I am a day time VFR pilot. I accept that.
Someday, I might have an IFR need but I don't want to invest in an IFR platform until I'm sure I'll make use of it.

To that end, what are the opinions of the basic comm radios out there?
Garmin, iCom, Val...there are quite a few.

Any experience with them? Ease of use, quirky behavior? Built in intercom usefulness?

This is going in a '52 170B on the left side where most everyone mounts a radio in a '52 or older 170.

Garmin GTR200. Love mine, built in intercom ( 2 place ), stereo, monitor other channel, aux music input. [emoji1063]


Rod Hilton
Kincardine, Ontario, Canada
C-FKJJ

Tapatalk Pro

If I were equipping an airplane today, and trying to keep the cost reasonable but also get the best bang for the buck, I don't think I'd install just a com-only radio. At the very least, I'd put in a navcom. I know that there are airplanes being sold with GPS as their sole means of electronic navigation, but in the 10 or 11 years I've been using a GPS, both a handheld 96C and the panel mounted 430W, I've had several outages which were the GPS system getting interrupted--nothing wrong with my boxes. Being able to immediately revert to the nav side of my navcom eliminated any anxiety about navigating electronically. Granted that I was going IFR, but the same issue would exist if you were in the middle of flat Kansas VFR happily navigating with the GPS, and suddenly it stopped working.

Before someone chimes in about navigating by pilotage or ded reckoning, I can do that just fine. But there are plenty of times when it's a whole lot easier to do it with a decent navcom by following the airways.

Right now, as far as I can tell, the least expensive new navcoms for certified airplanes are made by TKM, but they're designed as slide ins to replace existing navcoms that have gone Tango Uniform--you'd have to source a rack (aka bucket), which you'd likely find at a place like Beegles in Greeley, from a wreck.

But used isn't a bad option, and there are several possibilities there. One of the most reliable radios of the last couple decades has been the King KX155; you can get a good used one for less than $2500 including the rack. A couple of necessary antennas and cabling would be another few hundred, so you'd spend maybe $3,000 total.

Cary

I used one of these some years ago and thought it was pretty cool minimalist radio:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/a ... ar6201.php

For just a com, I recently did a panel overhaul and went to this:

http://m.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avp ... gtr225.php

Works great, as advertised. With the 2nd channel monitor function I felt single radio was as good if not better than the two 40 year old radios (heavy) it replaced.

Bill

Though I have no experience with it I am planning on installing a GTR200. Reviews are great. People are installing them in their CAR 3 planes so I think it is a great option if you IA approves.

Another vote for the GTR200. Simple setting it up. Being able to monitor another frequency is so nice.

Great looking panel Greg! Functional and capable. I have the MVP-50 also and love it.

Kurt

The GTR200 is starting to look pretty nice.

Bagarre wrote:

.
This is going in a '52 170B on the left side where most everyone mounts a radio in a '52 or older 170.

Regarding the Garmin GTR200:
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/a ... gtr200.php
Important Notes:
This is for experimental aircraft use only.
Standard Kit comes with Rack, Connector Kit, and Back plate. "Standard Kit + Harness" model includes all the same + the harness.

Question:
How hard is it to get approval and an okay from IA, Field Approval, etc. to put these into older Car 3 type planes? I recall a related thread about the effort to get a Garmin G5 put in before the recent STC for it and the D-10.

Denali wrote:Bagarre wrote:

.
This is going in a '52 170B on the left side where most everyone mounts a radio in a '52 or older 170.

Regarding the Garmin GTR200:
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/a ... gtr200.php
Important Notes:
This is for experimental aircraft use only.
Standard Kit comes with Rack, Connector Kit, and Back plate. "Standard Kit + Harness" model includes all the same + the harness.

Question:
How hard is it to get approval and an okay from IA, Field Approval, etc. to put these into older Car 3 type planes? I recall a related thread about the effort to get a Garmin G5 put in before the recent STC for it and the D-10.

Brings to question of whether a radio has to he TSO or not... how many king 170Bs are installed in planes, they are not TSOd. Personally, I would have no problem putting one in a VFR machine.

I just had the PAR200 installed. Super small, light, and multi function, plus cheaper than the comparable Garmin so I sacrificed the ability to link to my Garmin 796.

Haven't flown it yet, will report when I do. I believe it is worth a look.