Correction, we don't even need to worry about WAAS.  I just found board level OEM GPS receivers that already have WAAS built in for $53ea.

I just don't see these ADS-B out's needing to cost $3,000-5,000.  Let's say certification runs $24,000. (No idea, just guessing based on experience from what other electronics cost to get certified.)

Let's say there is $150 in parts in each unit.  It would be pretty reasonable to distribute the $24k for certification in volume sales.  There are about 225,000 GA aircraft in service right now according to the FAA.  Just getting 1% of those to purchase this ADS-B unit would put the distributed costs at $10.67 per unit.

I just don't see not being able to make one of these at an extremely affordable cost.  Not unless putting them in that nice little gold box means that gold is real.

Okay, now, somebody educate me about all the things I don't know about and why this isn't possible.  I looked into some of the auto pilots that are available for experimental aircraft and I see the guys making them are younger than me and just toyed around with electronics until they made something that got the job done.

Those guys really don't appear to have too much competition so they can command a pretty high price.  Competition, in my book, is good.

Unless you fly in uncontrolled airspace.  But that would be a headache.

So I read it applies to Class A, B and C (Above 10,000 feet).

It looks like there's some kits out there around $1,700 right now that just do basic ADS-B out.  There is a NavWorks ADSB system that would work in a home built that run about $3,300.

A company called Aspen has ADS-B out starting at $1,700.  These guys, as far as I understand, are new kids on the block.

I just read more, WAAS isn't required, but it's only a few bucks more to get that built into a GPS receiver chip.

My focus isn't on retrofitting an old citation, it's on the homebuilts.  If this just needs to transmit on 978MHz (The FAA would prefer this for planes flying under 18,000 ASL) it's not that difficult.  It needs to transmit some basic aircraft information along with the long/lat.  This would be like building a "starter" project to FM circuitry, just stepped up to a 5-25W transmitter.  

It looks to me like it would only have to be active in class A or B and most of us would never have to worry about class C over 10,000 feet.

All that being said.  I do happen to have a few connections.  I also know some guys over at ZenTech just outside DC.  They're the only company in the United States 100% building circuit boards for US military use.  I had a contract along with them back in 2008.  They have a full shop.

I'm just thinking, we could design on of these things, get it TSO'ed and FCC approved then if we didn't create a business to make them here, I bet the guys I know at ZenTech would be willing to assemble it for a slice of the pie.  I'm even willing to bet they would be able to get the components for about 1/3rd published OEM component costs.

There's nothing to say that an approved, basic TSO'ed device couldn't be sold for non-experimental.  

City and state agencies are required to buy from a local/state small business for any purchases under $100,000 whenever that is possible.  If they can't find a small business they can start to look elsewhere.  Minority businesses have preference before moving on to a non-minority business.  Heck, I have connections there too.  A friend of mine is a hispanic female business owner and they happen to do light manufacturing and already have some government approved processes. :)

Now, as far as my opinion of ADS-B.  It seems pretty stupid to me. Sure, on paper it looks good.  Knowing exact location and aircraft information will give tighter tolerances.  But making RADAR secondary and becoming dependent on an aircraft to tell you where it is?

Hello.  Iran already commandeered one of our drones by hijacking the GPS system.  I'm pretty sure they can get a small aircraft into our airspace broadcasting a pirate signal saying it was somebody that it was not, somewhere that it is not, while it's actually flying into a military / civilian target.  In that sense, I think it's stupid.

But anyway.  If these things could be built with overhead and certification for a total cost of $500, retail them for $1,000-1,200, I think they'd sell and the volume would be a tidy little profit.  It's a stepping stone into other things, like interfacing with tablet's, ADS-B in, autopilot's, etc.

We can call the company Hiser Avionics. ;)  My company name is Velocity Technologies, Inc.  I have a lot of people ask me if that's the aviation company.

Hooked up my board level GPS chips and have them communicating now.  They do not have WAAS capability.  Altitude fluxuates +/- 50 feet and the GPS fix walks NW & SW +/- 50 feet also, but it keeps centerline which is interesting. For the most part, it stays pretty spot on, within 5-10 feet.  It only seems to jump when a new satellite comes into view.

So I can read out the Latitude, Longitude and Altitude.  The rest would be storing an identifier then transmitting it on 978Mhz.  I found a RF modulator circuit that sells for $5 that can be tuned to 978 MHz.  So far, all the essential components to make ADS-B out are under $100.

Okay I have a degree in engineering and I thought I was relatively intelligent, but  this electronic stuff is a little daunting. I'm completely out of my element so any of the following comments should be considered pure "for the sake of posting something" random thoughts.

There is an article in the February issue of Fyling regarding ADS-B and it seems that there already is a relatively cheap ($1400?? I think) device out there. The problem according to the article is that the FAA currently will not authorize any type of portable device. That means hard wiring and certified installers and all the other mindless bureaucratic nonsense associated with it.

I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but I doubt any device that is assembled from consumer grade electronic hardware will  ever be certified. Apparently from your previous posts there are GPS circuit boards out there readily available for the average person, but will the FAA ever in a million years certify a device that is assembled from such components?

I applaud the entrepreneurial spirit. I suspect that as the date draws nearer, there will be companies out there that come up with "cheap" options. Hopefully it will be someone I know so I can say "I knew them when" ;)

Peace