Just recently we reviewed the TS Micro from SureCheck, the sub-$300 sibling of the much more capable VRX.

It was love at first sight with that miniscule radar detector of the skies but when it comes to noticing traffic even before you can see it, nothing beats the VRX: it displays much more information and is still affordable.

If you’re in the market for a mini-TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) here’s one that you can give pride-of-place in your cockpit panel.

Let’s dissect the features of the SureCheck VRX.

If you haven’t read our previous review on the TS Micro, please do so to find out what these systems are all about.

In that review I made some observations on what I would like to see in a system that aircraft owners can build into their dashboard.

It seems that the VRX has covered all those issues quite nicely so let’s start with the main features first.

(I’ll have some suggestions about a few minor issues but will keep them for last).

Comparing the VRX with the low-cost TS micro quickly shows the visible differences.

The VRX has quite a large display rather than just some coloured LEDs to indicate how far potentially conflicting traffic is.

Plus it shows the closest threat in two dimensions: how far and how many feet above or below your flight path.

A real TCAS will also show you the direction of where to look, which is kinda handy but will cost you a fortune.

The unit will handle multiple threats and the closest one will be displayed in big, bold numbers.

The altitude difference will also show a trend to alert you to converging flight levels.

Talking about flight levels, yes, the VRX will handle everything up to FL250 and can also be configured for pressurized flight – a boon for my pressurized P210 (to make that happen you need to flick a dipswitch inside the battery compartment and connect a line to the static pressure port).

Talking about batteries: yes, the unit can be powered by 4 AA batteries but it’s much more economical to use the supplied 12-30VDC power cable.

The display also has indicators for receiving Mode S data, whether ground radar (SSR) is present and will let you know if TCAS-equipped aircraft are around.

The box comes complete with a set of cables to connect your headset and/or intercom to the unit so that you can hear audio warnings as well.

Perfect for when the VRX is placed out of direct line-of-sight, like mounted under your panel or on the co-pilot’s side.

Battery compartment with dipswitches

Let’s take the VRX for a spin. Not literally, of course, as I chose to place the unit on top of the dash, not too close to the magnetic compass.

For good measure I also had its little brother, the TS Micro up there and an Emtac Bluetooth GPS.

If I had an Oscar I would have displayed it up there too…

The display is OK for bright sunlight and perfect during night flights when the backlight is on.

Reviewing the latest and greatest gear on these websites makes me a bit spoilt when it comes to displays.

I reckon an OLED colour screen would be magic for this unit but, then again, I wasn’t in charge of development and that’s probably a good thing too otherwise you couldn’t buy this magic box for under 800 buckeroos.

The screen normally displays the “searching” mode when no traffic is around but fly around in the LA basin and I’ll guarantee you’ll probably never see that screen! I learned to fly at Orange County airport (now John Wayne) and reckon I wasted half my tuition on taxiing to the holding position, it was that busy!

When the unit announces that someone else is encroaching on your airspace bubble, you might be surprised to see how hard it is to detect another aircraft at, say, 5 miles out. Just watching the trend of its flight path relative to yours will indicate whether there’s a conflict looming.

The “See & Avoid” stratagem will now become: “Detect, See & Avoid”.

I found it also interesting to train my eye for estimating how far traffic actually is with that distance readout.

A big bonus of the VRX is that it will show you the exact altitude that your craft is reporting to ATC or other aircraft and that it will alert you when this mode becomes unavailable. That pressure altitude is normally a bit different of course from your current altimeter setting which relates to Mean Sea Level.

Having a built-in altimeter guarantees the VRX is always accurate in its reporting.

Flying in close proximity to other airplanes, particularly the heavies, creates a potentially disastrous hazard with wake turbulence.

The VRX will warn you on that score too.

Let me mention another couple of features that are worthwhile to include here: there is a Flight, Ground and Auto mode to sort out what are the real threats relative to where you are and also the VRX can warn you if you deviate more than, say, 100 feet off your altitude.

All of these features and many more make this an outstanding safety device and increases a pilot’s awareness of surrounding traffic.

Departing Perth (notice reflection of the TS Micro)

One of the issues I had with the TS Micro was the reflection of the unit’s top surface.

With a unit like the Micro that needs to sit on top of the dash you’d be better off without that reflective distraction.

Fortunately, the VRX is black all over and even the shiny antenna connector is out of sight.

However, when you place the unit on top of your panel under a cloudless sky, guess what happens?

No, it won’t melt but the electronics protest at this harsh treatment and shut down.

When I contacted SureCheck Aviation with this problem Zane Hovey, one of the engineers, explained that the unit will shutdown at 60 degrees Celsius.

I’m sure you know that our cockpits can be little saunas where temps reach blistering values so I question the wisdom of putting the unit in full sunlight.

With the accessories you can buy from SureCheck it’s far better to build it in your panel or under it if you have the room.

If that’s not feasible make a little shade for it so that it is not in direct sunlight anymore.

Having that extra information – particularly the altitude difference – readily available makes this an extremely valuable addition to the cockpit.

Scanning the standard instruments in my panel now includes a quick check of the VRX followed by a swoop of the skies.

It’s comforting to know that this unit will pick up all transponder-equipped aircraft (assuming of course that they have their black boxes switched on!).

Like with GPS the temptation to rely solely on one source of information, no matter how accurate, is great but there will come a time that either the sky falls or your electrics fail… and it’s back to basics again.

In the meantime, you’ll be grateful for having this companion up there with you who will alert you when others are crowding in on your airspace.

Ah, and when you decide to buy one of these beauties know that you’ll get one of the best manuals with it that I’ve seen for a while: great illustrations and concisely written. Plus a handy plasticized Quick Guide for on your kneeboard.

Full marks.

More details: go to www.SureCheck.net

Another trusty companion: iPAQ 4700 with OziExplorer