tail-light location. My only concern with it is damage due to people walking by, or swinging my tow bar without looking. It is very close to the angle my tow bar is at when i'm turning the tail.

The original design had the plastic enclosure extended to cover the two antennae, I would be a lot happier if they had retained that design but they said it was a nightmare to assemble compared to this one.

Tailbeabon X in wing tip?
 

I do not have a tail light on my RV6. What I have in mind is to mount it inside a wing tip. Any reason why this would not work?

Nope. This has been done, I'm sure someone here on the forum mentioned it. Contact uAvionix and they may be able to supply firmware that disables the light as well, so it's not shining inside your wingtip cavity all the time.

Have installed 4 TailBeacons in the wingtip. Kept it as far outboard as possible. They work great with perfect Public ADS-B Performance Reports. You use the SkyBeacon app on your phone to configure your TailBeacon and it has the ability to turn off the light.

Tailbeacon X
 

I didn't know that you could mount a Tailbeacon X in a wingtip.....

What about the antenna??Does it not have to be able to look at the satellite to work??

If it does actually work, that is the way I will mount mine so that I can keep my tail/strobe light installed and not having to worry about someone braking the antenna on my -4..:D

If anyone has pictures of their install in the wingtip, it will be nice to have look..

Bruno

It looks through the fibreglass. Fibreglass doesn't block the signal.

Someone walking past and breaking mine is the only concern I have with mine on the tail. The prototype had a plastic enclosure that covered the two antennas, but they decided to forego that due to the difficulty of assembly. I hope they have a good replacement policy if they get broken.