A question...I’m rebuilding the panel on my 182 and the previous owner wired up his own “audio panel”. He would not have been able to identify a VOR with this set-up but I’m not putting in a Nav radio...just 2 Comms. GPS will be all I will need. So...I don’t need to identify a Nav station either so his creation would work for me. However, an Avionics guy looked at it and said “Gee, I’ve never seen anything like that. We would have to reverse engineer it to figure out what he did. (I didn’t know that I have the schematic.).

However...to keep things simple and easy...I’m wondering if anyone makes a set-up like this. You can see it above the throttle in my attached pic. (Hello! Yep that throttle is red and will be changed!)

Comm 1 on the left with a speaker or headset toggle. The center position is off. Same on the right side but for Comm 2. The center toggle is used to select the transmitter to talk on. Pretty simple.

Anyone ever seen this in an off-the-shelf version?

Thanks!
Phil

BirdyinBOI wrote:A question...I’m rebuilding the panel on my 182 and the previous owner wired up his own “audio panel”. He would not have been able to identify a VOR with this set-up but I’m not putting in a Nav radio...just 2 Comms. GPS will be all I will need. So...I don’t need to identify a Nav station either so his creation would work for me. However, an Avionics guy looked at it and said “Gee, I’ve never seen anything like that. We would have to reverse engineer it to figure out what he did. (I didn’t know that I have the schematic.).

However...to keep things simple and easy...I’m wondering if anyone makes a set-up like this. You can see it above the throttle in my attached pic. (Hello! Yep that throttle is red and will be changed!)

Comm 1 on the left with a speaker or headset toggle. The center position is off. Same on the right side but for Comm 2. The center toggle is used to select the transmitter to talk on. Pretty simple.

Anyone ever seen this in an off-the-shelf version?

Thanks!
Phil

Looks pretty home made to me.
Do you have a shot behind the panel?
My guess is it’s simply toggle switches to route the signals and a small amp to drive the speaker.

If you’re looking for a decent replacement and need a second Com, the PS Engineering PAR200 is a nice combo setup and takes no more space than a regular audio panel.

If that rig works, why not keep it? Looks simple and elegant to me, not to mention a LOT cheaper than some commercial model.

Should be easy to figure out how it’s wired, make your own schematic.

Finally, do you really need a speaker?

MTV

huh... Why not just buy a proper audio panel. You can pick up a KMA 24 on ebay for $100.

Or as David suggested, a PS Engineering. They are pretty kick ass these days.

I will check out the PS unit. Thanks guys. I could keep that audio unit or just maybe build a newer version. Get rid of that crappy label and replace as a minimum.

Yea...I probably don’t need a speaker. I’ll never fly without my Lightspeeds. I could eliminate some wiring and some mike jacks.

Phil

It really depends on what you need/want. Back when, audio panels were really necessary if you were using VOR, and then there was the ability to plug in your portable music device, etc.

Nowadays, not so much. Many are using GPS, not doing IFR, and then there’s Bluetooth.

I had a similar setup in my 170.....just switch between comms. Worked fine, and never needed more. Bluetooth from portables to my Lightspeed headsets, and done.

But, if you feel like you may add on other sources later, sure, install an audio panel. But, what you have IS, in fact, an audio panel. So, again, if it works, and does what you need......why spend a bunch of money on what may not offer any improvement.

And, when pricing audio panels, don’t forget installation costs.
MTV

mtv wrote: If that rig works, why not keep it? Looks simple and elegant to me, not to mention a LOT cheaper than some commercial model. Should be easy to figure out how it’s wired, make your own schematic. Finally, do you really need a speaker? MTV

My first airplane, a stock 1969 C150J, had a similar "audio panel" for the two nav-coms.
I agree with Mike- what's wrong with that set-up?
In fact, if you don't have a speaker, you can just have a single toggle switch to select which com is transmitting,
and just turn the volume on com 1 & com 2 up or down as required.
IMHO simpler is generally better.
An audio panel just adds one more thing that can fail, or be set wrong.
Esp if you already have an intercom, I don't see the need for one.

Heres a different thought. If you are replacing the comms anyways, do you really need 2? Most of the new comms allow you to monitor the standby frequency. Then carry a handheld for a backup. Less cost all around.
Just a thought...

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A1Skinner...that’s a good thought. I do have an Icom A22 that I have used with my headset hooked to it and it reportedly sounded great.

My dilemma is that the only radio that came with the panel is an old VAL 760 Comm. It works well and ATC says it sounds great. It’s just OLD (maybe 30 yrs) and I wanted it to be my backup. I was thinking of buying the Garmin GTR 225 as my main Comm but my buddy says I should buy an IComm for $1200...vs...$1800’ish for the Garmin. But your idea is a good one...

No audio panel in my 170B. My IA and I wired up a simple switch that selects COM 1 or COM 2 for transmitting. It’s so simple and works so well I have zero need for anything else.

Others who try it are amazed at the simplicity too.

You can control the volume of each radio independently right on the radio.

BirdyinBOI wrote:A1Skinner...that’s a good thought. I do have an Icom A22 that I have used with my headset hooked to it and it reportedly sounded great.

My dilemma is that the only radio that came with the panel is an old VAL 760 Comm. It works well and ATC says it sounds great. It’s just OLD (maybe 30 yrs) and I wanted it to be my backup. I was thinking of buying the Garmin GTR 225 as my main Comm but my buddy says I should buy an IComm for $1200...vs...$1800’ish for the Garmin. But your idea is a good one...

Interesting. The icoms and garmin's I've priced out are within $100 of each other. Unless you priced the non TSOd icom and TSOd Garmin. But if you want 2 comms it really would be easy to just wire a switch in.

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I'll take a different tact and say that having a good audio panel when you've been living with crappola is really great, especially if you have a need to fly into any Class B, C, or D airspace, with approach control, tower, ATIS, etc. I'd had a basic King flip the switches audio panel and a Flightcom intercom. When I had PS Engineering's 6000B (their lowest cost version, but with a marker beacon) installed, it made things much more pleasant. Both features in the 6000B are so much better.

At the risk of sounding somewhat fuddy-duddy, I think it's a mistake not to have nav capability other than GPS. Granted that there's pilotage and ded-reckoning to fall back on, but unless you're familiar with the area and have kept your skills up, and the visibility hasn't dropped to bare VFR minimums, relying on them can be problematic. GPS is still being monkeyed with by the DoD, with consequent outages and interferences. Having the ability to use VORs is still plenty handy, when the GPS isn't working and the terrain is getting hard to read. I use my GPSs (430W, iPad, and 96C) all the time, but I've also had them all belly up courtesy Uncle Sam and was glad to have my VORs already tuned in and usable.

Cary

No audio panel and I have two functional NAV/COMs.

VOR & another VOR/ILS/GS with marker beacons.

Cary wrote:I'll take a different tact and say that having a good audio panel when you've been living with crappola is really great,
Cary

I hardly think what the OP described and pictured is “crappola”. In fact it looks quite functional and elegant to me.

An audio panel is primarily just a switch box. Yes, many have marker receivers, but if you’re not doing IFR that’s useless equipment.

If you have a couple of nav coms, an add, and maybe need (or want) music input, an audio panel certainly simplified the switchology, no doubt.

But for a simple installation such as the OP has, I’d stick with simple, and inexpensive. There’s nothing an audio panel does that he needs that his existing setup doesn’t do.

MTV

So here’s what a rocket scientist with 65 patents comes up with for his (mine now) 182. Pretty cool actually. It worked great. Comm 1 was a Val 720 and Comm 2 was a Mark 12B. Perfect for the guy who doesn’t need to identify a VOR. I’ve taken 39 lbs out of the panel that’s not going back in. That should help my forward CG.

My plan in my C120 is to get the Garmin GTR200. Com radios don't need to be TSO'd. It has a built in intercom and allows you to monitor the standby. I'm going to keep my old Narco Nav/Com in for the nav and leave the com out of the system. I have a handheld as backup.

hamer wrote:My plan in my C120 is to get the Garmin GTR200. Com radios don't need to be TSO'd. It has a built in intercom and allows you to monitor the standby. I'm going to keep my old Narco Nav/Com in for the nav and leave the com out of the system. I have a handheld as backup.

You should be nothing less than very happy with that radio. Installed one in a friends 7gcbc and it performs flawlessly, intercom and all.

There is a more recent model that includes built in Bluetooth if that's your thing.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk to specifically annoy:
Zane
Hammer

TradeCraft wrote:

hamer wrote:My plan in my C120 is to get the Garmin GTR200. Com radios don't need to be TSO'd. It has a built in intercom and allows you to monitor the standby. I'm going to keep my old Narco Nav/Com in for the nav and leave the com out of the system. I have a handheld as backup.

You should be nothing less than very happy with that radio. Installed one in a friends 7gcbc and it performs flawlessly, intercom and all.

There is a more recent model that includes built in Bluetooth if that's your thing.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk to specifically annoy:
Zane
Hammer

Good to know, thanks of the PIREP! Not sure I'll need the bluetooth, but I'll look into it.

mtv wrote:

Cary wrote:I'll take a different tact and say that having a good audio panel when you've been living with crappola is really great,
Cary

I hardly think what the OP described and pictured is “crappola”. In fact it looks quite functional and elegant to me.

An audio panel is primarily just a switch box. Yes, many have marker receivers, but if you’re not doing IFR that’s useless equipment.

If you have a couple of nav coms, an add, and maybe need (or want) music input, an audio panel certainly simplified the switchology, no doubt.

But for a simple installation such as the OP has, I’d stick with simple, and inexpensive. There’s nothing an audio panel does that he needs that his existing setup doesn’t do.

MTV

I wasn't suggesting that what the OP has is "crappola". What I had before the PS Engineering 6000B was installed in my panel was "crappola".

Cary