[Eagleflip]

Weird scenario, but here goes.

Equipment: AFS 5000 EFIS, with a Trig 22 transponder.

Had a Dynon ADSB-472 installed in Jan--traffic icons then displayed normally on the EFIS and weather information populated in the right places. (Turns out the ADSB installation generated another problem not worth going into here, but it led to the next step...)

Fast forward to last week, when I had dual ADAHRs (Dynon 200 and 201) installed. The avionics tech kept the Dynon ADSB input on the same EFIS serial port from before.

Now I get METAR and TAF info on the EFIS, but the map display will show traffic icons for about 30-45 seconds, and then (like Kaizer Sozè) poof...they all vanish from the screen. Fast forward a couple of minutes and they'll reappear, only to disappear 30 to 45 seconds later. It's not their range--they are far closer than the 15 nm cutoff range. And the aircraft are still out there, as verified on my iPad powered by another ADSB-In source.

My friend Jonathan at AFS is stumped. Any ideas from the brain trust?

 

[Bo1000]

Can you confirm your ADSB-Out is continuous and clean in your Public ADS-B Performance Reports (PAPR) ?

 

[BobTurner]

……... (Turns out the ADSB installation generated another problem not worth going into here, but it led to the next step...)……

Maybe you should tell us about this.
Try turning off, one at a time, your new ADHRs.
Disconnect both of them e.g., go back to when it worked.

 

[Eagleflip]

Good ideas all.

I ordered the ADSB report for my flight on Tuesday, and it came out fine. There were no red highlighted failure modes, and it sent out 7262 reports during the 20 minute flight.

As for the original ADSB installation problem, it was likely not the culprit. The ADSB install process required us to disconnect the autopilot from the AFS serial port to make room for the ADSB to be plugged in to that same port. After the modification, the autopilot could only be turned on via the circular autopilot control head but the AFS 5000 would not provide any audible notifications that the autopilot had been connected or disconnected.

I considered that a safety hazard (yeah, a holdover from my airline life, but it makes sense to me). In addition, the original AFS ADAHRS was showing a bit of attitude movement in steady state flight. To fix that movement issue, provide a bit of redundancy, and regain the audio notifications, I chose to upgrade the system to a dual Dynon ADAHRs package.

So...I'm not sure if I can disconnect them independently to evaluate their input to the problem...will check on that. I do wonder if there is a configuration setting that is causing the system to periodically overload and stop displaying the traffic.

I'm open to your suggestions, however!

 

[moosepileit]

BLUF- I think AFS should be able to tell you if this is what the software presents during fringe GBT coverage or if the target aircraft has sketchy hardware issues with its total ADSB-out equippage.

1- clean PAPR, good.

2- is there a good uplink to flightaware/flightradar24/adsbexchange in your area? Have to know date/time and with good coverage one might catch it in playback review, or confirm an aircraft equipment issue.

3- any other active locals like a CFI to ask if they've noticed?

4- ask ATC? They may use it like they seem to around my class D under Class C, they will callout in blind by tail number from tower or approach at times to try and efficiently deconflict.

5- As you've already done it, Borrow a portable adsb-in device and an EFB device and app. Fly and compare, maybe bring another savvy person to do it for you. Free FltplanGo! or the stratux native web browser show helpful info, but mostly for GBT connections, not ghosting traffic.

Does the EFIS have a network traffic counter stream one can check like the GRTs? Might not help as you said it's a traffic issue not affecting Metars/other streamed data.

6- I flew last night and did get the one stale plane around me for about a minute before it popped back to where it really was, we were on the same deconflicting. I don't trust ADSB near as much as TCAS at work. I have two "In"s, an EFIS feeder and an EFB feeder. (The EFIS one doesn't wifi to Androids and I use a droid EFB).

There is one quadrant that will drift/freeze/shadow near my home drome. At least the software no longer gives collision alerts on my ownship when the GBT catches up any longer. (Yes, my "Out" config reflects my "In" properly).

It will freeze on the EFIS then jump, the EFB it will disappear and reappear other traffic. Ownship will appear when it should be suppresed when back in to matching reality.

Much more likely during a climbout from the runway or lingering on the fringe of that quadrant.