• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

Anyone using one of these BECKER AR4201 ?

supercub

MEMBER
Let me check my GPS, gee how'd we ever navigate w
How are these radios? I understand they have a built in intercom, how is that ?
 
I've had one in my cub for 9 years and love it I don't use the intercom so can't comment on that.
 
I've used them, and they are a great comm radio. My one experience with trying to use the intercom on one wasn't that great, though.

MTV
 
glad your commenting.....wanted to put one in my project but also planned to use different intercom. I like the feature when your listening to music or ATC it will mute and only prioritize ATC.
 
I've installed a metric butt load of them and had great service from them. Built in intercom is so-so at best. I always recommend a stand alone intercom with ANY radio. Better volume and easier control of things like squelch (knobs vs programing).

Web
 
I've had one in my cub for 9 years and love it I don't use the intercom so can't comment on that.

You dont use the intercom because nobody wants to talk to you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I just wired one up through a PS Eng intercom. Pretty easy except for those ridiculous solder tab D Sub connectors. Seems like a nice unit
 
I just wired one up through a PS Eng intercom. Pretty easy except for those ridiculous solder tab D Sub connectors. Seems like a nice unit

That's why you use the crimp type connector. You can assemble a connector in about 10% of the time for a solder type and mistakes are easily corrected.

Web
 
They work pretty well and have great tech support.

Every time one I was associated with went to the repair facility the minimum charge was $500. I understand it is $600 now. We replaced one with a GTR -200 and used its internal intercom. Open cockpit. We are pleased.

The GTR does not have a good RF squelch range - we live with it. I am trying to get Garmin's attention. Otherwise it is a spectacular radio. We have some serious local emitters, including a couple SoCal approach frequencies with a difference beat right on our tower frequency.
 
I'm buying the Trig 91, it also has a built in intercom...I'm told the intercom doesn't work as great as a stand alone intercom so I'm going with that too.
 
Most of the built-in intercoms are set up to mute the intercom when someone transmits on whatever com frequency the radio is set on.
Seems like a real good idea on paper, esp when you're on with ATC, but in real life.....not so much.
Just flying along BS'ing with your pax, every time somebody makes a position report, your conversation gets muted.
Gets real old quick.
Yeah, you can set the radio to some hopefully unused freq,
but I like to monitor nearby CTAF's or tower freqs as I fly along--
impossible to do this AND have a conversation at the same time.
 
They work pretty well and have great tech support.

Every time one I was associated with went to the repair facility the minimum charge was $500. I understand it is $600 now. We replaced one with a GTR -200 and used its internal intercom. Open cockpit. We are pleased.

The GTR does not have a good RF squelch range - we live with it. I am trying to get Garmin's attention. Otherwise it is a spectacular radio. We have some serious local emitters, including a couple SoCal approach frequencies with a difference beat right on our tower frequency.

I don’t recall it being that much. I thought around $250 for the last one I sent in. I just looked the minimum flat rate repair is $208.
 
Hotrod - I agree. Impossible to instruct with a "muting" intercom. Fortunately it is a feature that can usually be disabled.

Charlie - I may be wrong, since I wasn't footing the bills. There were some unhappy Stearman partners who told me the $500 fee, and the last time it went in they said $600.

They put the Garmin in at my suggestion, but had an external intercom installed - first, the PM-501, and then something the aerobatics guys recommended. Neither was satisfactory. Mike Scheuer told me the PS Industries intercoms are not designed for open cockpit.

Finally, they reconfigured it to the internal GTR intercom - we are using it that way in a J-3 with door always open - and those of us with good DC headsets and muffs are delighted with it in the Stearman. For those with dirtbag headsets, we installed PTT for the intercom.

Then the Great Lakes guys copied us. They apparently love the GTR intercom.
 
Last edited:
We have installed numerous trig ty91 radios. J3, PA-11, PA-18, plastic clown plane LSA. I dismissed the intercom in it too. Since it is built in probably isn’t all that good. I was wrong. It’s actually a really good one. In a few installs we have added a selector switch for the VOX circuit to toggle it on or off. Then a hot mic switch for each occupant. So if doors open and hanging your head out like a basset hound the system is cold until you key it up. Support from the company is great. I wouldn’t spend money and weight on a separate intercom. And the radio is small and for a J3, the best part is it is remote head. The control head easily fits in the wingroot so it can be controlled from either seat. Main box can go anywhere. It’s the go to radio choice now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
….Every time one I was associated with went to the repair facility the minimum charge was $500. ....

Regardless of the fee, having to send something in for service is a PITA.
If I had to send one in more than once, or send more than one in,
I would be pretty disappointed.
The Narco Com 810 in my airplane was installed about 25 years ago,
near as I can tell from the logbooks etc it's never had to be repaired or serviced.
For what aviation radios cost, IMHO this should be the norm, not the exception.
 
Trig TY91 Intercom

I'm a little late jumping in on the thread but I am flying one of the aircraft that Todd Long referenced in his reply about the intercom quality of the Trig TY91. The control head is installed in the wing root of my 1946 J3C-65 and the main unit is installed on a tray behind the baggage area. I also installed the TT22 Transponder. As Todd said, the VOX on/off toggle switch is next to the control head and the hot mic switch is wired into one of the switches on my Ray Allen G4 Stick Grip front and back. The intercom works great in VOX on or off mode. I'm also running Lightspeed Tango wireless headsets and it's so nice not to have all the cable clutter hanging down in the cockpit. I would definitely recommend the Trig avionics. Happy to send pics if you're interested.
 
………...The Narco Com 810 in my airplane was installed about 25 years ago,
near as I can tell from the logbooks etc it's never had to be repaired or serviced. …..

Oops, I misspoke.
About a year ago, I realized that some of the smoke must have leaked out my Com 810, as the display was starting to fail..
I bought a replacement display from Digikey for $150, and replaced it myself.
So not "never had to be repaired or serviced" after all, but damn close.
 
I bought one a few weeks ago. I need to get it installed after yanking 30 pounds of unneeded junk out of my panel.
I am thinking about putting it down on the right bottom of the Port-side instrument plate. They are only a 2.25 inch diameter and less than 2 pounds.
Unfortunately my current panel plate has holes in all the wrong places.
 

Attachments

  • 2015-07-21 001 (1115x1280).jpg
    2015-07-21 001 (1115x1280).jpg
    305.9 KB · Views: 309
  • Panel possible.jpg
    Panel possible.jpg
    232.4 KB · Views: 218
Back
Top