Last year (Tip #1) we demonstrated building an ADS-B box from "scratch" using the Stratux open source software design. The function of this box was to provide in-flight weather and traffic displayed on your tablet's mapping software (e.g. ForeFlight). Many builders successfully built and operated this box. The building process required sourcing individual parts, downloading software and assembling a small computer.
For those that did not posses the skills or feel comfortable with this technical effort, the alternative was to purchase a similar box from manufacturers which cost close to $1000.
Recently, a new company (Open Flight Solutions) has produced a kit and factory built version of this box - at a price far below the competition. The best value is available with their easy to assemble kit. Several challenges that cropped up with the "scratch" version (cooling issues, fitting parts into a box, dual receive) have been addressed with these products.
And the best for last: an option for just a few dollars more allows for AHRS functionality in the same box! That's an incredible value! We love to give attention to those companies that help keep aviation affordable.
Decide for yourself. Watch this week's Tip video for details on this product:
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