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Racerx

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Ernie
What would you do? Have a Cherokee that needs radio and ADSb out. Everything is old narco. Com120, com810, At150, nav121,nav122. Softcomm 4 place intercom. The com120 is nothing but static. The 810 works, but it's super quiet to the point you can't make out what's said. There's a fair amount of interference but not horrible. All I really want to do with this is get it compliant and get a functional radio. The transponder works, but I'm not sure a tailbeacon coupled with the ancient transponder would be the best idea. Looking for future problems? So I'm thinking of a stratus esg for the adsb solution as well as transponder. As far as radios, probably not planning on making this an ifr platform. Just something fun to play around locally in. I've contemplated having the shop see if they can repair if it's just a poor connection, but also thinking of the par200b.

Thoughts? Spend my money, but let's try and keep it reasonable. The one shop I'm thinking of using is not a Garmin dealer, but did have some used Garmin takeouts.
 
Get a PS engineering audio panel with its integral intercom.
In this situation, I'd use the Stratus. Gives you decent functionality and you're not tied to Garmin.
I'd probably look at something like a GPSCOM. If you want to cheap out, see if you can find a GNC250 used.
 
steingar said:
I'd get another Cherokee.
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Might be good advice. One could spend 25K on radios in a $30K Cherokee and end up with $55K in a $40K Cherokee. Buy a $40K Cherokee with good radios in it. If there is such a thing.
 
I can only say that a new audio panel will be like gold. not a lot of money and the sound quality compared to what you have will be freakin awesome.
 
eman1200 said:
I can only say that a new audio panel will be like gold. not a lot of money and the sound quality compared to what you have will be freakin awesome.
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Which is why I thought the par200 would be a good option.
 
Racerx said:
Thoughts? Spend my money, but let's try and keep it reasonable.
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If you are certain this is an otherwise good Cherokee that you will keep for a long time and you are certain you aren't going to IFR, I think you're pretty much on the right track. How much is the Stratus ESG installed, $5k? How much is the PAR200b installed, another $5k?
Dan Thomas said:
Might be good advice. One could spend 25K on radios in a $30K Cherokee and end up with $55K in a $40K Cherokee. Buy a $40K Cherokee with good radios in it. If there is such a thing.
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Where can one find a $30k Cherokee nowadays? :)
 
asicer said:
Where can one find a $30k Cherokee nowadays? :)
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Well, there was that one posted here a couple of months ago, the one with massive corrosion in it that some unscrupulous person had covered with primer. I bet you could get that one for $30K.........
 
I had my Narco AT150 repaired and recertified for under $200 at transponderrepair.com

I picked up a used tailbeacon on eBay for $1400. Set up an alert for it. I saw one with a Buy it Now price of $1300 last week. If you’re just looking for the least expensive way to get compliant that is the way to go. Plenty of used AT150’s available if necessary and they’re cheap to fix.
 
Dan Thomas said:
Well, there was that one posted here a couple of months ago, the one with massive corrosion in it that some unscrupulous person had covered with primer. I bet you could get that one for $30K.........
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If memory serves, the poor guy paid 45k for that one.
 
Johnvan said:
I had my Narco AT150 repaired and recertified for under $200 at transponderrepair.com

I picked up a used tailbeacon on eBay for $1400. Set up an alert for it. I saw one with a Buy it Now price of $1300 last week. If you’re just looking for the least expensive way to get compliant that is the way to go. Plenty of used AT150’s available if necessary and they’re cheap to fix.
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Any issues with the beacon? The 3 shops I've talked to have discouraged them. But that could be trying to sell something more expensive and more laborious. Got one with a king transponder and haven't had issues.
 
Racerx said:
Any issues with the beacon? The 3 shops I've talked to have discouraged them. But that could be trying to sell something more expensive and more laborious. Got one with a king transponder and haven't had issues.
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No issues. Passed the test flight on the first attempt. I think some of the negative comments you hear are when it was first released before any software updates. You’ll also have some people installing them on planes with malfunctioning transponders.

I made sure my transponder was working properly before I spent the money and as soon as I bought the tailbeacon the first thing I did was update the firmware.
 
What is your end goal beyond working radios and ADS-B OUT? Do you eventually want a Navigator? Are the NAVs working well?

I have traversed this ground before. When I know your end goal I think I can share experience and ideas.
 
MBDiagMan said:
What is your end goal beyond working radios and ADS-B OUT? Do you eventually want a Navigator? Are the NAVs working well?

I have traversed this ground before. When I know your end goal I think I can share experience and ideas.
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The nav121 and nav 122 did actually work. Kind of neat little stand alone units. Probably not going to put in a navigator. Just a reliable VFR platform to have some local fun in. Controls are light and it's so docile it's really more fun the Cherokee Six. My sister had expressed wanting to learn previously so may let her get some hours in it.
 
2E38DE26-404A-44E6-9F06-2D21A003872E.jpeg This panel had an early NARCO transponder, audio panel, two COM120’s, NAV 121 & 122. I replaced the transponder with an ESG giving me OUT and pad IN including AHRS on ForeFlight. I removed one of the COM120’s for the 420. I removed the 121 to make room for the CDI supporting the 420. The NAVs worked perfect and always tested within a degree or two.

If the 120 works at all, meaning the antenna is good, you can slide in a very nice TKM flip flop COM with no reworking whatsoever. If the NAV’s work, keep them in.

Mine has turned out really nice with my mods and the old radios still work perfectly. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
 
Estimate for the PAR200b install came back at 7300. I have a stratus 2s and iPad for in if I didn't go the esg route.
 
After reading some of your posts, some of you must have a lot of disposable income...just saying..:)
 
The ESG is a great solution. It no only gives pad IN with no cable clutter, and AHRS on the Pad, but comes on by itself and connects to the pad. It also lets you key in a squawk rather than twisting it in with the knobs. It is a very nice ADS-B solution.

All that said, I do have past experience with a tight flying budget, but tailbeacon and stratus is a pretty good expense to start with.
 
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I mean, I could drop that kind of coin, I'm just not sure how long I might keep it. Without adsb and with comms that work, but not really. I haven't really been able to fly it much. I could sell it right now and probably make 10k on it in this market. But Id like to keep it for at least a while and see if my sister wants to learn before I turn it loose. It's awfully fun. So I'm conflicted. But I do need to figure something out so I can have more fun. Was hoping to put both an esg and par200 in for 10k, but after getting the estimate for just the PAR, that doesn't look possible.
 
Racerx said:
Thoughts?
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Check the used market. Been told a number of shops have a good selection and if done in house might get you to where you need to be right now. If no shop close talk with a larger dealer like Sarasota who can make pre-wire kits and have your APIA install if they accommodating.
 
Sounds like the transponder is more important than the audio panel. I bet one of those radios is usable with a little care.

pull the antenna cables and clean the connectors with contact cleaner. I’ve fixed a few old radios that way.
 
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Racerx said:
I mean, I could drop that kind of coin, I'm just not sure how long I might keep it. Without adsb and with comms that work, but not really. I haven't really been able to fly it much. I could sell it right now and probably make 10k on it in this market. But Id like to keep it for at least a while and see if my sister wants to learn before I turn it loose. It's awfully fun. So I'm conflicted. But I do need to figure something out so I can have more fun. Was hoping to put both an esg and par200 in for 10k, but after getting the estimate for just the PAR, that doesn't look possible.
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Racer, I really believe that you could make one or all of those radios work. $10 K will go a long way on this plane.$4K or so will get a stratus in place giving you good OUT and pad IN. A few $K would get a radio and probably all radios working. Worst case you could buy a TKM flip flop slide in replacement for the COM 120. It would make the plane usable for your purposes now and much more marketable when it’s time to move on.

My $0.02,
 
Racerx said:
What would you do? Have a Cherokee that needs radio and ADSb out. Everything is old narco. Com120, com810, At150, nav121,nav122. Softcomm 4 place intercom. The com120 is nothing but static. The 810 works, but it's super quiet to the point you can't make out what's said. There's a fair amount of interference but not horrible. All I really want to do with this is get it compliant and get a functional radio. The transponder works, but I'm not sure a tailbeacon coupled with the ancient transponder would be the best idea. Looking for future problems? So I'm thinking of a stratus esg for the adsb solution as well as transponder. As far as radios, probably not planning on making this an ifr platform. Just something fun to play around locally in. I've contemplated having the shop see if they can repair if it's just a poor connection, but also thinking of the par200b.

Thoughts? Spend my money, but let's try and keep it reasonable. The one shop I'm thinking of using is not a Garmin dealer, but did have some used Garmin takeouts.
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I was in a similar situation with my 172. I opted for the PAR200B Panel/Radio as well as a GNX375. It gave me a panel....a radio a GPS and ADSB In and Out. I kept the old nav/comm as Comm 2 for backup purposes. Works like a champ. Love the PAR200B and the GNX375 is great.
 
Talked to a couple shops about my options. One shop can get me in to try and repair next week, but he also seemed to think some of of my problems on the 810 comm 2 is probably from the lack of an audio panel. Problem with him is he's booked until October for installs. Another shop can get me in right away, but 7300 for just the par200b and another 5500 if I added the esg...price reflects that. So I'm hesitant to bring it to shop 1 since if I spend the money trying to repair and it doesn't work, haven't really done anything except burn money. On the other hand they've got loaner stuff that could work, but again still no audio panel. Not an avionics guy by any stretch and was going to run it by him this morning, but could just pulling that com 1 possibly help my lack of an audio panel? I have one other shop I can call this morning to see if I can't find a happy medium.
 
Racerx said:
Another shop can get me in right away, but 7300 for just the par200b
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Damn that seems high for the PAR200B. I bought mine in October for $2,995 and the labor wasn't that much more so perhaps $4k at most (dont remember the labor part of it). $7300 sounds a tad high but I am not an avionics shop and not familiar with your area's rates/costs. Perhaps i just got a great deal or they felt sorry for me after seeing my panel LOL.

Edit - I just went back and looked at my invoice and for the GNX375, the PAR200B and at GA35 antenna and misc. parts, all in my invoice was $10,952. Just for a comparison for you. And the GNX 375 gives you a WAAS GPS. This was installed price.
 
scarcherpilot said:
Damn that seems high for the PAR200B. I bought mine in October for $2,995 and the labor wasn't that much more so perhaps $4k at most (dont remember the labor part of it). $7300 sounds a tad high but I am not an avionics shop and not familiar with your area's rates/costs. Perhaps i just got a great deal or they felt sorry for me after seeing my panel LOL.

Edit - I just went back and looked at my invoice and for the GNX375, the PAR200B and at GA35 antenna and misc. parts, all in my invoice was $10,952. Just for a comparison for you. And the GNX 375 gives you a WAAS GPS. This was installed price.
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I wish I got the sorry looking panel price. I'd be all over that setup at that price.
 
Ended up getting the radios repaired. Shop removed the Com120 and installed an 810r they had that worked, but I believe need the display redone which they did. Also got my 810 working. I thought the nav121 and nav 122 were tango uniform as well. They said they got the nav 122 working but the 121 wasn't. Flew it home and tried out both navs. When i switched to com 2 the nav 121 started working. So com 810, 810r and nav 121 and 122 all work great. All for 2400. Thought it was going to be worse all things considered.
 
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