Any avionic wizards around here?

BellyUpFish

BellyUpFish

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Backtothesand
Ok, so my old intercom died, so I picked up a PS Engineering PM1000ii. I'm no wiring wizard, so I let SteinAir do the harness for me.

Now, I wired it up today and I'm getting:

PTT works and I am heard by others and hear Nav/Com audio on the pilot side.

PTT works and I am heard by others and hear Nav/Com audio on the co-pilot side.

So, for all practical purposes the intercom works, with one exception, it doesn't "intercom."

Anyone have any ideas?

Here's the diagram I'm going off of.

SCAN0001-1-2.jpg
 
Is there some kind of "pilot isolate" function?
 
Chip Sylverne said:
Is there some kind of "pilot isolate" function?
Click to expand...

Yeh and it works, I can tell when I isolate the co-pilot side of the rig, but still cannot speak back and forth between pilot/co-pilot.
 
It seems to me that if you can xmit and receive both sides, the isolate circuits work and the unit is getting power, it must be something internal, but I'm far from an expert in this stuff. I hope someone more knowledgable checks in.
I'm not going to insult your intelligence with squelch, volume and two known good headsets.
 
Just for grins, have you tried the music input?
 
Is there an auto cut-out when receiving? Could be a gain issue.
 
Chip Sylverne said:
It seems to me that if you can xmit and receive both sides, the isolate circuits work and the unit is getting power, it must be something internal, but I'm far from an expert in this stuff. I hope someone more knowledgable checks in.

I'm not going to insult your intelligence with squelch, volume and two known good headsets.

Just for grins, have you tried the music input?
Click to expand...

Yeh, all of that checks. Headsets are good, everything seems to work but the intercom function..

Steve said:
Is there an auto cut-out when receiving? Could be a gain issue.
Click to expand...

Not that I am aware of, but I will look into it.
 
BellyUpFish said:
Yeh, all of that checks. Headsets are good, everything seems to work but the intercom function..



Not that I am aware of, but I will look into it.
Click to expand...

Call the guys at PS engineering tomorrow morning.... I bet they can solve the issue in a few minutes over the phone.... I have a 1000II too and it works flawlessly. My first guess would have been the "crew Isolate" function too.

Ben.
 
N801BH said:
Call the guys at PS engineering tomorrow morning.... I bet they can solve the issue in a few minutes over the phone.... I have a 1000II too and it works flawlessly. My first guess would have been the "crew Isolate" function too.

Ben.
Click to expand...

Yeh, that's what I thought too..

I'll give them a ring..
 
You've probably checked this and I don't have that particular PS manual for that model but...

Some of the newer intercoms separate the audio up into "intercom/mix" audio and "sidetone" for the originating headset.

Example would be that headset 1 is talking but can't hear himself (sidetone off or sidetone level set at zero) and all the other headsets can hear that mic just fine.

I've seen a Garmin audio panel set up a weird way such that the person talking on interphone never hears themselves. It was done on purpose, but I forget exactly why.

I believe the Garmins can also provide sidetone for specific TX audio channels when PTT is active or let the radio itself do it, as well as be set to different levels when PTT is active vs. not. That's not related but just to show that there's a bejillion settings.

I don't know if your later model PS has any of that. Just an example to say, "Check the sidetone settings and switches and make sure you're listening in Headset 2 while talking into Headset 1, don't just listen for interphone audio in Headset 1 back to yourself."

My older PS doesn't have that feature but does have separate volume controls for pilot and "everyone else" besides having a three-way toggle with normal, crew isolate, and pilot isolate settings.

But, you can easily turn the Pilot intercom audio down to isolate yourself and never touch the toggle. If the output levels aren't set right, you'd hear nothing.

Crazy, ain't it? Too many features sometimes. ;)
 
I don't think ours has that many options. :) It's only got 1 switch and 2 knobs.

I'm getting side tone when I transmit, just not when I speak. I've tried every combination upside down and sideways. Maybe I'll get it figured out.
 
BellyUpFish said:
Gonna call him tomorrow. :)
Click to expand...

Steiner will have the answer. The guy is an avioincs guru, and a great assets to aviation.

This is a funny story. My wife goes to bed with Stein 2-3 times a week. :yikes: At OSH Steinair hands out tee shirts she wears as nighties. :rolleyes:

Should I be worried? ;)
 
My intercom (PS Engineering something or another) lets me transmit / recieve just fine when it is turned off. You just don't "intercom" or hear yourself talk when you don't push the PTT.

Or, if the squelch is too high, you get about the same results.

The stupid push on -push off makes it less than obvious when it is on or off.
 
BellyUpFish said:
I don't think ours has that many options. :) It's only got 1 switch and 2 knobs.

I'm getting side tone when I transmit, just not when I speak. I've tried every combination upside down and sideways. Maybe I'll get it figured out.
Click to expand...

Ya know.... My 1000II has 1 switch and (4) knobs..... The inner ones are the volume and the ones closest to the face plate are the squelch... Just maybe they are set wrong. ??:dunno:
 
Mine has 4 knobs too if you count the inner/outer.

I think I've got it figured out, but wasn't able to get to the hangar to resolder them.

I've got the mic wired incorrectly, it will allow it to transmit, but I've blocked the intercom function.
 
Yeh, I think it will work. I just got the wires soldered to the wrong terminals..
 
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