Garmin International Inc. has announced the GDL 82 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) datalink, the latest addition to the company’s line of certified ADS-B solutions. The GDL 82 is a small, lightweight Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) with a built-in WAAS GPS receiver that uniquely integrates with the aircraft’s existing transponder and transponder antenna.

ADS-B is a key technology behind the FAA’s Next Generation Air Traffic Control System. The FAA has mandated ADS-B Out after Jan. 1, 2020, for flight in airspace where a transponder is required today.

The GDL 82 provides aircraft owners with a minimally intrusive ADS-B Out solution that doesn’t require any panel modifications. Instead, the GDL 82 is installed in line between the aircraft’s existing transponder and transponder antenna. Installation has the potential to require less shop time than either a transponder replacement or installation of a standalone UAT—the most common routes to ADS-B Out compliance in piston aircraft; simply mount the UAT and its GPS antenna, connect the antenna, connect it to the transponder and transponder antenna, and connect the UAT to a 14- or 28-volt D.C. power supply. Garmin said the installation design is patent-pending.

The GDL 82 contains Garmin’s AutoSquawk interrogation technology, which works reliably with most Mode C transponders to synchronize the transponder’s squawk code with the GDL 82. This eliminates the need to install a separate UAT control panel.

“We’re excited to give customers another budget-friendly and straightforward path to compliance that is quick and easy to install,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “With 29 months left to meet the requirements of ADS-B Out and the steadily increasing backlog of ADS-B installations at many avionics shops, we’re committed to providing our customers with solutions that are backed by our well-established lineage in ADS-B and superior product quality that pilots have come to know and expect from Garmin.”

The GDL 82 broadcasts on 978 MHz, providing a rule-compliant ADS-B Out solution for aircraft operating below 18,000 feet msl in the United States. The integral WAAS GPS receiver offers cost savings for aircraft without an approved ADS-B position source already installed. “For thousands of aircraft owners, the GDL 82 is a comprehensive solution that meets regulatory requirements and provides pilots with a simple upgrade path to achieve ADS-B Out,” Garmin said in a press release.

If a GDL 82, or any other ADS-B Out solution is installed, pilots who already utilize a portable ADS-B receiver—such as the Garmin GDL 52, GDL 39/GDL 39 3D, or Stratus line of portable solutions—will be able to access a more comprehensive ADS-B In traffic picture, resulting in improved situational awareness.

Supplemental type certification for the GDL 82, which includes a WAAS antenna and installation kit, is expected to be completed in September; its anticipated street price is $1,795. For more information, visit the Garmin exhibit at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, from July 24 through 30; visit the Garmin website; or contact a Garmin dealer.