G BIFY Radios
 

I am the successful buyer of G BIFY today. The radios are missing. Does any one know what they were so I can buy some to fit or where they might be please?:ok:

Type "G-BIFY" into Google and click on "images" - there's a shot of the panel there, which shows some COM device fitted.

Looks like a pair of NARCO's in the hole for an old collins clunk click radio.



If you are going to be keeping it for a while it might be worth getting a mode S and a modern flipflop as airpolice has shown you.

You might want to get a radio GPS combo.

Better to have a think about it and what your going to use the plane for before finding anyold crap to stick in.

G BIFY radios
 

Just did a search on the old king and was suprised how much they are worth.

For me personally it is more use as a door stop than a radio these days.

A word of caution;

I think you will not be allowed to fit a new mode c transponder – you will have to fit Mode S.

In the next 4 or 5 years you will need an 8.33 radio so you may want to do that now rather than pay twice.

Rod1

Spend a little now spend a lot later
 

As Rod says above you will need 8.33 soon and mode S is already with us so I would bite the bullet ans look at some new equipment, I would start with Trig or Garmin for your aircraft.

The TMK170 was a notoriously poor radio with frequent failures, I know of at least three people who spent more money getting these things fixed than buying them. No doubt someone here has the only trouble free TKM170 and loves the thing, but on the whole the lack of them within the industry tells a story.

As a matter of interest what would you put in AnC?

Garmin stack

You see I wouldn't be putting in a 430 or like if it was a VFR only machine.

Also if its a single radio machine I wouldn't want to be powering up a Gx30 with all the time it takes just to get the ATIS and then the drain on the battery if I had an alt failure.

Also is a high priced bit of kit in a relatively easy to get into cockpit.

Never mind the garmins updates cost a fortune.

I would though have a garmin basic flip flop with the standby monitoring. Is it a SL30? Is it even EASA approved?

There mode S is nice with the punch numbers onlong the bottom. Better than the turn and fiddle with the two knob transponders.

The GPS I would have a yoke or fixed mount with aircraft power so I could remove it home to do updates and or upload routes/ keep it safe and only take it when I wanted it.

I see that G-BIFY is one of the EX Bonus Aviation aircraft. How much work have you got to do to comply with the latest Cessna blurb?

The cost of that work might temper the amount of money to spend on the radios - perhaps keep it simple and the cost down, it's a high hours aircraft and likely to fall under the requirements of some of the latest AD's.

How many hours has the engine got left and if you are going to use it for anything other than private flying? Where is it in its 12 year life cycle? I guess the potential cost of all of these factors will influence how much money you may wish to invest in the replacement of the radios.

If it was mine I would be thinking would fitting £3000 of radios into the aircraft increase the value £3000 above what you paid for the aircraft?

I see Bennet Avionics have a MX170B for $1295, if you take into account the shipping cost, and import tax costs to get it into the UK then I doubt you would have much change out of £1500. If you budget about the same for a second hand AT165 transponder then its going to be about the same again.

G BIFY radios
 

Mad Jock that is all sensible good advice that I have taken on board.
I'll be working out the best solution with the Avionics guy at Airtime next week so I'll let you know the end result.
Thank you.
TP

Just remember that anyone to do with avionics is a professional bull****ter of the first order.

Half of it is that every installation is different and the other half is that there are so many variables. And its usually easier to baffle a pilot with BS than it is to dazzel them with brillance. You can charge the same it takes a fraction of the time and ensures repeat buisness.

You will need to go to more than one place to get a quote and also get more than one opinion.

I would imagine A and C has pretty much seen every variation you can get in a Cessna 150/152.

Bennett Avionics have a less-than-stellar reputation, so I would think twice before buying from them. Their web site is good as reference material, though.
Mendelssohn Pilot Supplies have MX170C for £1295+VAT.

Had a look on G-INFO. Nice picture of the plane with a couple of great looking birds ;)

I've fond memories of this type of 150 - good choice, hope you and BIFY have loads of adventures :ok:

SGC

Two ideas for you;

Funkwerk ATR833 Transceiver List price £1070 ex vat
Trig TT21 Mode S Transponder List price £1350 ex vat

Avoid the Garmin 328 Transponder – it is the only one which will not do ES for ADS-B which could cause you to have to replace it in the medium term.

Rod1

It looked to me as if he has some nav gear that needs a feed so needs a navcom.

Although it only looks to be a VOR might be worth putting a VOR/ILS display in.

You are very lucky to be near Brian Cook of Bournemouth Avionics, he's done loads of work on my Shareoplane, all of which we're very happy with. If you would like his contact details, please let me know.

He's a straight talking avionics installer!

Mad Jock
 

The instalation would depend on the mission but as most people who are pure VFR pilots have a hand held GPS I would recomend the Trig Mode S transponder and the new Trig 8.33 transceiver ( and making sure the cigar lighter socket works well for powering the GPS). This fit would make it a future proof VFR aircraft fr the near future as the Trig mode S can take ADSB if required.

There is such a wide range of options if you want some sort of IFR fit I could go on for a week or two, but let's remember we could without any effort triple the value of an aging Cessna 150.

I have done business with Bennet Avionics and had no problems with them but there is a very good reason for the MX radio being so cheap.............no one wants them !

Mad Jock. Your statement "Just remember that anyone to do with avionics is a professional bull****ter of the first order" is a bit of a blanket endictment of a whole section of industry! Don't you trust ANY avionic person to give impartial advice?