In an increased effort to reduce the risk of collisions between UAS and manned aircraft, uAvionix announced at the AUVSI Xponential show in Houston, Texas, this week the first wearable ADS-B receiver called skyAlert. The $499 receiver is based on the Sentry portable ADS-B receiver that’s popular for GA operations, but packaged as a wearable unit for UAS operators and observers. The skyAlert triggers audible alerts when ADS-B-equipped aircraft enter a configurable proximity (altitude and range specific) zone.
The dual-band (1090 MHz and 978 MHz) device uses the industry standard GDL-90 data protocol for real-time traffic alerting and is compatible with a wide variety of tablet apps, including ForeFlight, FlyQ, Stratus Insight and SkyMap, to name a few. The lightweight 200-gram device can be worn with a RAM belt clip or shoulder strap for hands-free operation, plus it has a 12-hour battery with USB-C charging. Look for a full report on UAS/GA airspace safety in an upcoming issue of Aviation Consumer magazine.
