How Many Radios?
Thread Starter
How Many Radios?
Wondering whether to fit Two VHF radios to the build? More knobs to play with and an audio panel. More things to go wrong as I am well known to a wide audience for talking on the wrong frequency and then wondering why I get no reply.....or many
What are your thoughts? I have an idea that I could hook them to the Skyview and get some form of automatic channnel selection. One antenna already purchased for the roof. I could put a bent one underneath the rear fuselage on this aircraft, the factory demonstrator has this.
What are your thoughts? I have an idea that I could hook them to the Skyview and get some form of automatic channnel selection. One antenna already purchased for the roof. I could put a bent one underneath the rear fuselage on this aircraft, the factory demonstrator has this.
Wouldn't the idea of better situational awareness, plus the redundency of a second radio, be enough to justify it?
We operate in an environment where you need to know what's going on around you with minimal work required to achieve that. I'd go a second radio.
morno
We operate in an environment where you need to know what's going on around you with minimal work required to achieve that. I'd go a second radio.
morno
It probably depends on where the majority of your flying is to take place. If you're going to be in controlled airspace a lot and need to work two frequencies, i.e. listen to an ATIS etc, while still keeping a listening watch then two radios would be a very good idea.
Otherwise I'd say one radio would be quite adequate.
There are some radios that have a monitor function allowing you to listen to the standby frequency which is almost like having two radios without the need for an audio panel or another aerial. This might be the best option all round as you can only talk on one radio at a time and covers morno's point about SA without all the extra cost of another box.
Otherwise I'd say one radio would be quite adequate.
There are some radios that have a monitor function allowing you to listen to the standby frequency which is almost like having two radios without the need for an audio panel or another aerial. This might be the best option all round as you can only talk on one radio at a time and covers morno's point about SA without all the extra cost of another box.
Last edited by 27/09; 17th Feb 2013 at 20:09.
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For safety and convenience, you either need two radios or the ability to listen to two frequencies simultaneously. The latest Icom and XCOM for example have dual watch capability. Two radios are a little more complex and require some kind of mic switch or audio panel so a little more complex. You don't realise what you are missing on the airwaves until you have two radios.
Apologies for repeating some of previous post. I agree with it, good advice.
Apologies for repeating some of previous post. I agree with it, good advice.
Last edited by VH-XXX; 17th Feb 2013 at 20:36.
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How Many Radios?
Wondering whether to fit Two VHF radios to the build?
Wondering whether to fit Two VHF radios to the build?
Should be just over $1800 US
The latest Icom and XCOM for example have dual watch capability. Two radios are a little more complex and require some kind of mic switch or audio panel so a little more complex.
- PS Engineering gear have bluetooth interface
- Garmin GMA240
Both units are priced under $1000, there are a number of dealers in Australia. OZpilot have got all the prices online, but so far I have found them the most expensive out of all the Garmin dealers.
My -7 will have both the GMA-240, and SL40.
Have a look at the install manuals for the garmin sports equipment, the last chapter has the 'simplified' wiring diagrams.
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I have been told some of the Icoms with stand by monitoring don't actually have two receivers. When there are no broadcasts, it simply continually flip flops between the two frequencies and picks the first one to talks. (you won't hear that ATC call to you while listening to ATIS...
But in general, I agree. Why spend money on two when you can just get one with standby monitoring?
But in general, I agree. Why spend money on two when you can just get one with standby monitoring?
Definitely agree with the others. Yes it costs you a bit of extra money and time, and sure its only going to be useful probably 10% of the time, but that 10% could be dangerous moments where you only hear something important because you have the second Radio or are using the monitor function!! Not to mention redundancy of a fairly important piece of equipment.
You'll get yourself into good habits with using more than one radio after your first mistake selecting the wrong comm!! Personally i'm in the habit now where I almost always take a quick glance and do a touch check on the Comm Selector on first changing to a new frequency, only took a couple of transmissions on the wrong frequency and decided to start doing it!
You'll get yourself into good habits with using more than one radio after your first mistake selecting the wrong comm!! Personally i'm in the habit now where I almost always take a quick glance and do a touch check on the Comm Selector on first changing to a new frequency, only took a couple of transmissions on the wrong frequency and decided to start doing it!
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I have been told some of the Icoms with stand by monitoring don't actually have two receivers.
I find dual watch or dual radios the most useful when operating near adrop zone. I'll be on CTAF but then pick up discussions with Centre about aircraft near the drop zone (aka me) and them not knowing my intentions, thus delaying the drop aircraft until I've gone past or my intentions are known. It's great to be able to let centre know you are heading for the circuit versus flying through a drop zone.
It's also great for monitoring the chat channel. Yesterday I picked up a prolific pprune poster polishing up on his formation skills. Very professional bro
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If you go for a "1.5" radio, no audio panel required. (if you don't have NAV radios!) But do yourself a favour and get an intercom like the PM-1000 anyway so you don't have to put up with ****ty built-in intercoms in the radios.
Don't be a tight arse, get 2. It's a safety issue, if you can't afford two radios at the price they are these days you shouldn't build it in the first place
I sure as hell wouldn't put two radios in a small amateur built aircraft that was primarily being operated in uncontrolled airspace and even think twice about the need for two radios in some controlled airspace. The extra cost and complexity and weight penalty doesn't warrant it, it's not just the cost of the radios, the integration of those radios cost as well with the need for an audio panel etc. IMO the money would be better spent on something like a Zaon PCAS XRX.
Last edited by 27/09; 18th Feb 2013 at 02:47.
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Haydnc wrote
"There are 2 really good audio panels for sports / experimental:
PS Engineering gear have bluetooth interface
Garmin GMA240"
From another web site discussion there has been a lot of angst about the GMA240.
" if it is wired for stereo and you plug in a mono headset it can blow the internal fuses. This is poor design, modern electronics are "short circuit proof". Other brands don't have this problem, nor does my home-built audio panel."
In US said to be $250-00 Garmin repair cost.
John
"There are 2 really good audio panels for sports / experimental:
PS Engineering gear have bluetooth interface
Garmin GMA240"
From another web site discussion there has been a lot of angst about the GMA240.
" if it is wired for stereo and you plug in a mono headset it can blow the internal fuses. This is poor design, modern electronics are "short circuit proof". Other brands don't have this problem, nor does my home-built audio panel."
In US said to be $250-00 Garmin repair cost.
John
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I agree with JR. Don't be a tight arse, get 2.
I have had a couple of occations when outback and Melbourne Centre has warned me of conflicting aircraft.
I wouldn't have heard them if I was on CTAF or chat freqs.
I have had a couple of occations when outback and Melbourne Centre has warned me of conflicting aircraft.
I wouldn't have heard them if I was on CTAF or chat freqs.
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Do we have them?
Eljay is on the money, you really don't know what you are missing until you have the second frequency (or radio). They are great when you are flying away as a group, you can chat all day on chat whilst listening to centre at the same time. My XCOM had a push button on the yoke where I could switch from the primary to the secondary which was really handy.
I'm tipping that you'll end up with an IcomA210 or an XCOM760. They do a similar job, although the XCOM is smaller, uses less power and the intercom is better based on my experience (I'm not taking price into consideration). The A210's had a lot of issues when they came out but they are fairly sorted now.
1
(a) aero club operations
(b) flying school operations
(c) firespotting
119.1
2
Parachute club operations
119.2
3
Helicopter operations:
(a) air to air communications only
(b) ground to air and air to ground communications only
120.4
120.8
4
Aviation sport
120.85
5
Emergency operation:
(a) Satellite location:
(i) until 31 January 2009 — for aircraft stations and aeronautical mobile stations only
(ii) for aircraft stations only
(b) Homing:
(i) for aircraft stations only
121.51
243.01
406–406.1
121.51
Note
1 By international agreement, from 1 February 2009 the COSPAS‑SARSAT System will receive transmissions only in the frequency range 406‑406.1 MHz.
6
Glider or sailplane operations
122.5
122.7
122.9
7
Fishing operations or agricultural operations including stock mustering
122.8
8
Pilot to pilot communications
123.45
9
Air show
127.9
10
Traffic information broadcasts by aircraft (TIBA):
(a) at or above FL200
(b) below FL200
128.95
126.35
11
Aircraft industry testing
129.1
12
Crop dusting
129.6
13
Aerodrome operations
129.9
14
Charter purposes (above 20 000 feet)
135.95
15
Charter purposes and other purposes not listed in another item
126.4
128.9
135.55
Last edited by VH-XXX; 18th Feb 2013 at 05:09.
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I agree with JR. Don't be a tight arse, get 2.
I have had a couple of occations when outback and Melbourne Centre has warned me of conflicting aircraft.
I have had a couple of occations when outback and Melbourne Centre has warned me of conflicting aircraft.
Two individual ones is only useful if you expect one to fail, but there there are still plenty of single-points-of-failure that are not covered, like power, the intercom and PTT switches.
Last edited by baswell; 18th Feb 2013 at 06:34.
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It's also great for monitoring the chat channel. Yesterday I picked up a prolific PPRuNe poster polishing up on his formation skills. Very professional bro
That formation stuff sounds really interesting X??
Depends on your interpretation of prolific 
Chat freq?
Interpilot air-to-air communications in Australian FIRs may be conducted on frequency 123.45MHZ. Communications between aircraft on this frequency are restricted to the exchange of information relating to aircraft operations.