ADS-B OUT on Ground

[mikeschumann]

Does the Dynon Skyview system transmit ADS-B OUT position data when the aircraft is on the ground? I can connect to an ADS-B ground station when I am on the ground at my home airport (KAPF). I receive weather data, but the ADS-B status is "NO RADAR". However, I periodically see non-ADS-B OUT equipped aircraft in the pattern. It almost looks like I'm receiving TIS-B data generated in reply to another aircraft in the area.

I would really like to reliably see all A/C in the pattern when I am on the ground. Is there a way to enable ADS-B OUT before I am airborne, so it triggers the ADS-B ground station to transmit TIS-B data?

 

[dynonsupport]

There is not a way to make this happen.

ADS-B OUT is transmitted on the ground. However, the data is marked as "ON THE GROUND" as required by the TSO and FAR. Ground stations ignore ground targets.

On top of this, "NO RADAR" comes when TIS-B can't see your specific airplane on radar. It assumes if it can't see you, it can't see the plane that is a threat to you, so it warns you about this. So you'll basically always have "NO RADAR" on the ground since radar doesn't cover ground targets. However, it is still providing TIS-B targets. It is just warning you that the coverage of those targets is not complete.

Finally, unless you're at an airport that has traffic radar right on the field, the radar probably doesn't have coverage down near the ground, which means planes lower in the pattern are likely invisible to TIS-B.

Until all airplanes have ADS-B OUT, ADS-B isn't really a reliable way to see airplanes near the ground. You could petition the FAA to provide ADS-R and TIS-B to ground targets, but that will still provide very limited coverage in most places.