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Intercoms that cut off instructing when radio picks up a broadcast.

Alex Clark

Registered User
Life Long Alaskan
The intercom in my plane, and all those I have owned will let me talk to clients with radio transmissions in the background.

HOWEVER: I have been teaching two guys how to fly in their old C-172 and it has a Flightcom 403 that cuts off any intercom if there is ANY radio noise in the background.

Yes I know I could turn off the radio, but I have been almost hit twice in the last week by idiots. So I need to keep my electronic ears open.

I had one student freeze up a couple days ago just before touch-down because he could not hear me coaching him about throttle usage.

Can the 403s be re-wired so the intercom is not totally cut off with the radio in the background???
 
I won't instruct in aircraft with that feature. The GTR-200 makes it selectable. I adjust volume so I can hear ATC louder than the student.
 
Alex

You'll need to open the back shell on the connector at the back of the intercom. Right now, pins 23, 24, and 25 are jumpers together. If you clip the wire off pin 23 and the radio will not mute the intercom.

Web
 
Not a Flightcom, but a buddy of mine just installed a Sigtronics SPA400 (?) in his airplane.
Along with installation instructions & wiring diagram,
it came with a separate sheet showing how to re-route a jumper on the back of the internal circuit board
to activate that intercom-mute feature.
I have the same intercom in my airplane but I don't think my paperwork includes that re-jumper info.
Which is fine- I've flown in an airplane with that feature and it is very annoying.
You have to set the radio on an unused freq to avoid interrupted inter-coms.
Easier & better IMHO to just learn to pick your tail number out of the on-frequency chatter.
 
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