The ILS approach hardware at Houston Hobby International pictured below is likely planted in the turf for the long term. Still, there’s a definite trend that points to an airspace based primarily on space-based navigation. As the avionics retrofit market booms along there has been lots of speculation about the future of ground-based navigation, including […]
If you fly a G1 or G2 Cirrus you might have considered upgrading the OEM mechanical fuel quantity gauge with the Aerospace Logic FL202G digital “smart gauge” control head, along with the CiES digital magnetoresistive fuel senders. That’s just what we did back in 2014 for an Aviation Consumer field report. But as we described […]
In the Innovations building at last year’s AirVenture, Idaho-based Aithre was showing what we think are the most innovative pilot-focused biometric devices we’ve seen. Aithre is an attention getter because surprisingly, there’s been a slow progression of gadgets for minding pilot and passenger health in the cabin. For measuring blood-oxygen saturation, or SpO2, some finger […]
It’s unrealistic to think every non-pilot flying companion can master the autopilot, especially under the stress of dealing with a slumped-over pilot. But it sure is worth a try. Whether your autopilot is highly integrated (Garmin’s GFC 700 comes to mind) or is a simple wing leveler with heading hold, show them how to use […]
Face it, transponders live tough lives. Their high power out generates lots of heat in the radio stack and ultimately that takes a toll on internal components. So when searching the used market for a sweet deal on a transponder, choose wisely. One slam-dunk winner could be the discontinued Garmin GTX 327. This is an […]
Now that you’ve equipped for the ADS-B mandate, you’ll need to make sure the transponder remains in good working order. Ones that aren’t are on the FAA’s enforcement list. There are plenty of aircraft for sale that need transponder (and ADS-B) upgrades, and as we’ve advised for years, the age and health of the existing […]
Nevada-based Faro Aviation has come on strong the past few years in the competitive headset market with a diverse model lineup. The latest Stealth 2, which is sold exclusively through Sporty’s, comes in two price points. There’s the $249.95 passive version and also the $449.95 ANR model with wireless Bluetooth, which is what we tried […]
Phase 1 of the FAA’s plan to decommission over one-third of the nation’s VORs will be complete later this year, by the end of September. Then, Phase 2 begins immediately to continue scrapping VORs at the rate of almost one a week. While the chances are good (but not 100 percent) that your navigator’s data […]
The SP-400 is ably manufactured by Japan Radio, but for the PJ2, Sporty’s found a new vendor called Rexon, a Taiwanese company with a modest line of portable radios, including a VHF aviation model. Because Sporty’s didn’t like the operating logic of Rexon’s off-the-shelf RHP-530, despite its $40 lower retail price, it commissioned Rexon to build a clean-sheet design for its new radio, says Sporty’s Doug Ranly. “No one knows about it [RHP-530] because it’s not very user friendly. That’s one reason we didn’t want to sell it because of complications in programming and using it,” Ranly says.
One important trait we’ve always favored is the Clarity’s durable build quality. Remember, the idea of an ITE model is to make the wearing experience a minimalist one. It’s all about freedom from the intrusive nature of circumaural or even supra-aural designs. But to succeed the set has to be lightweight, yet durable enough to survive the abuse a typical pilot asks of them. Bend them, sit on them, step on them and drop them. And those thin wires-they’re asking to break. We’ve tried all of the above and still can’t break the Clarity.
One otherwise clever feature that’s been dinged by some users is the ANR circuit’s tap control. Double-tapping a finger on either one of the earbuds puts the set in a talk-through mode, which works when the headset is in the medium or high noise-canceling profile. The idea is to enable better communications outside of the headset. Maybe it’s for talking with a flight attendant, gate agent or passengers, but the talk-through feature means you don’t have to take the buds out of the ear to talk with someone off the intercom. We’ve heard of (and experienced) some situations where the tap-through is activated uncommanded during landing and even on the takeoff roll on bumpy runways. Bose said the Series II has been tweaked so the mode is more accurate and more responsive.
When I started flying in 1994, there certainly wasn’t the need for accessory power in the cabin. These days it’s an entirely different story and the number of portable devices I carry grows by the month. Who thought you would have to charge your sunglasses? That’s why the market is being bombarded with panel USB charging ports. These are generally FAA-certified devices that mount either on the instrument panel or in interior components, and connect with the aircraft’s electrical bus for voltage.
