SkyEcho2024-06-18T16:45:06-05:00

SkyEcho

Electronic Conspicuity

SkyEcho is a portable ADS-B IN/OUT transceiver consistent with the UK, Australian and New Zealand Electronic Conspicuity standards. SkyEcho enables you to SEE and BE SEEN by transmitting your aircraft position, altitude, course, and speed to surrounding aircraft, and receiving ADS-B and FLARM data for display in your Electronic Flight Bag.

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SkyEcho

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ADS-B IN/OUT with FLARM Capability

SkyEcho includes a dual-band ADS-B receiver to receive position reports from other ADS-B equipped aircraft. In the UK and Europe, users can enable a FLARM receiver for display of FLARM equipped aircraft as well. Use your favorite EFB application, including ForeFlight Mobile, SkyDemon, EasyVFR, AirMate, OzRunways, AvPlan, and Sky-Map.

AV-Link

Live Traffic on AV-30

Plug-in AV-Link to your AV-30 serial port, connect the AV-Link to your SkyEcho via Wi-Fi, and that’s it.

Experimental Aircraft

Certified Aircraft

See and Be Seen

UK CAA CAP 1391 and Australia CASA Civil Aviation Order 20.18 Amendment allows light aircraft, gliders, and balloons to see and be seen by other aircraft without equipping with a traditional transponder.

Portable ADS-B

SkyEcho is a portable ADS-B receive and transmit solution. With 20W transmit power, your 1090MHz ADS-B signal can be received up to 40NM away. Transmit functionality can be enabled or disabled depending on your flight location. The ADS-B receiver capability includes both 1090MHz and 978MHz UAT. Portable ADS-B transmit capability is currently only approved for use in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

FLARM Reception Capability

Receive FLARM in the UK/EU* natively with SkyEcho. When selected by the user, the UAT radio in SkyEcho can be used as a FLARM receiver. FLARM traffic data is transmitted to participating EFB applications for display of FLARM traffic. SkyEcho will translate the FLARM data onto your compatible EFB along with the ADS-B traffic.

*FLARM functionality not applicable to Australia

Aviation Certified GPS

SkyEcho includes a TSO-C199 GPS transmitting a Source Integrity Level (SIL) value of 1. SIL values of one (1) enable certified avionics, TCAS, and ATC to process and display your aircraft position. Aircraft using uncertified sources transmitting SIL of zero (0) are typically discarded and not displayed by the avionics or ATC displays. The high-integrity, SBAS GPS with Fault Detection and Exclusion (FDE) also provides position data to the EFB application and correlates your position with received traffic for viewing on supported displays.

Integrated Altimeter

SkyEcho includes an integrated baro altimeter. The altimeter correlates cabin pressure altitude to altitudes of nearby traffic to give you more accurate relative altitude alerts.

No Clutter Cockpit

The integrated SkyEcho battery removes cords and clutter from the cockpit and has enough capacity for up to 12 hours of flight time with the transmit function enabled.

Connect wirelessly to SkyEcho and receive live traffic on your GDL90 compatible EFB or EFIS for up to 4 devices simultaneously.

Find a SkyEcho Reseller

SkyEcho is NOT approved for use in the United States.
For U.S. applications, see Sentry by ForeFlight

The following required statement from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) applies to United States based entities with the exception of direct sales to the U.S. Government and units directly exported by uAvionix:

This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.

Specification Value
Operating Time 12 hours
Operating Power 3 watts
Size 57x82x30mm
Weight 120 grams
Source Integrity Level (SIL) 1
System Design Assurance (SDA) 0 (UK), 1 (Australia)
Operating Temp -45 to 70°C
Transmitter
Frequency 1090MHz ±1MHz
Transmit Power 20W Nominal
Frequency DO-260B DF-18
Receiver
1090 Performance -93 to 0dBm
978 Performance -103 to 0dBm
WAAS GPS
Augmentation SBAS
Sensitivity -167dBm
Altimeter
Range -1000 to 60,000ft
Interfaces
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz
4 simultaneous Connections
Ports USB-C

Data Sheet

Download

Install Manual

Download

AIC 141/2019

Download
Additional documentation can be found here.

Will SkyEcho software be updated to detect Mode C Transponders?2020-09-08T08:39:26-05:00

uAvionix has decided to not use Mode C because it cannot deliver adequate performance :

  • SkyEcho has an omnidirectional antenna- hence no azimuth detection is possible
  • The use of signal strength is unreliable as a distance measure
  • Mode C transponders don’t transmit unless triggered by a ground radar or TCAS.  This doesn’t happen in many parts of Australia or even at low altitudes below ATC radar coverage.
What are the important things to do, to optimize performance?2020-09-08T08:37:25-05:00

  1. Ensure that the device is mounted vertically (power connector facing the ground)
  2. Minimize metal obstructions towards the front of the aircraft
  3. Power up well before departure so that GPS has time to acquire all satellites
If my GPS doesn’t declare “good” when I first receive it, what can I do?2020-09-08T08:36:00-05:00

  1. Fully charge the device
  2. Power on and leave the device in an open area with very good visibility of the whole sky (away from hangars etc) 
  3. Leave this way for a few hours so that it can acquire the full almanac

 

If I can’t login to SkyEcho because it has a password. What can I do?2020-09-08T08:34:51-05:00

Hold down the power button until the lights flash (about 10 seconds). This re-sets the wireless system to no password.

Can ATC “see” my SkyEcho?2020-09-08T08:33:08-05:00

  1. The prime objective of SkyEcho is air-air surveillance. However, the CASA AC envisages SkyEcho being used for situational awareness.
  2. In Australia, it is envisaged that Airservices Australia will, in due course, enable the display of SkyEcho with a different symbology for the purposes of ATC situational awareness.
  3. Different symbology is required so that the ATC know that this symbol is not to be used for aircraft to aircraft separation, because the device, including the GPS, has not been certified to support that level of performance.
  4. The Australian device, unlike the UK variant, transmits a SIL=1 and SDA=1 with the objective of enabling ATC visibility and visibility to certified ADS-B IN applications.
  5. In 2020, the Airservices Australia ATC system has not yet been modified to display SkyEcho. With a new ATC system on the way, and with the COVID crisis, there is uncertainty about when this capability may be delivered by Airservices Australia.
  6. Of course, to be visible to ATC, SkyEcho will also need to within range of an Airservices Australia ADS-B ground station.  SkyEcho does not transmit the same power as a “normal” ADS-B capable transponder, so will not have the same range as a transponder.
What is the design objective of SkyEcho?2020-09-08T08:30:10-05:00

  1. The objective of SkyEcho was initially to meet the United Kingdom Conspicuity device market. See https://www.caa.co.uk/General-aviation/Aircraft-ownership-and-maintenance/Electronic-Conspicuity-devices/
  2. The UK CAA says “To reduce the safety risk of airborne conflict between GA in uncontrolled UK airspace we have developed a minimum technical specification for low power, lightweight, portable Electronic Conspicuity Devices that operates using ADS-B.”
  3. In the UK, the output of SkyEcho is not normally provided to ATC.  The idea is clearly focussed on air-air surveillance.
  4. SkyEcho was authorized to operate in Australia after CASA published changes t CAO 20:18 in mid-2020. CASA also published guidance in AC 91-23 (https://www.casa.gov.au/sites/default/files/advisory-circular-91-23-ads-b-enhancing-situational-awareness.pdf) which notes ATC situational awareness with EC devices like SkyEcho.
Can I use SkyEcho in the U.S.2020-07-07T06:53:05-05:00

No. SkyEcho is currently approved for use as an ADS-B OUT device in the UK and Australia. Use of SkyEcho in the United States is prohibited by the FCC and FAA.

What is Electronic Conspicuity?2020-07-06T09:24:58-05:00

Electronic Conspicuity (EC) is an umbrella term for a range of technologies that, in their most basic form, transmit the position of the host aircraft to other airspace users operating compatible equipment. More advanced devices can also transmit and receive, displaying and alerting pilots to other/conflicting traffic who have compatible EC devices. EC devices turn the traditional ‘see and avoid’ concept into ‘see, BE SEEN, and avoid’.  You can learn more about the program on the UK CAA’s Electronic Conspicuity page.

EC devices are intended for voluntary carriage on registered and non-registered UK Annex II  aircraft, non-complex EASA aircraft of <5700kg MTOM and for gliders and balloons (including those covered under ELA 1 and ELA 2) within uncontrolled UK airspace.

What does “portable” mean with regards to the SkyEcho?2017-03-26T00:12:34-05:00

The SkyEcho is a portable device that you can take with you from aircraft to aircraft and does not require physical or electrical installation into the airframe.  EC devices use a 24-bit address in the same way as a transponder.  This usually forms part of an aircraft’s Certificate of Registration.  However, as an EC device is designed to be portable and to also be used by unregistered aircraft, the 24-bit address will be programmable by the user.   The device is small enough to sit on your glare shield and fit easily in your flight bag.

Refer to the guidelines under the section titled “How to use 24-bit addresses with Electronic Conspicuity Devices” section available on the Electronic Conspicuity page.

What kind of range does SkyEcho have?2018-05-08T16:15:09-05:00

The SkyEcho is both an ADS-B IN (receive) and ADS-B OUT device.  Range is a function of transmit power. Depending on the output power of other aircraft, you will be able to SEE other aircraft over 270km (~150 NM) away.  SkyEcho has a transmit power of 25W on 1090MHz (1090ES).

What frequency does it use?2017-03-26T00:18:25-05:00

The ADS-B standard frequency for most of the world (all but the U.S.) is 1090Mhz.  In the U.S. 1090Mhz as well as 978Mhz is used.  SkyEcho transmits and receives on 1090Mhz.

Can I see other aircraft with SkyEcho?2017-03-26T00:19:56-05:00

Yes!  SkyEcho has built-in Wi-Fi hotspot that allows you to connect and display nearby traffic on a compatible app.  SkyEcho uses a common interface format called GDL 90.  As of now (Nov 2016), SkyDemon, Foreflight, Avare, Naviator, iFly 740 and FltPlan Go are a few of the compatible applications.  If you are a developer and would like to confirm compatibility please contact us.

Can other aircraft see me?2017-05-04T08:05:23-05:00

Yes.  Any aircraft equipped with ADS-B IN capability can see you.  This includes other EC devices as well as installed avionics, and other third party systems such as the Garmin GDL39, PilotAware and Flarm.

Can ATC see me?2017-03-26T00:28:29-05:00

Yes ATC can see you if you are transmitting within range of an ATC ADS-B ground station radio.

What are the limitations?2019-12-16T08:05:09-06:00

EC systems are designed for aircraft to aircraft visibility. An EC device will not meet standards to allow you to enter controlled airspace of a class in which a transponder is mandatory or a Transponder Mandatory zone (TMZ). In addition, EC device transmission must be deactivated when used in an aircraft with an Extended Squitter (ES) ADS-B Out Enabled Transponder in use. The SkyEcho web based configuration page (198.168.4.1) allows you to turn off the transmit function while still being able to receive traffic for display on the compatible app.

Note: a Mode S transponder is ADS-B enabled only when it is connected to a compatible GNSS source, which can be either internal or external to the transponder.

Does it have an app? How do I view nearby air traffic in my cockpit?2020-07-06T09:28:31-05:00

Configuration is accomplished by an internally hosted web page.  See the Installation and Users Guide for further instructions.  In order to display local traffic and a moving map, you will need to pair with a compatible EFB

Do I have to reconfigure it if I move to a different aircraft? How?2017-03-26T00:27:58-05:00

If you are moving from one aircraft to another of similar size and type, you should not have to change anything.  However other configuration fields exist for type of aircraft (light, glider, rotorcraft, etc.) as well as aircraft size, etc.  EC devices are intended for voluntary carriage on registered and non-registered UK Annex II  aircraft, non-complex EASA aircraft of <5700kg MTOM and for gliders and balloons (including those covered under ELA 1 and ELA 2).

Don’t see the answer to your question? Feel free to contact us. 

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