Plan Pilawt's Panel

Pilawt

Pilawt

Final Approach
Gone West
Joined
Sep 19, 2005
Messages
9,486
Location
Santa Rosita State Park, under the big 'W'
Display Name
Display name:
Pilawt
For the last nine years I've been the curator of an airborne museum of ancient avionics, that looks a lot like a C-172N. The show is headlined by the 40-year-old original KX175B navcoms and KR85 ADF, all controlled by the quaint, but TSO'd, KMA20 audio panel. More recent additions were a KN64 DME and a KLN90B (VFR) GPS, but they're no spring chickens, either. The 21st Century is represented by the Stratus ADS-B out transponder.

PA101794.jpeg

I no longer fly IFR. I live in a state where clouds are discouraged, and those few that do appear are often filled with lightning, hail, and other nastiness. Primary VFR navigation is handled by the KLN90B and iPhone/iPad/Foreflight, though sometimes I'll fiddle with the VORs for old times' sake.

I plan on keeping the airplane as long as it will have me.

The capability of the equipment has been satisfactory. But the KX175Bs are starting to get a little cranky -- though that may be more a problem with the brittle old connectors in back, rather than in the radios themselves, so just getting a TKM slide-in replacement radio might not be the answer.

Where's Nancy Narco when you need her?

What would you do?
 
Last edited:
Without going overboard, I’d throw in a Garmin G5. Even for VFR, it’s a joy!
 
Replace them with 2 SL-30's

OR

have the connectors reworked to see if that helps, followed by the TKM slide ins.

OR

Spend 20k for the only PoA supported answer: GTN750
 
Help me out guys... the guy wants VFR only and is unhappy with the radios. How the hell would a G5 or Aspen improve the situation?
 
I had a plane with an old KMA20 and found I was getting crosstalk through the audio panel. The radios were newer (Garmin 430 and KX155). I ended up junking the audio panel and keeping the radios. Just a thought, depending on your actual symptoms.

But if it is the radios I add another vote for the SL-30s.
 
Pilawt said:
I no longer fly IFR.

Primary VFR navigation is handled by the KLN90B and iPhone/iPad/Foreflight, though sometimes I'll fiddle with the VORs for old times' sake.

I plan on keeping the airplane as long as it will have me.

... the KX175Bs are starting to get a little cranky -- though that may be more a problem with the brittle old connectors in back, rather than in the radios themselves, so just getting a TKM slide-in replacement radio might not be the answer.

...

What would you do?
Click to expand...

Have a shop figure out the KX175B problem, deal with that, and then fly the holy phrack out of her with the money saved.

The only reasons we’re “investing” (read: instantly losing half of it) just shy of $20K into our panel are:

A) Need ADS-B Out for 2020.
B) Need/want IFR GPS.
C) We are both gadget/electronic toy freaks. Thus, a 345 for the transponder instead of the 335.

Otherwise, there’s absolutely no spreadsheet of profit/loss that would justify the spend. Avionics are stupid-expensive for what you get.

You have A and B already done. What you do have is a radio problem, and that’s infinitely solve-able and for not anywhere near “scary” money. Whether the aforementioned slide in swap with some tray troubleshooting, or just swap out the radios with a multitude of used and new options. Shops that are doing Garmin Nav/Com/GPS radio swaps are awash in used Nav/Coms on the shelves. Have been for years.

Mission, meet airplane. It’s the perfect VFR flyer with actually TOO MUCH stuff on board for the mission, really. Just get the radios fixed. If you’re cheap, wait until one of them fails. It’s unlikely they’ll both fail at the same time. Throw a handheld radio in your flight bag.

That fancy new transponder will squawk 7600 just fine. :)

I’m not really kidding. Leave it alone. Fix whatever is annoying enough to fix.

If the ADF craps out, maybe have someone remove it and all the antennas and save a few pounds and get one knot back. If it’ll still receive the baseball game, that’s a harder choice. You can’t placard it INOP without disabling it, too. Legally. But baseball on the ADF I do miss. :)
 
Ravioli said:
Help me out guys... the guy wants VFR only and is unhappy with the radios. How the hell would a G5 or Aspen improve the situation?
Click to expand...

It wouldn't. This is what he needs, don't need no stinkin' radios!

images
 
Ravioli said:
Help me out guys... the guy wants VFR only and is unhappy with the radios. How the hell would a G5 or Aspen improve the situation?
Click to expand...
I didn’t read it all Rob, relax!
 
The 1959 C-150 I began my training and soloed in at the Vandenberg AFB aero club had a Narco VHT-3 Superhomer radio with 12? crystal controlled VHF transmit frequencies and a tunable VHF receiver, tuned with a crank handle known as a "coffee grinder." To receive on your transmit frequency, you pushed a button on the panel and tuned the receiver until you heard a whistle sound. If you were transmitting on one frequency and receiving on another, you called the station (tower, FSS, etc.) transmitting on their receive frequency and asked for a count (1 2 3 4 5, 5 4 3 2 1) so you could tune your receiver to their transmit frequency.

Talk about distracted flying. :(
 
Pilawt said:
For the last nine years I've been the curator of an airborne museum of ancient avionics, that looks a lot like a C-172N. The show is headlined by the 40-year-old original KX175B navcoms and KR85 ADF, all controlled by the quaint, but TSO'd, KMA20 audio panel. More recent additions were a KN64 DME and a KLN90B (VFR) GPS, but they're no spring chickens, either. The 21st Century is represented by the Stratus ADS-B out transponder.

View attachment 58491

I no longer fly IFR. I live in a state where clouds are discouraged, and those few that do appear are often filled with lightning, hail, and other nastiness. Primary VFR navigation is handled by the KLN90B and iPhone/iPad/Foreflight, though sometimes I'll fiddle with the VORs for old times' sake.

I plan on keeping the airplane as long as it will have me.

The capability of the equipment has been satisfactory. But the KX175Bs are starting to get a little cranky -- though that may be more a problem with the brittle old connectors in back, rather than in the radios themselves, so just getting a TKM slide-in replacement radio might not be the answer.

Where's Nancy Narco when you need her?

What would you do?
Click to expand...
I'd go to an avionics dude and have him bench test the radios to find out if it's them, the connectors or something else downstream that is causing the crankiness.
 
What is your budget? You could spend 50k on a glass panel with two IFR GPS, audio panel and transponder. 25K you can keep your round gauges and get just the two IFR GPSs, audio panel and transponder. 5k will get just a transponder. ETC.
 
coloradobluesky said:
What is your budget? You could spend 50k on a glass panel with two IFR GPS, audio panel and transponder. 25K you can keep your round gauges and get just the two IFR GPSs, audio panel and transponder. 5k will get just a transponder. ETC.
Click to expand...

25K would reallly get you two IFR GPS, audio panel and transponder? Used stuff I guess? I thought a single GTN 650 installed was like 15K or something?
 
coloradobluesky said:
What is your budget? You could spend 50k on a glass panel with two IFR GPS, audio panel and transponder. 25K you can keep your round gauges and get just the two IFR GPSs, audio panel and transponder. 5k will get just a transponder. ETC.
Click to expand...

He already has an IFR GPS and ADS-B Out and doesn’t file IFR.

Fix the Comm radios. Fly the crap out of it. Buy Avgas. Be happy. :)
 
denverpilot said:
He already has an IFR GPS and ADS-B Out and doesn’t file IFR.

Fix the Comm radios. Fly the crap out of it. Buy Avgas. Be happy. :)
Click to expand...
That’s the preferred option.

In the event one of the KX175Bs is toast, is there a better option for comm only than the Garmin GTR225? I had an SL40 in my Sport Cub, but I understand those are discontinued now.
 
Pilawt said:
That’s the preferred option.

In the event one of the KX175Bs is toast, is there a better option for comm only than the Garmin GTR225? I had an SL40 in my Sport Cub, but I understand those are discontinued now.
Click to expand...
I have an SL40. I've just about given up on getting a plane to put it in. PM me if your interested
 
CC268 said:
25K would reallly get you two IFR GPS, audio panel and transponder? Used stuff I guess? I thought a single GTN 650 installed was like 15K or something?
Click to expand...
No it isnt , 650 + 345R combo is 13k installed, unroll end of the year

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
Pilawt said:
That’s the preferred option.

In the event one of the KX175Bs is toast, is there a better option for comm only than the Garmin GTR225? I had an SL40 in my Sport Cub, but I understand those are discontinued now.
Click to expand...
I was reading about Trig avionics VHF radio, no idea how they are though

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
WannFly said:
No it isnt , 650 + 345R combo is 13k installed, unroll end of the year

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Hmm...still way out of my reach, but thats not horrific if you can really get two IFR GPS, transponder and audio panel for 25K
 
Nobody has mentioned the TKM MX 170C. Slide in replacement, flip-flop digital navcom. New about $3200, used $1500. I had two in the Warrior. Also a used KX 125 is an affordable replacement with built-in VOR CDI.
Why does almost everyone go for the high end solution?
 
Pilawt said:
That’s the preferred option.

In the event one of the KX175Bs is toast, is there a better option for comm only than the Garmin GTR225? I had an SL40 in my Sport Cub, but I understand those are discontinued now.
Click to expand...
There is the GTR200. Garmin says it's for the LSA/Experimental crowd. If you aren't looking for IFR Cert maybe it would be ok.
 
Morgan3820 said:
Nobody has mentioned the TKM MX 170C. Slide in replacement, flip-flop digital navcom. New about $3200, used $1500. I had two in the Warrior. Also a used KX 125 is an affordable replacement with built-in VOR CDI.
Why does almost everyone go for the high end solution?
Click to expand...
You are correct, my bad.
 
eman1200 said:
Dual aspens is the way to go.
Click to expand...

Only if you want unsupported paperweights in the next five years.

Seriously, unless Aspen comes out with something MAJOR by Oshkosh next year, they're as good as dead with all of the other better, cheaper gadgetry that's coming out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top