Probably not.

DME takes some time to lock onto a station. You have to search through the pulses coming back to match up your transmission pattern to what comes back. This takes a bit of time to first reliable distance reading.

Standard DME units can track only one station at a time. If you ask it to switch, that takes a few seconds to lock on and give you a reading.

To lock on to, say, 4 stations in sequence and get readings from all four may take 20 seconds. That's too slow since you've moved a mile or more.

The FMS DME/DME systems can simultaneously track multiple DME stations at the same time. So they are getting data much more real time and coincident.

There are a lot of details to get right in a DME/DME RNAV box. This is not trivial technically, and certainly not trivial approval wise. A receive SDR is not enough, you have to transmit as well, too.

Another issue is if DME stations have the capacity to track so many aircraft interrogating them all at once. As the usage goes up, the pulse train gets harder to search through and lock on.

Mike C.

How would you compare the TBM vs the Meridian? Handling qualities, not operating or maint cost.

Turbulence between the 2 types

Nosewheel steering during landing

For you, what does the Bonanza do that the Meridian can't?

There are a lot of details to get right in a DME/DME RNAV box. This is not trivial technically, and certainly not trivial approval wise. A receive SDR is not enough, you have to transmit as well, too.

Carl you may hold the Meridian range record there. Almost getting 2 nm per pound of fuel!! That beats my SUV by a long way

My partner, when we had a Meridian, used to make the Ogden (SLC) to Greenbay trip pretty reliably eastbound. 1079 nm. On my east coast trips, I just usually planned a stop in Tulsa both directions with cheap CAA fuel. The range on the Meridian is good enough for most missions, and you can increase range 20% no wind just by pulling the power back, if you need to for weather or other reasons.

There is a lot to like about the Meridian, and it functions perfectly as advertised. Very reliable, highly automated, and efficient for a turbine. Everything is known about the airframe, so the gotchas have long been realized or engineered out. Some of the reasons that it still sells quite well, and has good resale value.

Probably not.

DME takes some time to lock onto a station. You have to search through the pulses coming back to match up your transmission pattern to what comes back. This takes a bit of time to first reliable distance reading.

Standard DME units can track only one station at a time. If you ask it to switch, that takes a few seconds to lock on and give you a reading.

To lock on to, say, 4 stations in sequence and get readings from all four may take 20 seconds. That's too slow since you've moved a mile or more.

The FMS DME/DME systems can simultaneously track multiple DME stations at the same time. So they are getting data much more real time and coincident.

There are a lot of details to get right in a DME/DME RNAV box. This is not trivial technically, and certainly not trivial approval wise. A receive SDR is not enough, you have to transmit as well, too.

Another issue is if DME stations have the capacity to track so many aircraft interrogating them all at once. As the usage goes up, the pulse train gets harder to search through and lock on.

Mike C.

Thanks, the nosewheel issue I keep hearing about. How is it in turbulence compared to the TBM?

No barber pole on the TBM, redline 266 IAS at all altitudes

If you want to see what happens when GPS goes out on the ground, park in front of Duncan in LNK. There and about 4 other places I know it always drops out. Usually lose TCAS, then surface watch followed by synthetic vision then nav. .

GPS failures, esp out west are real. Hope that the powers to be don't decommission more VOR’s. With Chinese balloons flying overhead, proxy wars with Russia, and saber rattling with China, our GPS infrastructure is super fragile. Had this for about 30 min or so on a flight to Mexico. TCAS worked, but ADSB traffic went down, no TAWS, no terrain, no synthetic vision, no GPS on the panel, iPad or phone. Don’t lose those non-magenta skills folks.

What is there to "highly automate" on a Meridian?

Mike C.

If they’re using a GPS repeater this is to be expected

Just one unit per FMS?

How do they deal with the information skew introduced by channel hoping?

They must be fairly sloppy in terms of performance, particularly during a turn.

Mike C.

If they’re using a GPS repeater this is to be expected

Thanks, the nosewheel issue I keep hearing about. How is it in turbulence compared to the TBM?

No barber pole on the TBM, redline 266 IAS at all altitudes

It is because of the GPS repeaters in their hangars