TWX670 FAQs
Printed From: Avidyne
Category: Avidyne General
Forum Name: TWX670 Tactical Weather Detection System
Forum Description: Topics related to the Avidyne TWX670 Tactical Weather Detection System
URL: http://forums.avidyne.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=97
Printed Date: 21 Nov 2024 at 8:26am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: TWX670 FAQs
Posted By: FlyingLester
Subject: TWX670 FAQs
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2010 at 9:26am
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This AvidyneLive topic is for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) related to the TWX670 Tactical Weather Detection System. Please post any questions you might have and the Avidyne Team will try and answer them. Check back soon for answers to some of the questions we hear most often. |
Replies:
Posted By: John
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 12:59pm
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Ted-
Some timw ago, I c ame across a very complete and authoritative piece on lightning, including a detailed discussion about ionization and the characteristics unique to thunderstorm related lightning. I believe it was your article - where can I find it? If you know what I am reffering to, could you email it to me at mailto:caulkinsjw@hotmail.com - caulkinsjw@hotmail.com ? Thank you.
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Posted By: FlyingLester
Date Posted: 01 Oct 2010 at 4:26pm
| Unfortunately, I'm not aware of such an article. It sounds pretty interesting, so if you find it, please let me know. |
Posted By: tony
Date Posted: 01 Jan 2013 at 7:59am
| will the TWX670 interface to the IFD540 to display weather data?? |
Posted By: AviJake
Date Posted: 01 Jan 2013 at 8:49am
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Yes, the IFD540 will support an interface to the TWX670 at initial release. Initial support will include the TWX670 strikes depiction and subsequent software releases of the IFD540 will add the "full-color TWX" support.
------------- Steve Jacobson sjacobson@avidyne.com |
Posted By: DH82FLYER
Date Posted: 05 Jan 2013 at 8:03am
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The 2013 Price List shows a huge, 50%, price increase (up $4000) for the TWX670! Is that correct? |
Posted By: AviJake
Date Posted: 05 Jan 2013 at 7:58pm
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I wasn't aware. Checking........
------------- Steve Jacobson sjacobson@avidyne.com |
Posted By: AviJake
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2013 at 4:38pm
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Yes, that new price is correct.
------------- Steve Jacobson sjacobson@avidyne.com |
Posted By: firebreather
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2013 at 4:25pm
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I am flying a Columbia 400 with a recent install of the TWX670 to an Avidyne Integra. The TWX670 stays in Error status during climbs. A message comes up "Lightning Noise Senser Present". After settling in on a cruise setting, the TWX670 appears to fall into the Strike mode.
The first flight showed false strikes 20-60nm at 3:00 and 150-200nm at 6:00. I cycled the strobes and this seemed to eliminate the false strikes. Also the voice warning was barely audible, but I could hear it in the background. Is there a way to turn up the volume?
About 15 hrs and 5 flights later the Error came up on the MFD and there was some slight background noise during cruise. I noticed it because the noise caused the XM radio to mute. After turning off the Air Conditioning, the background noise went away and the TWX670 went into Strike mode.
Does anybody have any suggestions for eliminating the Error status of the system?
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Posted By: AviJake
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2013 at 9:33am
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I'm checking. I'll post the response here and on the other thread where you poised the questions. ------------- Steve Jacobson sjacobson@avidyne.com |
Posted By: bellanca1730a
Date Posted: 04 Jul 2013 at 12:25pm
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What level of interface is available with an Aspen PFD? Just strikes, or the full color display?
------------- Sean Andrews Bellanca Super Viking |
Posted By: AviJake
Date Posted: 05 Jul 2013 at 9:10am
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Just strikes. Much more accurate than other lightning sensor devices but still just strikes on the Aspen. ------------- Steve Jacobson sjacobson@avidyne.com |
Posted By: EricW
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2014 at 3:05pm
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Will the TWX670 display onto a Dynon Skyview, (first preference), or a GTN750 and if so, in which modes? |
Posted By: AviJake
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2014 at 3:34pm
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Hi Eric, If a Dynon Skyview can accept a WX500 input, then yes. I know the GTN750 can accept WX500 input. The TWX670 has a mode where it can emulate the output of the WX500 so in those cases, you would get monochrome strikes presented on any display that can take WX500 input. ------------- Steve Jacobson sjacobson@avidyne.com |
Posted By: bellanca1730a
Date Posted: 18 Sep 2014 at 9:54am
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Looking for info on antenna installation. Size of the ground plane (my fuselage is tubular steel)? Required distance from other antennas (i.e., a COMANT CI 2728-410 combined COMM/GPS antenna)? Feasibility of installing in my wooden wing? ------------- Sean Andrews Bellanca Super Viking |
Posted By: bellanca1730a
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2014 at 8:54am
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Bump. ------------- Sean Andrews Bellanca Super Viking |
Posted By: AviJake
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2014 at 8:57am
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Just forwarded the note to "Father TWX" and will post as soon as I hear back. ------------- Steve Jacobson sjacobson@avidyne.com |
Posted By: dryan
Date Posted: 27 Oct 2014 at 9:50am
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Installation of the TWX antenna requires careful evaluation of candidate installation sites for a variety of factors including EMI, ground plane, and nearby radiating antennas. I strongly encourage you to contact the Avidyne support team ( mailto:techsupport@avidyne.com" rel="nofollow - techsupport@avidyne.com ) to get a copy of the TWX670 installation manual and carefully review the more detailed guidance provided there. Here are some excerpts from the installation manual that may help to address your immediate questions: “There are special considerations for composite or fabric-covered airframes. A ground plane approximately double the size of the antenna base (at minimum) is recommended for proper operation. The ground plane should be physically grounded to the airframe. The ground plane may be installed on the inside surface of the aircraft skin. Use the backing plate and mounting hardware supplied with the Installation Kit to mount the antenna to the fuselage skin so electrical contact is made between the ground plane and the backing plate (the backing plate is grounded to the antenna by the mounting screws).” “The antenna should be located 36 inches or more away from the nearest transmitting antenna.” “CAUTION: It is essential to avoid mounting the TWX670 antenna in areas on the airframe that carry currents, such as the area between the alternator and the aircraft battery (see Figure 7 on page 41).” |
Posted By: petersk
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2016 at 10:59pm
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This has been a quiet topic! I hope someone is watching. I have a freshly installed dual IFD540 installation with the TWX670 and have been looking forward to thunderstorm season so I could see some data on my screens. Thought I had a chance yesterday as a line of cells passed over but didn't see anything pop up. Should strikes be detected and painted while on the ground? I know I need to have a GPS signal for positional reference, but even with everything fired up, sitting on the ground but with good signals, I was not seeing any of the lines of thunderstorms passing across the area and within 25 miles. Does it not receive well on the ground? Or does it go to a ground mode and not paint data? I would hope that the system would start giving data before takeoff, sometimes that's when you need it the most! I have seen the test system generate strikes, both during installation and when we gave it an extra test later. And I know I have the weather depiction enabled on the 540's weather page. Will I only see the X's from strikes or should the 540 be showing me the cell mode data? I thought I saw somewhere that the 540 still needs to have some of the TWX features enabled in later software updates? Thanks for your efforts to find me the answers. ------------- Keith Peterson Cardinal Flyers Cardinal RG N177KP |
Posted By: Gring
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 6:53am
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I have the same setup in my Bonanza. Yes, I have seen strikes while on the ground and in the air. All you see is an 'X' although I've also seen a lightning bolt and not sure why, or if the IFD was improperly set to receive lightning data from my datalink weather system. It does not show the colored cell mode like the EX500/600 product and I believe that is in the candidate release database. I use to have an insight strike finder and was totally confident with how that system worked. I'm still getting use to the TWX670 and wish the IFD had a page on the AUX tab where you see the status of external devices like the TWX, traffic, etc. We do have it for weather. I've been told that if you take an electric drill and run it whil holding it near the TWX antenna it will show strikes, but my installation does not. However, it does appear to work just fine in the air. |
Posted By: dryan
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 9:09am
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Gring is correct. Cell mode is not currently implemented on the IFD540, so you will see the 'X' display. The TWX670 functions very well on the ground, so you should have seen activity displayed as the fronts passed by. A point of clarification...the drill test does not work very well on a TWX670. That quick test has been used for many years on other lightning detection systems, but the TWX670 has advanced signal processing that recognizes and filters many artificial sources of noise (for example, drills and buried power lines for taxiway lights).
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Posted By: petersk
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 12:08pm
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Thanks for your perspectives. I know my shop tried testing with a drill and it didn't give the results he had gotten with other systems (like the Insight I also had and trusted before) so he purchased the fancy test box, which looks really simple and somewhat crudely made but does create test data. I don't suppose it takes a lot of time for strikes to start showing up? I'm thinking strikes would show right away. I hear of a 3 minute refresh cycle for clearing the strikes... can't imagine there would be any sort of warm up period for them to start once the display has booted. I'll watch for another chance to do some testing, perhaps start when I can do a little flying while the cells approach. ------------- Keith Peterson Cardinal Flyers Cardinal RG N177KP |
Posted By: edanford
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 12:12pm
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The reason the drill does not work is that the TWX670 is doing much more DSP analysis of the received wave forms. Lightning does have a signature. I spent many hours capturing them and processing them with my own design that I later shelved as a nice science project. ------------- Ed |
Posted By: ddgates
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2016 at 9:59am
I have access to a 670 but will pass if all I can get is strikes mode. Does 10.2 enable TWX670 on the IFD540? ------------- David Gates |
AviJake wrote:Posted By: Gring
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2016 at 10:25am
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I have had a TWX670 in my system since before production code. It works just fine and currently shows strike mode with an X, just like a WX500 system. The cell mode as implemented in the EX500/600 has not been completed for the IFDXX0 but is in the feature candidate database. Mine works just fine and it has shown strikes this past 2 weeks here in the NE. It is far less sensitive than my previous Insight Strikefinder in that I think it is more accurate and displays less false signals. I do wish that the IFDXX0 had a test mode to show communication with the device because I to months without any strikes and never know if it is properly working. Then comes a weather day and I see strikes which is the only way to know it works.
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Posted By: oskrypuch
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2016 at 10:37am
Ditto. I thought I saw that 10.2 would add a test page for sferics. * Orest |
Posted By: Gring
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2016 at 10:38am
| Without finding the 10.2 feature list, I thought the test page was for the WX500 only. |
Posted By: ddgates
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2016 at 10:40am
Which means it is not fully implemented now (except on the EX600 and MHD300) and "might" be at some point in the future? ------------- David Gates |
Posted By: ddgates
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2018 at 10:54am
Has this been accomplished? If not, is there a plan? ------------- David Gates |
Posted By: AviSteve
Date Posted: 14 Aug 2018 at 10:39am
The IFD does support TWX670, but still does not support "full-color" a.k.a. "cell mode". That feature has not come up as an urgent need, so it has not been implemented. It's still on our to-do list, but not a high priority. ------------- Steve Lindsley Avidyne Engineering |
Posted By: Gring
Date Posted: 14 Aug 2018 at 11:08am
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Hi Steve, I'd really like to see that feature request to be completed. The small Xs are hard to see and blend in with the IFD background. I can't even remember the last time I saw one on my screen. The other feature is some way to test the box to see if it is operating. I have no way to tell if it is operating except a CAS message when in the Hangar with no GPS signal which says Lightning Fault Detected (or something like that). |
Posted By: AviSteve
Date Posted: 14 Aug 2018 at 11:11am
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I'm told that there is a diagnostics page in Maintenance mode that allows you to check it out. ------------- Steve Lindsley Avidyne Engineering |
Posted By: ddgates
Date Posted: 14 Aug 2018 at 12:41pm
I guess it is all relative, Steve. High priority to me means I have all Avi equipment (2 IFDs etc, and much more), including a TWX670 - which gives its "advantages" only when not displayed in stike mode. It would be a priority for me and supporting your own equipment on your own devices should be for Avidyne as well. ------------- David Gates |
Posted By: Gring
Date Posted: 14 Aug 2018 at 1:43pm
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Steve, the TWX user guide has a test procedure as well as a number of additional features and functions that help understand the operating status of the device. These have not yet been developed in the IFD navigators for full support of the device. Perhaps it is available in the EX500/600, I'm not sure, but not in the IFD. See pages 29-30 (system test mode). This is what needs to be added to the IFD. In the IFD maintenance mode, I'm not sure where one would be able to test the device. The only thing I can find is the RS232 input and output setup of the device. The L3 WX500 has a test mode in the maintenance screen, but not the TWX670. Can you expand? |
Posted By: AviSteve
Date Posted: 14 Aug 2018 at 4:02pm
Note to self... double check sources *before* posting... My source was thinking of the WX500 page. There apparently is not a similar page for the TWX. Sorry for that. ------------- Steve Lindsley Avidyne Engineering |
Posted By: AviSteve
Date Posted: 14 Aug 2018 at 4:06pm
I understand. When it comes to the decision about what's in and what's out, it's never easy and we don't take it lightly. It all usually comes down to the fact that there are 10 times more features to implement than there are people to implement them, so we do the best we can. Your input is still appreciated. ------------- Steve Lindsley Avidyne Engineering |
Posted By: TurboPA30
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 4:06pm
| Where are we with the full color display on the IFDs? |
Posted By: AviSteve
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2020 at 9:53am
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Just checked and it's still on the list, but low priority. ------------- Steve Lindsley Avidyne Engineering |
Posted By: Gring
Date Posted: 15 May 2024 at 7:52am
| Has there been any update on adding the “cell mode” capability to the IFD series navigator? |