FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Traffic Alert feature provides real-time visual notifications to ground personnel about nearby aircraft, aiding in situational awareness for those on the ground by flashing the runway and taxi lights. When a transmission occurs with a pilot talking, and the transmission is strong indicating it was made nearby, the system flashes the runway and taxi lights for a few seconds. This alerts people on the ground that there is traffic nearby. Perhaps a plane coming into the pattern. Or perhaps a plane taking off. You may have people mowing, or walking around with hearing protection on that would not hear an aircraft. The lights flashing lets them know, ‘Hey, there is a plane nearby. Video about that here.
Yes. It can handle any number of airport relay configurations. The on screen menus allow you to control how the relays behave.
Yes. In fact we specifically designed it to be able to do exactly that. It has a super low power draw and can be run off a simple DC car battery. ~4watts of draw in normal night time mode, and less than half that during the daytime with the power saver feature enabled
If you are in a metal building or hangar, then yes you will likely want and need and external antenna. If you’re in an underground bunker, then you might need a remote antenna. If you can receive airborne and ground aircraft signals with a handheld radio in the location for the controller to be installed, then you can expect similar and better performance of the PCL-854.
Yes it does. Standards are here.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-15
The device meets the Part 5 para. 3.4.6. of the ICAO standards for airport system electrical designs.
Yes it does. Those standards can be found here.
https://tc.canada.ca/sites/default/files/2023-06/TP312-ENG-05-amendment-1-15jan2020.pdf
No. Its meets the standards listed in the feature set which are the ones required for FAA certification, but has not been ‘certified’ to them. Certification costs are high and that market is pretty well saturated and dated. I would have to remove all the useful features in order to certify the unit. I have no interest in developing a device designed to meet standards developed in the 1950’s . Our device exceeds those standards by orders of magnitude.
Here are the standards.
https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/150-5345-49D.pdf
The device is not, but an enclosure is. It is common for industrial manufactures to place their devices inside a rated enclosure for outdoor operations. We sell an outdoor rated NMEA4 + enclosure specifically for this reason. The standards are below. NOTE: The PCL-854 CAN NOT be mounted outside in direct sunlight. It will overheat the electronics and cause a runaway heating condition. It is required that is be shaded in some way from direct sunlight. We sell an enclosure and mounting hardware for the device to be mounted outside. Here are the enclosure standards. The Indoor/Outdoor Enclosure and the Enclosure Kit are generally purchased with the PCL-854 Controller.
https://www.nemaenclosures.com/enclosure-ratings/nema-rated-enclosures.html
I have a white paper that will give you details about runway layout, and some tips about design, power draw, and other items of interest when planning your runway layout.
Both Tri-Color VASI and PAPI are visual aids that help pilots stay on the proper glide path when approaching a runway. The key difference is in how they display the information:
Tri-Color VASI (Visual Approach Slope Indicator):
Appearance: A single light unit (sometimes two) that changes color depending on the aircraft’s approach angle.
How it works:
Amber = Too High
Green = On Glide Path
Red = Too Low
Advantages:
Very compact — requires only one light box per side of the runway.
Easy for pilots to interpret (just one light to watch).
Less ground space needed compared to standard two-bar VASI.
Less expensive due to the single box
Disadvantages:
Limited range — effective only within a few miles and at specific approach angles.
Sensitive to lateral displacement (color can shift if the pilot isn’t lined up well with the runway).
Less common worldwide than PAPI, so some pilots may be less familiar.
Has an undesirable thin amber zone between green and red.
PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicator):
Appearance: Two or Four lights in a row on one side of the runway.
How it works:
4 White = Too High
3 White / 1 Red = Slightly High
2 White / 2 Red = On Glide Path
1 White / 3 Red = Slightly Low
4 Red = Too Low
Advantages:
Very precise glide path information.
Standardized worldwide; almost every pilot knows the system.
Works reliably from further distances than Tri-Color VASI.
Disadvantages:
Requires more runway-side space for installation.
Slightly more complex to interpret (but most pilots are well trained on it).
More expensive and complex to install due to more boxes
Bottom Line:
Tri-Color VASI = Compact, simple “traffic light” system (Amber/Green/Red), but limited range and less precise.
PAPI = More precise, standardized, longer-range, more expensive but requires more lights and space.
| Feature | Tri-Color VASI | PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicator) |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Single light unit (color changes: Amber, Green, Red) | 2 or 4 lights in a row on one side of the runway |
| Glide Path Indication | Amber = Too High Green = On Path Red = Too Low | 4 White = Too High 3W/1R = Slightly High 2W/2R = On Path 1W/3R = Slightly Low 4 Red = Too Low |
| Precision | Simple but less precise | Very precise glide slope information |
| Range | Effective only a few miles; sensitive to alignment | Usable from further out, more forgiving laterally |
| Pilot Familiarity | Less common; some pilots may be less familiar | Standardized worldwide; all pilots trained |
| Installation | Compact, requires little space | Requires more runway-side space |
| Cost & Complexity | Less expensive, easier to install & maintain | More expensive and more complex to install |
| Best For | Smaller airports or those needing a low-cost, compact option | Airports needing maximum precision and standardization |
International shipping is charged based on actual shipping charges. I do not mark this up. I charge you exactly what the shipping charges actually are. That is not known until your order is packaged up, measured, and ready to ship. When that happens I contact you for credit card information to charge you a separate charge for the international shipping, minus what you may have already paid in flat fee shipping that you may have already paid for.