NavWorx ADS600-EXP update -2
Sorry this is a duplicate post -
October 2 2017
Today I called the NavWorx technical department and talked about the FAA AD on the ADS600-EXP unit. This is a summary of my conversation.
NavWorx is caught up by the FAA which claims that the Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) in their internal GPS receiver is inadequate. Never mind that the NavWorx unit has passed every accuracy test, the FAA contention is that in some apocalyptic situation with sunspots or military interference or whatever, the system might be using corrupted GPS data without the RAIM being able to detect that. The result is that the Signal Integrity Level (SIL,) which is an ADS-B (Out) broadcast data byte, is insufficient. If the SIL were to be set appropriately (according to the FAA) to 0, it would block traffic and weather from being received making the ?IN virtually useless. The FAA has issued an AD which applies to the experimental version as well as to the certified version.
NavWorx issued a Service Bulletin
http://www.navworx.com/ServiceBulletinEXP060000.pdf which instructed owners of the ADS600-EXP to download software 6.0.0 or 7.0.0. The bulletin also states that 7.0.0 requires an external GPS receiver part number 200-8112. As of the date of this writing, neither the software nor the GPS receiver is listed on the NavWorx website. I called the NavWorx technical department to sort all this out.
I was directed to the website
www.dallasavionics.com (apparently one of the installation arms of NavWorx) where we can order the external GPS. It is $299.00 and will be produced in a limited production run and only available until Dec 1 2017. A purchaser will not be charged until it is shipped. The GPS module will not require any additional wiring changes and will be "Daisy Chained in Series" with the existing system using existing ADS600-EXP system wiring and connectors. I was advised to place the order early.
The software is not released yet, even though the bulletin says that it is available on the NavWorx website. That website is really messed up with links pointing all over the place and at least two pages nearly identical to each other. I was told that the author of the website is trying to extricate himself from the effects of Hurricane Irma in Florida.
What happens if we don?t do this? Well, probably nothing unless we are ramp-checked or have some other verification test. But we will not be in compliance until this is done.
I would appreciate any inputs from others in the same situation. Compliance seems to cost $300.