Zaon Portable Collision Avoidance System - How does it work?

[Fearless Tower]

I've read the descriptions on the company website and through the various pilot shops, but still have one question - how does it actually work? Where is the unit getting it's contact info from? I assume it is getting xpdr info bounced back to it from ground based radar systems, but is it like the Garmin TIS that only works in a Mode-S radar environment or will it work in any radar environment?

It is a bit pricey ($1400), but a much cheaper way to get traffic on my new Garmin 510 than installed a GTX 330 ($4500-5000 installed)

 

[Jim Logajan]

My buddy has one in his plane and I would not waste the batteries to turn it on. It sucks. I have active traffic in my 182 and there is no comparison. Of course my active traffic was 17k but the ZAON is worthless.....

I don't have "active traffic" (not sure what you mean by that; TIS?) in any of the rentals I use. So only equivalent alternative is flight following or a personal Zaon MRX or XRX on the dash.

So by "worthless" would you say that it is safer to not have a PCAS at all? Not sure I follow the logic of that assessment.