The FAA has released Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) 24004 reminding light aircraft owners installing a uAvionix tailBeacon or skyBeacon ADS-B transceivers not to try to pair the unit to a Mode S transponder. Correctly installing requires pairing with a Mode A/C transponder.
According to the FAA, “Aircraft equipped with uAvionix tailBeacon or skyBeacon ADS-B 978 MHz Universal Access Transmitters (UAT) that are improperly paired with Mode S transponders have been found to emit erroneous and unreliable ADS-B performance parameters.”
TailBeacon UAT ADS-B Out transceivers replace the existing rear white position lights and include a WAAS GPS receiver and LED light that is twice as bright as the original incandescent bulb, according to uAvionix. The UAT skyBeacon mounts on the left wing and, in addition to the red LED position light and WAAS GPS, includes a strobe light.
This SAFO doesn’t apply to the tailBeaconX, which is a Mode S and ADS-B Out transponder with integrated WAAS GPS and dipole antenna capable of tracking by ground- and space-based ADS-B systems.