A CAPT RPTS ON THE PROBS OF TCASI EQUIP THAT IS CURRENTLY INSTALLED IN THE AIRLINE'S BE02 FLEET. THE RPTR STATES THAT THE EQUIP WILL NOT OPERATE ON THE GND; THE DISPLAY WASHES OUT IN THE SUNLIGHT; COMPANY TRAINING POLICY DOES NOT DEFINE PLT PROCS; AND THAT SOMETIMES TARGETS WILL APPEAR ON THE SCREEN AS MUCH AS 180 DEGS OPPOSITE OF THEIR POS.

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OUR ACFT ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE BFG TCAS791 TCASI UNITS. OVERALL; IT IS NICE TO HAVE THE ADDITIONAL INFO PROVIDED BY THE TCASI. HOWEVER; THERE IS MUCH NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT. FIRST OF ALL; OUR TCASI DOES NOT OPERATE WHILE THE ACFT IS ON THE GND. I BELIEVE IT IS HOOKED TO A SQUAT SWITCH. THIS PREVENTS THE USE OF TCASI TO CHK FOR TFC ON THE PATTERN OF UNCTLED FIELDS OR MONITORING TFC FLOWS WHILE HOLDING IN POS. SECOND; OUR TCASI DISPLAY IS VERY SMALL; AND WASHES OUT IN SUNLIGHT. AS WE FLY OVER THE BUSY GA ARPT (BFI) WHILE ON APCH TO SEA; THE SMALL SCREEN IS OFTEN FILLED WITH MANY TARGETS OVERLAPPING EACH OTHER. THIS MAKES TFC ALTS HARD TO DISCERN. A LARGER SCREEN; OR PERHAPS A 2 1/2 MI RANGE WOULD BE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT (OUR RANGES ARE 20; 10; AND 5 MI). THIRD; OUR COMPANY HAS NOT PROVIDED US WITH ADEQUATE TRAINING IN THE USE OF TCASI (OR GPWS FOR THAT MATTER) AND I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT I SHOULD DO IF I CANNOT LOCATE TFC VISUALLY AND TCASI SHOWS A COLLISION THREAT. I UNDERSTAND THAT TCASI DOES NOT HAVE THE ACCURACY OF A REAL TCASII UNIT. FOURTH; OUR BFG UNITS SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF PROBS. OFTEN THE UNITS PLACE TARGETS ON THE SCREEN AS MUCH AS 180 DEGS OPPOSITE TO THEIR ORIGINAL POS. TARGETS OFTEN 'POP UP' FOR NO REASON; OR SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR. IT IS COMMON FOR ALL DISPLAYED TARGETS TO JUMP AROUND THE DISPLAY ERRATICALLY. OVERALL; IT IS NICE TO HAVE AN EXTRA SET OF ELECTRONIC EYES IN THE COCKPIT; BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEND THE TCASI UNITS BACK TO BFG AND GET MY HANDS ON THE REAL TCASII. ALL IT WILL TAKE IS ONE OF US MANEUVERING THE SAME DIRECTION AS A TCASII EQUIPPED ACFT OR A GA AIRPLANE TO CAUSE A MIDAIR. IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE RA'S; TOO.