Zaon XRX Onyx Portable Collision Avoidance System PCAS

Low cost not low quality is not a catch phrase but the norm with the Zaon Flight Systems XRX PCAS™ which comes with a built in antenna and display. To duplicate its functionality, you would have to buy a Garmin 530 TAWS at more than $15,000.00 plus install. And that Garmin wouldn't be portable! You couldn't throw it in your flight bag and take it to another plane like you can with the Zaon XRX PCAS™.

Do you rent the aircraft you fly? How good is the installed equipment? Do you wish you had TCAS for the busy airspace around New York or Los Angeles? By using a Zaon XRX PCAS™ coupled to the Garmin 496 GPS you have the collision avoidance capabilities of the best TRACON.

So now you are asking, “why do I have to wait two weeks SkyGeek?” All of our Zaon Flight System PCAS™ are drop shipped to you directly from “Zaon” with the latest firmware revision. In the past SkyGeek stocked thousands of dollars worth of these units only to have to send them back under warranty to have the firmware updated to the latest version. Now, when we ship you a unit, it is actually fresh off the assembly line. It doesn't matter if you're baking a fresh Apple Pie or purchasing a Zaon Flight System PCAS™ all good things take time!

PCAS, which stands for Portable Collision Avoidance System, is a trademark of Zaon Flight Systems for technology similar in function to TCAS (Traffic and Collision Avoidance System). TCAS is the industry standard for commercial collision avoidance systems. The original PCAS technology was developed by Zaon in 1999. Now, the MRX/XRX line of collision avoidance systems incorporates the fourth generation of PCAS technology. Through this technology, transponder-equipped aircraft are detected and ranged, and the altitude is decoded. PCAS G4 technology has advanced to the point that highly accurate range, relative altitude, and quadrant direction can be accurately detected in a portable, all-in-one cockpit device.

Give me the skinny! What are the Zaon XRX PCAS™ strengths? The Zaon XRX is a passive system, meaning it listens to replies from other aircraft. Other aircraft are responding to interrogations. There are two types of interrogation networks: Ground RADAR installations and TCAS- or other active system-equipped aircraft.

Ground RADAR installations provide ATC with aircraft data by interrogating outward from the sweeping antenna, pictured here. The range of each installation depends on the type of surrounding terrain and geography, but is usually 100-200 miles in diameter.

Overhead, systems that interrogate, or active systems, exist which make up an even better network of interrogation. Examples of active systems are TCAS, Skywatch, and Ryan/Avidyne active systems. Because these systems are airborne, they are not limited by geographical features and provide an excellent platform for interrogation.

A passive system which does not interrogate, such as MRX, only works if the interrogations are present. However, it is important to note that the combined effect of both overlapping networks provides for a nearly 100% coverage in the United States. The illustration below demonstrates this when the coverage of terminal, enroute and military RADAR is combined with TCAS interrogations from aircraft at any given moment.The same type of systems exist in countries abroad, especially the same airborne TCAS-based systems. The most important thing to remember is that interrogations happen virtually everywhere you may fly.

Zero False Alerts

The Zaon XRX comes out swinging…Don't let the tiny size fool you The XRX was designed to be placed on the glareshield. Yet despite its incredibly small and self-contained, XRX sacrifices none of the accuracy found in much more expensive, installed systems. The unit is only 3.9" (100mm) wide, 3.6" (93mm) deep, and 2.7" (69mm) tall. The majority of the height is for the enclosed antenna array. In most cases, the unit sits below the visual line of the propeller, out of the pilot's line-of-sight and presents useful traffic information in plain sight in front of the pilot. If a different configuration is desired, several options exist. XRX has a 45° mode which allows the unit to be placed on the right side of the glareshield and rotated so that the screen is pointed at the pilot. Another option is a suction-cup mount. See our complete line of PCAS accessories for more information.

Oooooga Dive Dive “Traffic, front-right, 0.9 miles, 500 feet below and descending” XRX delivers the three “dimensions” of traffic information that pinpoints where traffic is located: direction, range and relative altitude. Armed with this information, you'll know just where the threats lie. XRX detects and tracks all aircraft in the detection window you specify and displays the information on a built-in, easy-to-read LCD display. The top three threats are displayed using simple visual cues. For the primary threat, direction is displayed in a compass rose around the range and relative altitude information. The second and third threats are displayed, along with the local heading and relative altitude information. XRX also displays your local squawk code. Advanced features are included such as visual and audible voice alerts and advisories, an easy-to-use menu interface, and local information. XRX displays “3-D View” quadrant bearing information, as well as relative altitude and range, all from inside the cockpit and without the need for external antenna arrays.

It's so simple even I can work it…Duh! The easy-to-read LCD display boasts large numerals and EL backlighting for night operation.All parameters are controlled by an easy-to-use menu system: range and altitude settings, type of aircraft, screen options, and more. Flying a pressurized aircraft? XRX includes a pressurized mode for use in a pressurized cockpit with no external static line connections needed. The unit also monitors aircraft bus voltage and host transponder operations and is powered through aircraft power (12-40 V compatible).

Ah…the Zaon XRX “bubble of awareness” XRX sets up a “bubble of awareness” around you and reports any traffic in this window. The size of this window is easily defined using a simple menu that sets the range and altitude maximums. The detection window has a maximum range of 6 NM and altitude of ±2500 feet. PCAS utilizes both visual and audible alerts if the traffic gets close enough to become a threat.

     The most important job of any collision avoidance system is to tell you what is a threat, and quietly provide information on traffic that is not a threat. An important distinction with PCAS is the difference between traffic detection and traffic alerts. XRX will detect any aircraft in the detection window you specify, but will alert you to traffic that has become a threat based on the aircraft's relative altitude, range, track over time, and ascent/descent status.

Extremely Reliable & Accurate, No “good enough for Govt. work” Here! Following in the footsteps of previous models, the traffic information accuracy is the best in the industry. Traffic accuracy is 0.2 NM on average for range, ±200 ft for altitude (defined by TSO standards set for transponder encoders), and ±22° for direction. XRX also displays your local squawk code and pressure altitude for monitoring your transponder encoder output, as well as bearing. XRX includes many built-in sensors for razor-sharp accuracy, including a pressure altimeter for relative altitude accuracy, a solid-state 16-point compass for bearing accuracy, a solid-state attitude and bank sensor for bearing accuracy, thermal monitors and overtemp protection for accuracy in any environment.

The Zaon Flight Systems XRX PCAS™ plays well with others… Get XRX traffic on your GPS or EFIS system, including Garmin, Blue Mountain, Grand Rapids, AnywhereMap, Hangar B-17, PCAvionics, and many more. Introducing a simple way to get traffic on your moving map display. A simple hookup to your PCAS™ XRX™ directly to your system and you're off and running. Traffic alerts, popups, voice alerts, the reliability and accuracy of XRX overlayed right onto the screen of an old friend. Get the precision and all-over coverage that only XRX can provide, directly on the screen you're already looking at. (read more)

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