Finally bit the bullet on a $450 ADS-B tester from Garmin after years of borrowing one

I was convinced the cheap handheld unit from Amazon would work fine but after three pitot static tests gave me altitude discrepancies of 50 feet, I borrowed the Garmin and it was spot on every time - has anyone else found that the pricey gear is actually worth it for avionics work?

2 comments

2 Comments

kim.xena12d ago

Oh come on, a $450 tester for a job you can do with a $50 digital manometer and some math? I've been using a basic setup for years and never had altitude issues that weren't traceable to bad static port seals or leaking lines. Half the time those pricey units just mask operator error. People get too reliant on gadgets telling them everything is fine instead of actually understanding the system. If you need a Garmin to tell you your pitot static is working, maybe you shouldn't be doing the check in the first place.

alicew6812d ago

Totally with you on this @kim.xena. I grabbed a secondhand manometer off eBay years ago and it catches leaks way better than any fancy box I've ever borrowed. Last month I found a pinhole in a static line just by watching the needle settle, no display needed. People get sold on "professional" gear but forget the basics are where the real troubleshooting happens.