I can't stress enough that ADS-B traffic on any "in" only unit is virtually useless....
Safest solution....use ADS-B for weather, fly high and get flight following.
I have to agree.., and disagree.
I agree that ADS-B in without ADS-B out for traffic is nearly useless.
But if you do have ADS-B out, ADS-B traffic works extremely well. Specifically, it works far better than TIS (assuming you are in the service volume for both). TIS -- by nature of the protocol -- does not provide accurate azumith (direction) of traffic TIS can only provide 8 targers (or maybe less, can't remember) where ADS-B will track 16 (or more). More importantly, ADS-B knows not only where the traffic is, but which way it is heading (older systems only guess based on previous headings).
The most accurate traffic solutions are those that use active tracking and a heading input (:real" TCAS, Avidyne 605+, Garmin 8XX, etc). But even those systems are hindered by the output format [which only allows for current location of traffic, not direction].
For about 3k you can have traffic and weather with the NavWorx unit. No, the weather is not as good as XM. And the traffic is not as universally available as TCAS. But for the price, you get 95+% of the benefit of both. The iFly system is already on what I would refer to as the second generation of their ADS0B support. It still has a good bit of room for improvement, but it is already pretty darned functional.
The iFly system is already on what I would refer to as the second generation of their ADS0B support. It still has a good bit of room for improvement, but it is already pretty darned functional. That said, I hope that the iFly team determines that consumers want the benefits of ADS-B a whole lot sooner than 2020. Oshkosh 2012 delivered that message load and clear, and I expect that trend to continue in 2013. I am also confident that the AdventurePilot team will spot this continued trend and offer the next generation of ADS-B support in the iFly system.
Regards,
Neal