Zaon Portable Collision Avoidance System - How does it work?

Fearless Tower

Fearless Tower

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Fearless Tower
I've read the descriptions on the company website and through the various pilot shops, but still have one question - how does it actually work? Where is the unit getting it's contact info from? I assume it is getting xpdr info bounced back to it from ground based radar systems, but is it like the Garmin TIS that only works in a Mode-S radar environment or will it work in any radar environment?

It is a bit pricey ($1400), but a much cheaper way to get traffic on my new Garmin 510 than installed a GTX 330 ($4500-5000 installed)
 
From what I understand any interrogation gives you info. Works outside of TIS areas.
 
My buddy has one in his plane and I would not waste the batteries to turn it on. It sucks. I have active traffic in my 182 and there is no comparison. Of course my active traffic was 17k but the ZAON is worthless.....
 
dennyleeb said:
My buddy has one in his plane and I would not waste the batteries to turn it on. It sucks. I have active traffic in my 182 and there is no comparison. Of course my active traffic was 17k but the ZAON is worthless.....
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Why was it worthless?
 
Fearless Tower said:
Why was it worthless?
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Does not work well at all. I have seen traffic above 10k feet that was close that it did not pick up. It is like having a top only (inside in this case) antenna. It does not work well at all. I am not trying to flame but giving you my real world experince with the product. I would honestly not spend the money. If it was $100 maybe.
 
dennyleeb said:
My buddy has one in his plane and I would not waste the batteries to turn it on. It sucks. I have active traffic in my 182 and there is no comparison. Of course my active traffic was 17k but the ZAON is worthless.....
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I don't have "active traffic" (not sure what you mean by that; TIS?) in any of the rentals I use. So only equivalent alternative is flight following or a personal Zaon MRX or XRX on the dash.

So by "worthless" would you say that it is safer to not have a PCAS at all? Not sure I follow the logic of that assessment.
 
Jim Logajan said:
I don't have "active traffic" (not sure what you mean by that; TIS?) in any of the rentals I use. So only equivalent alternative is flight following or a personal Zaon MRX or XRX on the dash.

So by "worthless" would you say that it is safer to not have a PCAS at all? Not sure I follow the logic of that assessment.
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I have L3 active traffic that picks up other transponders from recievers on the top and bottom of the plane. Very effective if they have their transponder on you can see them.

Yes I would say it is safer not to have it because you do not want to rely on equipment that gives you false readings and does not pick up even the majority of traffic. You will be looking for something that is not there or be suprised when you are on top of another aircraft and the ZAON did not pick it up.
 
Jim Logajan said:
I don't have "active traffic" (not sure what you mean by that; TIS?) in any of the rentals I use. So only equivalent alternative is flight following or a personal Zaon MRX or XRX on the dash.

So by "worthless" would you say that it is safer to not have a PCAS at all? Not sure I follow the logic of that assessment.
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I have both Zaon XRX and TIS. The TIS works better of course. The Zaon I use in non-TIS coverage areas. The Zaon will give you a general direction to start looking and can track several targets. I have had several instances that I picked up traffic that the Zaon did not; HOWEVER, I am not 100% sure the "traffic" had their transponder in the ON or ALT mode (student pilots at home drome).
 
I have the XRX, worked great!

I set it up while flying a Cirrus SR20 with the avidyne glass and the Zaon was picking up targets just as well. Worked fine in the Archer I flew for years. I am having some issues with it set up in my sundowner with my collins transponder. When the transponder is off it works great when the collins is on it gives me a ghost target of myself. Updating my transponder toa garmin unit so I can get my traffic online with my Garmin 496.

Worth the $$$ spent to help with locating targets.
 
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I have one, and i love it. It routinely picks up traffic that my eyes miss (aircraft descending into my altitude from above and behind, etc). If you are flying at solid cruise altitudes with good radar coverage, it's pretty good. If you are out in the boonies, its not useful. It's not TCAS or TIS, but its considerably better than just your eyes. Also, check ebay for better prices, i got mine for $1000 new in box.

Is it worth the price? Yes.
 
I've been using the XRX for about 6 years now and sure has saved my neck a few times in VFR without flight following.
 
dennyleeb said:
Yes I would say it is safer not to have it because you do not want to rely on equipment that gives you false readings and does not pick up even the majority of traffic. You will be looking for something that is not there or be suprised when you are on top of another aircraft and the ZAON did not pick it up.
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Are you referring to the Zaon, or the Mk. I iBall? They both meet that definition!:yikes:
 
gprellwitz said:
Are you referring to the Zaon, or the Mk. I iBall? They both meet that definition!:yikes:
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ZAON, I am probably a little harsh but just dont think they are worth the money. My honest opinion.
 
I've flown with one for three years and coudn't disagree more with your opinion. First, I've never felt threatened by an airplane more than 6 miles away as being an immediate mid-air threat, so the range is adequate.

No system is 100% perfect. The closest I've come to a mid-air was flying on an IFR flight plan on a VFR day, at 10,000' and almost T-boned a big-ass ag-cat looking airplane who was vfr, slightly off altitude and with no TXP. I didn't see him, center didn't see him and wNobody is going to see that guy on any metal detector, so thinking that gadget with cost of 17k is foolproof is downright foolish. Ain't gonna happen.

The ZAON provides a pretty close swag as to where the traffic will be (like the 737 going into DFW but 1,000' above our altitude was exactly where the ZAON showed it to be. Displayd on the Garmin 696, the unit is very close most of the time, and if it throws a bad signal from time to time, it just keeps me honest and looking aroud, which is what I should be doing anyway.


My honest opinion.[/QUOTE]
 
wabower said:
The closest I've come to a mid-air was flying on an IFR flight plan on a VFR day, at 10,000' and almost T-boned a big-ass ag-cat looking airplane who was vfr, slightly off altitude and with no TXP.
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You mean Henning didn't wave? The nerve of that guy! ;)
 
dennyleeb said:
ZAON, I am probably a little harsh but just dont think they are worth the money. My honest opinion.
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My question, though, is why do you trust one and distrust the other when they both have the same faults?
 
wabower said:
I've flown with one for three years and coudn't disagree more with your opinion. First, I've never felt threatened by an airplane more than 6 miles away as being an immediate mid-air threat, so the range is adequate.

No system is 100% perfect. The closest I've come to a mid-air was flying on an IFR flight plan on a VFR day, at 10,000' and almost T-boned a big-ass ag-cat looking airplane who was vfr, slightly off altitude and with no TXP. I didn't see him, center didn't see him and wNobody is going to see that guy on any metal detector, so thinking that gadget with cost of 17k is foolproof is downright foolish. Ain't gonna happen.

The ZAON provides a pretty close swag as to where the traffic will be (like the 737 going into DFW but 1,000' above our altitude was exactly where the ZAON showed it to be. Displayd on the Garmin 696, the unit is very close most of the time, and if it throws a bad signal from time to time, it just keeps me honest and looking aroud, which is what I should be doing anyway.


My honest opinion.
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[/QUOTE]

Who said fool proof? What are you talking about 6 miles away? I have seen aircraft above 10k much closer than 6 miles that it (ZAON) did not pick up. That is my problem. Would rather put batteries in a flash light to look for traffic.
 
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gprellwitz said:
My question, though, is why do you trust one and distrust the other when they both have the same faults?
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Well that is like saying all cars break down so I won't drive any of them. There is a huge difference between a 2012 Mercedes S class and a 1985 Yugo.
 
Who said fool proof? Would rather put batteries in a flash light to look for traffic.[/QUOTE]

No further questions of this witness.
 
"No further questions of this witness."

You are about as good as the Casey Anthony prosecutor.(I hope you are not a lawyer) I was saying I don't trust the ZAON at all. Not that the other is fool proof.
 
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dennyleeb said:
No further questions of this witness.
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You are about as good as the Casey Anthony prosecutor.(I hope you are not a lawyer) I was saying I don't trust the ZAON at all. Not that the other is fool proof.[/QUOTE]

And I fly with one every time the plane leaves the ground, and I say it's a valuable tool, well worth the money and that you're dead wrong. And it proved itself as recently as yesterday, with a witness in the right seat.

So why do I care about what you think based on a one-time experience with a unit that may or may not have been working correctly, or calibrated correctly, or who knows what else? Am I supposed to ignore several years of personal experience based on your one-time guess?

Back home they said you gotta be smarter than what you're working with.
 
I love how you just add words to my mouth. I have used one many many times not a "one-time experience". So same question to you. Should I ignore my experience and not say what I have seen over the past 2 years with the product. Yeah I guess I am not smart enough to run one. LOL
 
I have had a Zaon MRX for several yrs now. No it is not foolproof, but the club planes I fly have nothing better to offer for PCAS. The system HAS worked very well for me. I could relate several times that it alerted me to a possible traffic conflict. Sure the optional antenna will give you all around coverage, and in one plane with a weak transponder the system pick up that plane I am flying as traffic. but mostly it works as advertised. As a portable device I move from plane to plane I am very satisfied with my Zaon. I have had flight following miss things too should I never ever use FF again because of that? I think not Denny, you do as you wish, but I LOVE my ZAON, and do not like to fly without it. One extra set of electronic eye's cannot hurt. I turn it off when I enter tower controlled traffic patterns but always have it on when l take off & leave . If my Zaon makes me look for or alter my course only one time and that one time avoids a midair then I would say my $500 was a very wise investment...Oh, Yea, It has already done that. Dave
 
dennyleeb said:
Yeah I guess I am not smart enough to run one. LOL
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Well, since you brought it up, and assuming the unit is OK, that's might the best explanation so far. ;)
 
Ddayle said:
I have had a Zaon MRX for several yrs now. No it is not foolproof, but the club planes I fly have nothing better to offer for PCAS. The system HAS worked very well for me. I could relate several times that it alerted me to a possible traffic conflict. Sure the optional antenna will give you all around coverage, and in one plane with a weak transponder the system pick up that plane I am flying as traffic. but mostly it works as advertised. As a portable device I move from plane to plane I am very satisfied with my Zaon. I have had flight following miss things too should I never ever use FF again because of that? I think not Denny, you do as you wish, but I LOVE my ZAON, and do not like to fly without it. One extra set of electronic eye's cannot hurt. I turn it off when I enter tower controlled traffic patterns but always have it on when l take off & leave . If my Zaon makes me look for or alter my course only one time and that one time avoids a midair then I would say my $500 was a very wise investment...Oh, Yea, It has already done that. Dave
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Any price to avoid that is worth it. How did you get one for $500? I do not use flight following either, always on IFR flight plan, I just like it that way. Although in VMC it is still your responsibility. Trust me I did not want to spend the money to upgrade to my L3 active traffic but it is well worth it to me. My buddy that shares my hanger with me has the Zaon. That is where I have flown with it. He is gonna break down and get active traffic (don't know which company) for his G600. It also depends on your flying to. My flying is 90% 3-5 hr cross country IFR w/ my family on board. If playing around a grass field in a tail dragger I am sure the Zaon would be more than needed.
 
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