Well I had an interesting day of flying. The wife and I went La Grande for some shopping and lunch. We left La Grande to return to Baker City (BKE). We were approximately 10 miles NW of BKE when I smelled something burning in the cockpit. It smelled like wiring or electrical. At the same time my radio went out and then back on. I immediately shut down all the avionics and the master. I had a place to land already picked out and was setting the plane up to land as fast as I could get it on the ground. After a few minutes the smell was going away.

I checked all the fuses none were blown. I then turned the master back on and still no smoke or smell. I turned on the radio and nothing, it would not turn on. I again checked the fuse for the radio and it was good. I turned the radio on again and it came on, still no smell. I attempted to contact BKE Unicom, nothing. The radio would not transmit or receive but it’s display was lit up. At that time I just turned it off and continued to the airport. No other smell of smoke or actual visible smoke in the cockpit.

Once on the ground, without incident, I pulled the radio out. The electrical smell was overwhelming on the backside of the radio. I assume something inside the radio died. My mechanic checked all the wiring under the panel and all was good. My radio is (was) a Bendix/King KY97A.

I am looking at the Garmin SL40 for a replacement. Anybody have any ideas or other suggestions for a new radio?

pif_sonic wrote:Well I had an interesting day of flying. The wife and I went La Grande for some shopping and lunch. We left La Grande to return to Baker City (BKE). We were approximately 10 miles NW of BKE when I smelled something burning in the cockpit. It smelled like wiring or electrical. At the same time my radio went out and then back on. I immediately shut down all the avionics and the master. I had a place to land already picked out and was setting the plane up to land as fast as I could get it on the ground. After a few minutes the smell was going away.

I checked all the fuses none were blown. I then turned the master back on and still no smoke or smell. I turned on the radio and nothing, it would not turn on. I again checked the fuse for the radio and it was good. I turned the radio on again and it came on, still no smell. I attempted to contact BKE Unicom, nothing. The radio would not transmit or receive but it’s display was lit up. At that time I just turned it off and continued to the airport. No other smell of smoke or actual visible smoke in the cockpit.

Once on the ground, without incident, I pulled the radio out. The electrical smell was overwhelming on the backside of the radio. I assume something inside the radio died. My mechanic checked all the wiring under the panel and all was good. My radio is (was) a Bendix/King KY97A.

I am looking at the Garmin SL40 for a replacement. Anybody have any ideas or other suggestions for a new radio?

Garmin 430 WAAS

RobBurson wrote:

pif_sonic wrote:I am looking at the Garmin SL40 for a replacement. Anybody have any ideas or other suggestions for a new radio?

Garmin 430 WAAS

Great choice in the $10,000 bracket.

1SeventyZ wrote:

RobBurson wrote:

pif_sonic wrote:I am looking at the Garmin SL40 for a replacement. Anybody have any ideas or other suggestions for a new radio?

Garmin 430 WAAS

Great choice in the $10,000 bracket.

Wayne didn't give me a budget. Remember I work for the government, no price is to high. On second thought, throw the plane out and get a new one. That's what the city would do.

How about eBay? I had better shut up now.

Cheers..Rob

www.Barnstormers.com They have lots of avionics listed. Bob

Call me lazy, but I'd probably buy a radio that will fit your existing hole...maybe a King KY97A?

Hammer wrote:Call me lazy, but I'd probably buy a radio that will fit your existing hole...maybe a King KY97A?

Yep, me too. I would take it to an Avionics shop first. Might be a 10 cent diode. Or if possible pull the case off and take a look. But then again that cost might be more than a KY97 replacement. That's what I had in my 180. KY97A, KT76A, and a Garmin 95xl GPS. Went every where I needed to go, worked like a champ the whole time. Low budget. Light

C ya, Bub

eBay is where I'd be looking. AvionicsMasters sells a lot of tagged equipment there, and are good folks to trade with.

Gump

Electronics run on smoke. Let the smoke out, and they die.
tom

pif_sonic wrote:
Once on the ground, without incident, I pulled the radio out. The electrical smell was overwhelming on the backside of the radio. I assume something inside the radio died.

Savannah-Tom wrote:Electronics run on smoke. Let the smoke out, and they die. tom

So that's what makes them tick. Man, ya learn something new every day on this site......

Eric