ADS-B Installation Gallery

Panel cover
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The article details the replacement of an airplane's obsolete Narco 50A transponder and encoder with a new Stratus ESG transponder and a high-accuracy encoder.
  • A significant part of the upgrade involved the meticulous installation of a new external GPS antenna on the fuselage, requiring drilling, strengthening, sealing, and precise placement to avoid signal shadowing.
  • This upgrade integrated the Stratus 2S unit, allowing it to receive enhanced satellite information from the newly installed GPS antenna, thereby improving the aircraft's ADS-B capabilities.
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GPS antenna from the top

My new GPS antenna location. It must not be shadowed by other antennas, which required measuring from the proposed location to the other antennas in that location. Getting it straight was done using our eyes from several different locations. There were no definite body lines to follow. Several minutes were devoted to checking the orientation of the antenna from every angle. Once we were satisfied, the four mounting holes were drilled. Once again, I sat inside the airplane with a cup to catch the metal while Jacob drilled the holes.

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