Stratus ESG, a 1090 Extended Squitter (ES) all-in-one ADS-B Out solution with certified WAAS GPS, was recently introduced by Appareo.
Priced at $3,490, which includes the transponder, GPS antenna and install kit, the Stratus ESG is a panel-mounted 1090ES transponder with a built-in WAAS GPS. It will provide pilots with a solution to comply with the 2020 ADS-B mandate and seamless integration with their Stratus ADS-B portable receivers and ForeFlight Mobile app, according to Appareo officials.
“We looked through a pilot’s lens and designed Stratus ESG from the ground up,” said Appareo’s aviation business unit manager Tony Grindberg. “Our team wanted to provide a simple and affordable solution for the non-glass panel market. We were laser-focused on developing an all-in-one-box solution to minimize installation costs for pilots. While some UAT receivers are available at a lower cost, pilots are finding that the complex installation is pushing up the total expense to comply. We knew 1090ES with a built-in WAAS GPS would give pilots the simple installation they’re looking for, while also upgrading their panel.”
A WAAS GPS antenna is included in the kit at no extra cost. Stratus ESG is a modern digital transponder that was designed to replace analog transponders and connect to an existing belly-mounted antenna. For typical single-engine piston aircraft, Stratus ESG will require approximately half the installation time as compared to a remote-mounted UAT, according to company officials.
“Through our partnership with ForeFlight and Sporty’s Pilot Shop, we’re closely connected with pilots and really understand their pain points,” said Derek Aslakson, aviation product manager. “We saw that the non-glass panel market still wanted the benefits of ADS-B In while complying with the mandate for ADS-B Out. Now pilots can comply with the mandate while also upgrading to a full traffic picture. To keep it affordable, we made a panel-mount transponder with GPS in the same box,” Aslakson said.
Appareo’s certification team is working with the FAA and will complete final submission for certifications late this year, company officials said, adding product availability is contingent on approval.
Good day! Unjustifiably high price for that product. This pricing policy is not conducive to the development of GA
I hear you Guido as this thing is 15% of the cost of my plane, but at least this shows that manufacturers are listening to pilots in coming up with more compact and affordable units as time marches on.
As I see lower prices as a trend, I will not (and realistically can’t) invest in this unit at the current price.
I am simply waiting this thing out in the hope that by the time 2020 rolls around, the technology of these units and the competition between manufacturers will be such that they can deliver under a cost of $1.5K. Not that $1.5k is cheap for our wallets, but realistically I think that will be as low as they can go. One can only hope for the better.
When you consider that the anticipated cost of ADSB when first introduced was $10K+, it looks like prices are already coming down substantially and hopefully will continue. Call me a dreamer, but I am the consummate optimist.
What a bargain – at 10% of the cost of my plane…….
I wonder how long Appareo has been planning this. Brilliant business plan: get us hooked on the Stratus / Foreflight system, then offer us plug-n-play ADSB-out. But, like Guido, I find $3500 way too high. The real cost, if we are to have ADSB-in benefit (traffic, WX, etc), is $3500 (new ESG txponder) + $900 (Stratus IN box) + $70-150 / year (Foreflight). I was hoping the ESG would come in under $2K.