• 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!

Radio Help

N

N7623H

Registered User
Gents,
Been having trouble with my radio the last couple years. Everyone complains about it being clear but weak. Went to the radio shop today to get it looked at and it turns out I have an antique. When they got done laughing they showed me some real cool new radios at a cost of about $1800 plus $2400 installation.
I'm thinking I'd rather use that money for something else, like av gas or big landing gear, and don't really like talking to anyone on the radio anyway. But...every once in awhile it comes in handy, so I got to thinking that a few years ago I almost bought an airplane that used a handheld radio wired into an intercom with headsets and the whole works. THAT would be fine for what I need.
Been spending the afternoon looking online and realized I'm a radio idiot cuz I have no idea what I'm looking at. Does anyone out there use this type of system and does it work? If it does, what do you use and where did you get it?
Thanks in advance.
 
I use an Icom A5 or I5 (cant remember) handheld. The tower hates it cause they cant hear me and I love it cause I cant hear tower yelling at me :) I have been meaning to try an external mounted antenna but Im pretty lazy so maybe someday I will get to it.
I do like the fact that I have the headset adapter and push to talk button but I dont like the fact that it eats batteries (6-AA)every 5hrs or so. I will keep you posted on the external antenna problem.
 
I had a similar thing happen last year with my radio. I have an antique, like you. Could listen fine, couldn't transmit. I to the radio to an aviaonic shop. After the laughter stopped, they got serious, and in an hour diagnosed two capacitors that had failed. Replaced them and I am back in business. Total cost, about $190 for diagnostics and repair. I wouldn't give up on the old radio.
 
That seems like a high price for a radio and install. I had a brand new Garmin SL40 installed in my Supercub in 2005 for $1300 including installation by a popular avionics shop in Wisconsin. I am very happy with it. Great radio.

The other Jeff
 
I use a hand held with a portable intercom and head sets. The hand held is a king KX99 that I love. They are out of production but see them used for sale once in a while. First i had an Icom intercom but my airplane is so noisy if that when I turned the squelch far enough to stop the engine noise I had to yell to activate the intercom. I then bought an inexpensive Flight Tech ITC-401TC for high noise invironments. It didn't work with the king radio but the factory moded it to work for free. He said it took longer to open the case than to make the mod. My head set is the cheapest Pacific Coast Avionics battery operated ANR and the passenger's is their cheapest non ANR. Both head sets have a leather (noise filter) booty over the mikes.

I used just the rubber ducky antenna on the hand held at first, but that didn't work at all. I could hear but nobody, even close, could hear me so I installed an external antenna and it works very well. I listen to the tower from 30 miles out and talk to them at 15 miles. Haven't tried talking further out. They answer first try and don't ask me to repeat.

I use double AA's in the radio. They last for ever if I don't do too much talking. I think they average about 8 hours. The intercom and ANR headset use 9V batteries that last about 40 hours I think.

I buy the Costco kirkland double AAs Our radio tech at work says they are just as good as the high dollar copper tops or drumming bunny types. And they don't leak like the copper top always do in my flashlights.

When you buy a radio be sure to get all the patch cables and head set adapters with it. They are different for every radio. I installed a push to talk button on the stick and was able to just splice it into the radio patch cord.
 
Last edited:
I've been chasing the source of RFI in my old Narco Comm 120 for about 6 months. We have been through everything including intercom, antenna, headsets, circuit breakers, jacks, grounds, you name it. Nearby avionics shops don't even want to look at it. I finally gave up and just ordered a Garmin SL-40 and PS Engineering P1000II Intercom. The cheapest I found the radio was $1695 (Spruce) and intercom $253 (dealer). Ripping everything out and starting from scratch. Installation is roughly $450. Going to be nice to have a stand-by freq (that can be monitored simultaneously) and NOAA weather.
 
Last edited:
N7623H said:
Gents,
Been having trouble with my radio the last couple years. Everyone complains about it being clear but weak. Went to the radio shop today to get it looked at and it turns out I have an antique. When they got done laughing they showed me some real cool new radios at a cost of about $1800 plus $2400 installation.
I'm thinking I'd rather use that money for something else, like av gas or big landing gear, and don't really like talking to anyone on the radio anyway. But...every once in awhile it comes in handy, so I got to thinking that a few years ago I almost bought an airplane that used a handheld radio wired into an intercom with headsets and the whole works. THAT would be fine for what I need.
Been spending the afternoon looking online and realized I'm a radio idiot cuz I have no idea what I'm looking at. Does anyone out there use this type of system and does it work? If it does, what do you use and where did you get it?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

If you had your location in your profile I bet somebody on here could send you to a shop that won't hit your wallet as hard.

Tim
 
Mush, your old radio sounds OK, it's YOU that's distorted :lol:. Seriously, sounds like you'll have a nice setup.

Thanks. cubscout
 
I have a MicroAir 760, made in Australia, paid about $1265. for it. Wouldn't trade it for anything. Small, compact, mounted in the right corner of my panel. Never had any problems with it, crystal clear transmit and receive. Very easy install, too.
 
Desparado, how does the internal intercom work on the microair? I've been considering one.
 
It works great. One of the things I really like about it is being able to preprogram frequencies into it and switch back and forth. I like it that it is digital, small, compact, and easily mounted in the panel. A very good choice of radio, especially if you don't have much room for a radio. I have no complaints about any feature on the radio, whatsoever.
 
If you're considering a non-TSO'd radio like the Microair 760 you might want to give the Flight Line Comm 760 a look. I believe they are around $690. It has a built in intercom as well a stored frequency scroll feature that can be activate by a second button on your stick.
 
Kenneth,

I have an Icom A-6 and was looking to set it up the same way you have. Can you share any further information on your setup. What type of antenna did you use and how do you hard wire the radio to the battery. I will have a 9 ah 12 v batt that is removable, I am running my gps and intercom off of it, wondering if it would be worth hard wiring the radio as well with quick connects so I can remove the radio if I do not need it. I have no experience with radios so any help is appreciated.

Thanks
 
Radio

N7623H said:
Gents,
Been having trouble with my radio the last couple years. Everyone complains about it being clear but weak..... what do you use and where did you get it?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...


We have both the MicroAir and an Xcom.. both work well but I believe the XCom has more support in this country. The intercoms both work well but personally like the overall Xcom features better.

As far as the current radio.. it could simply be a microphone audio level. These are AM (amplitude modulated) and if the mic is poor or (TX) audio gain turned down OR SIMPLY NOT SPEAKING DIRECTLY INTO THE MIC.. the audio will be light. Try speaking literally into the mic and place it (directly) in front of your mouth. Might try another headset as well.

hope that helps

frank
 
airwolf7ac I use a bent whip antena from spruce, then I have the headset adpt for the radio and a battery adapter that plugs into a aux plug on the dash with a push to talk on the stick. They make several battery adapters but you can not transmit with some of them. The one you need replaces the battery on the radio not just plug into the side. Kenny
 
ya know.... you guys are complaining about low battery life in your handhelds. how about turning them off till you actually need them. 5-8 hours of battery life is forever if used judiciously. I understand beebopping along in a gaggle is a different story, but... I have run an icom on an external antenna for years w/ excellent results. but would like to switch to the fliteline 760. its a clean installation and, simple to operate. we have that radio in our spray planes and like them. also... these new radios are nice and light, compared to the old units (yippee)
 
I'm being told by the Avionics shop that the reason my Icom is shutting down when I hit the xmit button is a bad antenna base? Anyone heard of this before? If so, as above, I have the same question is there a specific external antenna (apparently there is more of a science to this antenna thing after listening to the avionics/radio guys talk radiowave speak for an hour than I thought). Something about parametrics, and amplification, and ............

I just need to talk to the tower, not the space station!

Tedd
 
Many radios "fold back" the power if the antenna is bad (high SWR). This is to protect the radio. So the avionics shop might be right.

Any antenna designed for aircraft frequencies should work fine. There is no "best antenna", since they are all of simple design by necessity.
 
Backcast said:
I'm being told by the Avionics shop that the reason my Icom is shutting down when I hit the xmit button is a bad antenna base? Anyone heard of this before? If so, as above, I have the same question is there a specific external antenna (apparently there is more of a science to this antenna thing after listening to the avionics/radio guys talk radiowave speak for an hour than I thought). Something about parametrics, and amplification, and ............

I just need to talk to the tower, not the space station!

Tedd
Click to expand...

Hi Tedd, your original complaint was you were heard but weak.
Please confirm.. your radio gets weak at a distance.. not the audio level? In other words setting beside the tower no issue it's as you get further away and then the signal it's self is getting scratchy not the audio?
Did the radio ever work properly or is this a new radio/antenna/coax to the plane?

You can match the antenna to the radio with many short cuts to a known longer antenna wire and the use of a standing wave bridge however VSWR can be caused by many issues including bad or damaged feed (coax), bad connection on either end and even proximity to another metal object. You mention the "base", if the antenna is a 1/4 wave design it depends heavily on a counterpoise or ground reference for the antenna. This explains but examples a much larger systems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterpoise_(ground_system) might Google "VHF antenna counterpoise".

Unless you want to play with the issue yourself it might be easiest to have the shop determine the problem source and make a suggestion for you to follow or have them simply repair the problem. Like you say it's not rocket science and won't really cost that much. Another good source of help.. contact a local HAM operator, they will generally have the bridge and experience. Good luck
 
Can I just replace the antenna? Do you recommend one or simply find one that is in the right frequency?

It all worked before, I think the winter weather did it in. The coax looks ok, the radio is new, the antenna is looking its age...

thx
Tedd
 
Hi Tedd, depending on the location of the mount it should be pretty easy to replace the antenna, coax and connectors.. without testing it's really impossible to know the source but this would eliminate several. Now a lot depends on what the base is mounted Maxrad makes an inexpensive thru hole mount http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/maxrad-bma-5713.html?zenid=6259e6ff91eb7489c1fc556408390dcb and nearly any radio shop will have selections of 1/4 wave whips. Generally a wire whip is cut by a chart provided, encapsulated aircraft antennas generally work across the full aircraft spectrum. Microair did a nice job explaining much in http://www.microair.com.au/admin/uploads/VHFAerialInstallationFAQ.pdf good luck
 
We use the cheapie Spruce antennae. They are just expensive coat hangers with a porcelain base. The coax is critical - you must have the correct coax or it will not work.

One Cub has an SL-40, another has an Icom IC-A- 20 with Sigtronics intercom, and a third has a KX99 handheld. I actually prefer the Icom, because of the ease of finding programmed frequencies. With an external antenna and external 12 v power, it is almost as good as the SL-40, and way, way better for programmed frequencies.
 
Multiple problems discussed here. First: Can hear but transmits weak/broken. That is normally a problem with the antenna or coax. Make sure the antenna is in good condition and that it is grounded to a metal panel. Aviation antennas need to have a 'ground plane'. This means they need to be mounted on a metal surface. The larger the better but a circle with the diameter approximately the length of the antenna will do. I know, I know, a lot of you guys are running them with antennas installed on the wing root fairing. It does work but it's not optimal. And a special note to the guys with antennas mounted on the fuel tank lids: >lightning!< You guys mounting them through fabric or on a composite panel can create a ground plane by centering an 'asterisk', made with aluminum tape, on the inside of the fabric, where the antenna lead hole is located. Works great. As for coax problems, the terminal ends are an ongoing issue. The crimp type ends (preferred) can come loose or be improperly installed. And the screw together style came disassemble themselves over time. To check a coax with terminal ends, disconnect both ends. There should be continuity from center conductor to center conductor. There should also be continuity from outer shell to outer shell. There should NOT BE ANY CONTINUITY from center conductor to outer shell. None!

As to running a portable com as an aircraft radio: It works but you'll need an externally mounted com antenna to get much of any range and clarity. I have several customers who operate with these, some with an intercom and some without. Having a built in intercom actually simplifies the use as you only need a patch cord to connect the hand held to the intercom and you're in business. Using a headset with a stand alone hand held means finding patch cords which will allow you to connect your headset to the radio. Just using a hand held AS a handheld means lots of shouting to be heard and going hoarse from say "Say again?" repeatedly.

Antennas: While some of the Ham guys will fill your head with details of antenna construction, make life easy on yourself. Get an actual aircraft com antenna, made for 118 to 136 MHZ (yes this is important. antennas are made for a specific frequency range). Mount this antenna, with good metal to metal contact, and connect it with a coax lead fabricated from RG 400 coax cable. This is the tan stuff. The old RG 58 is black. If you do this, you will not have to tune the antenna or play with coax lengths. Just install and connect.

As to the new small radios: I'd like to point out that some of these radios are as light as a hand held and VERY small. But I'm prejudiced because I install them for a living. Check out the Becker and Microair radios. While intercom functions are better with a stand alone intercom and radio, the guys looking to remove those last few ounces can use the built in intercoms. The newer model Microair radios have a vox intercom, most of the others will require a separate push to talk button just for intercom functions. Another angle with these small radios is that the use such a small amount of power that you can install them in an aircraft with no electrical system and run them of a small sealed battery stashed somewhere like a map pocket.

As far as Microair support, someone tell Frank that I'm on the south end of his runway and I'm a dealer, lol.

Web
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
radio noise and hookup need help
Replies
7
Views
2K
swoeric
S
Jacob Papp
Base Station Radio
Replies
4
Views
1K
Steve Pierce
Steve Pierce
2
Do I need an audio panel?
Replies
10
Views
3K
wireweinie
wireweinie
E
Squelch activates after radio warms up. What could be problem?
Replies
9
Views
3K
cubpilot2
cubpilot2
D
Mounting handheld radio in Super Cub - headset, intercom and PTT switch setup
Replies
3
Views
2K
wireweinie
wireweinie
Back
Top