Makes Active Collision Avoidance 'Even More Affordable'

One of the attractions we expect to see in just a few days, as Oshkosh ramps up, are some new traffic avoidance systems from Avidyne. Two new TSO C147-certified Traffic Advisory Systems (TAS), the TAS605 and TAS615, are cost-effective cousins to their entry-level TAS600. This gives Avidyne four different TAS models-TAS600, TAS605, TAS615, TAS620-each designed to meet the needs of specific aircraft types and mission profiles.

"Since the introduction of the TAS600 Series back in 2005, Avidyne has been at the forefront in providing affordable, active-surveillance collision avoidance products, and with the addition of the TAS605 and TAS615 models, we are adding additional features and setting lower price points," said Patrick Herguth, Chief Operating Officer. "Avidyne was the first to offer active-surveillance traffic systems for under $10,000, and having recently shipped our 10,000th traffic system, we have demonstrated our leadership in safety systems and also in providing value to our customers." 

"Avidyne continues its commitment of making flying simpler and safer through strategic investments in safety systems and by improving the traffic system value proposition for light general aviation aircraft owners," said Dan Schwinn, Avidyne President and CEO.

With the TAS600 Series, Avidyne claims to offer the 'smallest, lightest, and most affordable' active traffic systems available for GA aircraft. Avidyne's dual-antenna TAS600 Series now comprises four models-the TAS600, TAS605, TAS615, and TAS620-each of which can actively interrogate other transponder-equipped aircraft, and independently compute range, bearing, and closure rate of these aircraft in order to provide pilots with an accurate display of nearby traffic and timely audible and visual alerts of conflicting traffic. 

The table below shows each of the four models and the key differentiators, which include surveillance volume (in terms of range and relative altitude) as well as service ceiling. Like the TAS620, the new lower-cost TAS605 and TAS615 can accept a heading input, which is especially helpful in helicopter installations where high-rate turns are more likely.

Each of Avidyne's TAS600-Series models includes innovative features such as Ground mode and Approach mode-which are designed to eliminate 'nuisance' alerts, the ability to decode and display squawk code and N-number of Mode S-equipped targets, and patented top and bottom-mounted directional antennas for improved target acquisition and tracking. In addition, all TAS600 systems have the Avidyne-pioneered Heads Up Audible Position Alerting™ feature, which provides ATC-like aural annunciations of threat aircraft.  

All TAS600-Series models provide traffic information about any transponder-equipped airplane that is nearby, independent of whether the target aircraft has ADS-B equipment installed, and the TAS600-Series are fully upgradeable to ADS-B. With the addition of an ADS-B "In" signal, TAS600 customers have the ability to show ADS-B-equipped traffic with better accuracy on their existing TAS-compatible displays, in addition to any transponder-equipped traffic that may not be participating in ADS-B.

FMI: www.avidyne.com