I am on the waiting list for one for my AA-1B when they get their approval. With the Government Shutdown, I am sure that will add a delay for them to get the STC. From what I have read and heard, installs of the Skybeacon wingtip ADS-B unit have been going well for those planes that it will fit.

I’m on the waiting list as well. I watched a friend install one on a RV8. Under 10 mins to install and 5 mins to configure. It is literally two screws, pos/neg wires and a iPhone app to configure. You can download the template w the dimensions, the two screws line up perfectly on AA1.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Tim Hornyak.

Has GPA contacted Uavionix for a group discount? I also own a Cessna 150 & that group got a 10% discount.

News RELEASE…. Grumman Parts signed a reseller agreement with uAvionix yesterday. This will allow you to get the lowest cost ADS-b out solution on the market with a 1 hour install to save even more.

uAvonix is not offering shipping, promotional or pre-order discounts. We will offer free shipping for GPA members.

If you are already on the uAvionix list, that DOES NOT prevent you from ordering on Grumman Parts

https://grumman-parts.com/shop/grumman-airframe-parts/tail-beacon-ads-b-out-solution/

• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Jeff Johnson.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Jeff Johnson.

I just signed up as well. I should be number 21!
Chris

Just added my name to your list also.

Shared this post with the co-owner of our 1978 AA-5B. He thought it was a great idea, but he asked me if would work with our transponder. Not knowing much about any of this I had no answer. We have a Garmin 250x, no idea who even made the transponder. Can somebody make me smarter? Would really like to bolt this on and go.

The uAvoncis Tailbeacon will work with any Mode C or S transponder that is capable of passing the Biannual transponder test today. The uAvonics does not physically connect to the transponder unlike the Garmin GDL-82 which connects on the RF cable between the transponder and the antenna and taps signal resulting in less signal reaching the antenna. The uAvonics Tailbeacon reads the data from the Transponder via transient RF signals that gets incidentally passed through the aircraft electrical system. For the Garmin GDL-82 install, they suggest first testing the transponder to make sure it puts out higher then the minimum power so it will still have the minimum amount of signal reaching the antenna after passing through the GDL box. Apparently some older transponders fail in that configuration. The uAvonics Skybeacon is the way to go if you have an older transponder.

Also I got a chance to look at and hold the Skybeacon at the NW Aviation Trade show last weekend near Seattle, WA. I was surprised how small and light it is. It does not weigh much more then the tail light assembly it replaces (within ounces I think), and will probably go on the W/B form as a negligible change.

According to Jeff Johnson in his first post to this thread he said it does not. I would just not cancel today with uAvonics or whoever you signed up with, as they should not have taken a deposit.

I see on the Uavionics website that the price retail price is $1,999.00 . What is the specific discount for ordering through Grumman Parts?

I’m on the pre-buy list with Grumman Parts.
Thanks!

• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by William Chapman.

Hi William,
Thanks for your pre-order at Grumman-parts.com
There is no specific discount. The margins on aviation stuff are not generous at all, but I can and will pay the costs to ship the units to everyone. uAvionix made it clear that resellers may not advertise discounts. Based on the size of the order, we should see a higher level of priority for the product. Most likely around 2 weeks from the FAA approval.
Supporting grumman-parts.com is supporting the growth of a site/business dedicated to you and other Grumman owners. It was started and is run by a Grumman owner who, selected the technology, helped build, and volunteers hundreds of hours per year managing the GPA site. We have never been paid for our time and never charged anyone a dime for this site we all enjoy.
Should anything ever go wrong with a purchase, on Grumman-parts, you will have someone who by the nature of the supplier relationships, can and will be an advocate for you. I am very specific about service levels and product support.
My hope is that Grumman-parts will provide additional value worthy of your initial and continued support.
Jeff
PS: The next purchase order update will be going into uAvionix one week from today. If you are reading this and want to be on the list, please follow the direction on the site to get your preorder in now. Once the FAA approval is issued, I have no idea about wait times on subsequent orders.

I’m on the list too.
R/Wayne
N45208

E-mail from uAvonics this morning says they have submitted for the TSO for the TailBeacon. Here is a clip from the e-mail…

Our application still needs to be approved – but as always, we’ve been working closely with the ACO. Then we’ll need to get the STC. As with skyBeacon, we expect a combination of an initial Approved Model List (AML) and the Form 337 minor modification process for those not on the AML. We should be able to wrap up the entire thing in 6-8 weeks.

But then everything with the FAA takes twice as long then expected, and then some….
Jeff, checking the list of Vendors I did not see Grumman Parts on the list of “Trusted Re-sellers”. Are you set up as a “Qualified Installer”?

Hi Richard, Thanks for the heads up on the uAvionix reseller listing (missing!). I expect it to be taken care of shortly. JJ

Hi Richard, Thanks for the heads up on the uAvionix reseller listing (missing!). I expect it to be taken care of shortly. JJ

add another to the order list

N28541 KLCI

Does anyone know if the Uavonix tail beacon works with the “red Rudder cap” STC/mod for a Tiger?

The uAvonics TailBeacon goes in the tailcone. It does not have a strobe feature like the wingtip beacon (I wish it did), so it will not replace the need to have a beacon or strobe on the rudder. If you had upgraded to a combo tail / strobe light in tailcone and had removed the beacon, you can’t use the uAvonics TailBeacon without reinstalling a beacon or strobe on the rudder.

Hello fellow Grumman folks—-
Can anyone explain the FAA rebate program to me? When can we reserve a rebate? After we pay for the approved TailBeacon? Or can we get on the rebate list now since we essentially placed a pre-order..?
They are nearing the end of the rebates I hear— only about 1000 left to be claimed.

Any information is appreciated.
Thank you.
Chris Langenfeld

Since then, the FAA has announced all the Rebates have been claimed or reserved. I hear they will post updates once a week if any rebate claims fail to be made by their reserved date and come available. More information here…
https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/equipadsb/rebate/
Now should you still get the opportunity to get a reservation, the Tail Beacon is not yet approved so it will not show on the list of approved devices that you select as the product you plan to install. I would still put in the reservation selecting the wingtip SkyBeacon which would be on the list, then select the last date the calendar will allow you for completion of the install. Then assuming the TailBeacon is approved go ahead and install that. As long as you complete the ADS-B out install with an approved device by the reservation date, you get the rebate. You could also switch to a Garmin, Stratus, or other approve product if you chose.
I have my $500 rebate coming for the Stratus ESG I installed in my C-182. I am also waiting for the TailBeacon for my AA-1B, but there is only one rebate per person.

I spoke to the Uavionix folks at Osh Kosh last week. They confirmed the STC will be approved in less than 10 days (it was 10 days last Wed.). I sent them in a photo of a Tiger showing the tail, and they said the install would be no problem. There are some aircraft that have fitment issues.

Update on Tail Beacon Grumman-parts.com is an authorized reseller for the tailBeacon.

I know MANY of you are on our pre-approval list.

Since I am getting 3-5 messages a day I thought I would address some the questions and let you know that I expect to have another update from the VP at uAvionix whose private number is on my speed dial.

Will this fit.
YES it will fit in the hole where your white nav lite is in the tail.

When will the STC be approved?
Nobody including the sales person Pat talked to at Oshkosh can answer that as it is in the hands of the FAA. It should be soon though.

What happens next?
uAvionix will begin shipping product. Good news is that they added a second assembly line and have been building inventory since the TSO approval months ago.

When will our orders through Grumman-parts get shipped?
Once the STC is done I will be able to talk with Hayden to know where the Purchase Orders I have put in are in the Queue and have more firm dates but my estimation is 3 to 6 weeks depending on which PO your order is one and if there are people on the list who did something else and didn’t tell me.

How/When will I pay?
Once the STC is done and I have a forecasted shipping date I will issue an updated invoice with free shipping, and contact you to collect funds by check.

Can I install this myself?
No. The install will need and AP/IA to complete the paperwork. I estimate that you can expect 1 hour to install, program the unit and complete the paperwork/logbook entry.

What happened with the idea of cutting the nav lens and putting in a skyBeacon? (ONLY>>>>FOR THOSE WHO HAVE A COMBO STROBE/NAV in the tailcone)

The Richmond VA FISDO frowned on it and I finally gave up. That said we have another idea that I will be doing on my Tiger. We are going to take the existing STOBE/NAV and reinstall it on the bottom of the tail cone. My AP/IA will sign off on that. Check with yours or your local DER.

What if I haven’t ordered yet, can I still get on the list?
By all means please do as soon as possible. I am negotiating with Hayden at uAvionix to combine all of our purchase orders into one big one.

Jeff
540-309-6427

• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Jeff Johnson.

Does the tail Beacon provide any ADSB in? It is listed on the Uavionix site as a transceiver, which implies both sending and receiving info, but doesn’t say it provides ADSB-In. If it does provide an in signal, does it connect to your IPad and ForeFlight? If so, does it use WiFi or Bluetooth? I tried calling Uavionix, but only got VM. Thank you.

The uAvonics TailBeacon is ADS-B out only. It is a transceiver as it receives and replies to the ground stations and other aircraft. This is the minimum to meet the mandate for ADS-B. In is not a requirement.
You would use a Status, Stratux, or other portable ADS-B in devices to receive.

Last order of the year shipping to grumman-parts.com today. Don’t get grounded.

The tail beacon was a very easy install as well as the flight test. Works as advertised. Affordable ADS-B out solution.

Thanks for the update, Wayne. If any of you are still on the fence, there is a backlog of orders but Grumman-parts.com does have more on the way.

There is a mandatory service bulletin for the tailBeacon firmware. It is a very easy upload that will only take a couple of minutes and the uavionix website has a straight forward pdf with hyperlinks to walk you through the process. Essentially download and install the BeaconUpdate Tool to a wifi pc or laptop. Download the new firmware, turn on your tailBeacon (position lights). Link your pc to the tailbeacon via the BeaconUpdate Tool and install the new firmware.

Description:

tailBeacon ADS-B Software v1.5.1 implements the following changes:

Flight Plan ID (squawk code) is now reported as ‘0000’ instead of ‘Not Available’, prior to the tailBeacon Transponder Monitor detecting a squawk code. This situation can occur in non-radar environments, or prior to achieving radar contact. The change is in accordance with updated TSO deviations as approved for tailBeacon, to better integrate with the operational characteristics of FAA Air traffic control (ATC) systems.
Flight Plan ID (squawk code) data lifetime (timeout) has been updated from 60 seconds to infinity (through a given power cycle), which persists the last known squawk code after leaving a radar environment. The change is in accordance with updated TSO deviations as approved for tailBeacon, to better integrate with the operational characteristics of FAA Air Traffic Control (ATC) systems.
The ADS-B firmware part number is now made available through electronic marking, viewable in the iOS and Android apps, as well as the Windows firmware update tool.
Products Affected:

tailBeacon TSO (UAV-1002183-001) MOD 0, and MOD 1 running ADS-B software v1.4.0 or previous.

Compliance:

This Service Bulletin is mandatory.

Certification Approval:

STC SA04427CH

tailBeacon STC Installation Manual UAV-1002514-001 Rev C

Service Bulletin:

There are two versions of the Service Bulletin depending on how the tailBeacon installation was approved:

If the tailBeacon was installed using the STC or the FAA ADS-B Policy Memo please follow the STC Service Bulletin:

tailBeacon STC Service Bulletin UAV-1003174-002-Rev-A

Beacon Update Tool:

UAV-1002767 BeaconUpdate Tool v1.1.0 (Windows 7 or higher with Wi-Fi capability required)

skyBeacon v 1.5.1 Firmware:

The skyBeacon and tailBeacon utilize the same firmware. The filename and link below are correct for both skyBeacon and tailBeacon

UAV-1001759-007 skyBeacon v1.5.1

For additional information or questions please contact support@uavionix.com