Stick push to talk

[Tango Cub]

I am wiring my cub with a new push to talk switch and wire, does anyone have a picture of the wire routing out the bottom of the stick so it doesn't bind or chafe?


Thanks,

Bryan

[Gordon Misch]

I wrapped the wires in spiral anti-chafe material, and anchored that to the floorboard. Simple, and has been trouble free for many years.

[cubdrvr]

Same as Gordon.........only I located my PTT(small unit) 3/4 of the way up the stick. It's out of the way and I use my little finger. Also carry a spare already wired switch.......just in case.

[Utah-Jay]

I just finished this on my Bearhawk.

I used a different tubing than the photo below. The clear tubing is easier to bend in a tighter angle. I am unfamiliar with cubs, but I used adel clamps to connect the wiring/tubing where there were bolts/pivot points. My tubing goes into the stick so the wires are never rubbing on any edges

[wireweinie]

Just use single conductor, shielded wire. Put a connector at the base of the removable part of the stick. Then drop the wire through the bottom of the stub and through the cutout in the floorboard. No reason to do much more than that.

Web

[wireweinie]

Here are a couple of pics of a pilot stick I did recently. One pic shows the molex style connector on the PTT wire and the other shows the wire coming out of the stub and going down into the floor. Also note the square hole in the stick. This is for a -3 carriage bolt that is secured by a nyloc wing nut. Makes removing the stick, without tools, an easy task.

Web

[cubdriver2]

I did two different Cubs with PTT on top of stick. Dressing for winter and big boots wiped both of them off eventually. My favorite now is in front just below my pinky, been using the Velcro one ever since.

Glenn

[wireweinie]

Use a different push button switch. This pic shows the switch I use, buried in the stick ball. Very low profile target for boots.

Web

[DENNY]

I did two different Cubs with PTT on top of stick. Dressing for winter and big boots wiped both of them off eventually. My favorite now is in front just below my pinky, been using the Velcro one ever since.

Glenn

I have swept 3 switches off my dash with Bunny Boots over the years I can relate!! Mine is a small micro switch from radio shack on the front side of the stick below my pinky. Pretty safe there.
DENNY

[BC12D-4-85]

I like it on the throttle but have had both in Cubs

Gary

[Sam D]

Use a different push button switch. This pic shows the switch I use, buried in the stick ball. Very low profile target for boots.

Web

looks great. Where do you source the parts from?

[wireweinie]

Standard stick ball. Switches are from mouser.com. Drill the ball on an mandrel in a lathe. Glue the switch in place with RTV (so it can be removed in the future) and wired to the stick length.

Web

[wireweinie]

Or you can buy them from me.

Web

[cubdrvr]

I have a control lock so mounted mine lower on the stick. Easy to use and out of the way. Remove knob on stick for access to $200 emergency cash.

[cubpilot2]

Just an FYI for the small PTT switches commonly found with aircraft spruce and others.

I’ve had a couple of these fail over the years with the button flying or breaking off, with the switch going closed in the process; Essentially a stuck mic. (I quickly became unpopular with lake hood)
I had to disconnect it before I could receive with the radio. There were quick disconnects on the wires, but neatly secured up out of the way below the seat frame. I had to exit the area, land on a small lake to disconnect them.

I carry a portable radio in my gear as a backup which got me back into lake hood.

I now have quick disconnects below the stick, but located so that I can reach them and unplug while still sitting in the seat. I no longer use the knob location but relocated to the front of the stick like others have.

I also installed a backup PTT into the throttle knob, which is wired through an isolation switch on the side panel. (In case it comes apart). In hindsight I should have also wired an isolation switch for the stick PTT as well.

Since installing the backup I have not had a failure…..

[frequent_flyer]

Stuck mics reveal a lot about some people's understanding of simplex VHF coms. Every time there is a stuck mic multiple people will chime in with "Stuck mic, check your mic!" How can they not realize that the only person who can do anything to fix the problem cannot possibly hear the transmissions.

The good thing is that many, if not most, modern coms radios will time out after a long transmission and unkey the transmitter.

[BC12D-4-85]

Having a small "TX" image appear on the radio's screen isn't easy to see or when busy. Most aircraft radios show nothing during transmit. There must be some small panel LED device to activate via transmitter RF?

Gary

[wireweinie]

All modern radios 'time out' with a stuck mic. That means that if the PTT sticks in the transmit mode, it will stay that way for a fixed amount of time (usually 20 to 30 seconds, max) and then return to normal receive mode. Some models will even prevent you from trying to transmit again until the problem is cleared. Another way around the time out is to shut off the radio and then turn it back on.
If you do not see the transmit indicator on the radio face, other indicators of a stuck mic are continuous cockpit noise in the side tone after you release the PTT button, or the complete lack of incoming radio calls.
As far as getting home after a PTT switch breaks, be sure your avionics guy installs the harness as per the diagram. This means that the push to talk function gets wired all the way to the pilots mic jack. When done this way, you can plug in a 'curly cord' PTT switch and continue to fly. Another work around is to plug the curly cord into the emergency mic jack and work the radio directly. If you want to use the curly cord assembly with a system that uses VOX intercom, then you'll most likely need to modify the switches in the cord assembly to make it work properly.

Web

[Steve Pierce]

I was ferrying a customer's airplane to my place for inspection and while landing at a controlled field the PTT putton came out and feel somewhere on the floor. Luckily I could use the ball point pen in my pocket to push the inside of what was left to talk to the tower. The buttons that use to be common and had the issue of the top coming off don't seem to be available anymore. The new ones seem to be made batter.