Intercom on ICOM A200?

I was just looking at the Icom website and the A200 supposedly has a built in intercom. Because I've only heard great things about this radio, because I've used it in a Skylane with no problems, and because it's cheap I've been planning to use it in my -9. Now I see another way to save a couple hundred dollars: If I have no need for music or other audio inputs (mine will be VFR only to start), is the A200 sufficient for communicating clearly with my passenger? Here I guess it would be important to have headsets that each have their own volume control, but are there any other considerations to keep in mind? Thanks.

I believe the built in intercom is not voice activated.

I can answer that

alpinelakespilot2000 said:

I was just looking at the Icom website and the A200 supposedly has a built in intercom. Because I've only heard great things about this radio, because I've used it in a Skylane with no problems, and because it's cheap I've been planning to use it in my -9. Now I see another way to save a couple hundred dollars: If I have no need for music or other audio inputs (mine will be VFR only to start), is the A200 sufficient for communicating clearly with my passenger? Here I guess it would be important to have headsets that each have their own volume control, but are there any other considerations to keep in mind? Thanks.

Click to expand...

Let me get to the point, Yes it has an intercom (almost in name only); Yes you will need (want to buy) a real VOX intercom (voice activated).


I think all the com radios claim an intercom to fill up their features list. I have an ICOM A200 and after I bought it noticed it has an INTERCOM and made slight mention in the installation instructions. The operation manual does not say anything.

This is how it works, you have to wire in optional panel switch (not supplied) to select whether you want your mic to transmit on the radio or on the intercom (not both). If you select intercom, you press the PTT to talk on the intercom, like you do to transmit on the radio. When you do this it is a party line and both mics open. (Good stand alone voice activated intercoms only open the mic that is being spoken into to cut ambient noise in the audio. The A200 intercom function is definitely not voice activated.)

I could see a stripped down day VFR bi-plane tandem that might have a hard time with a VOX radio with the wind blast and noise keeping the mic open, so a Press to Talk system might be better. We are talking day VFR, local hops with leather helmet, scarf and away from active ATC communication. I could see this as a weight saving, dog dirt simple reasonable use. In a RV made for travel it would be a pain in the..... A good VOX intercom is not expensive and adds many other features.

The biggest down side is you have to choose to talk on the radio or intercom; you can't do both. Next is you have to push a button to talk. Last it will not be as quit as a VOX intercom with separate auto channels for pilot and passenger. Buy a good intercom, I recommend DRE or PS Engineering.

As far as ICOM A200, great radio and the only down is the installation sheet is OK, but the wording is vague sometimes and light on background info, case in point the intercom function. This is likely from translating japanese to english. Other than that, its a great value and the next radio I would have is the Apollo SL30, but it cost twice as much. For a good flip flop com with 9-10 channel presets, I don't think you can do better. It also has several monaural audio inputs for warnings or what ever.

Hi George. I thought it must be too good to be true. Besides, the more I think about it, since the Dynon I will be using now has aural alerts for the AOA, I suspect I'd need the intercom for that. Anyway, thanks for the clarification. I guess I'll just have to try to save $$ elsewhere.

It's a "hot mic" intercom that forces you to wire in a separate switch to engage it, plus it's not worth a crap, IMHO. Even a cheap flightcom intercom is FAR superior.

To my knowledge, the only reasonably priced radio that has a good VOX intercom it in is the XCOM, which does in vact have a decent intercom in it, but then again it's about the same as buying a separate ICOM & PSE intercom from a $$ perspective.

Just my 2 cents as usual.

Cheers,
Stein.

P.S., I do fly behind an ICOM radio myself....but I have a PS Engineering Intercom to go with it - I like to plug my IPOD in! That being said, I'd seriously give good consideration to the XCOM as well.

Steve,
If yu can wait a bit I'll give you a report. I bought the Otto stick grip which has a DPDT switch in the trigger that will allow the intercom/radio to be used without a separate intcm/rdo switch. When the trigger is released, the intcm will be in hot mic. There will be a "cold mic" switch on the panel and separate intcm PTT switches (throttle in front seat) when the incm is cold.

Is all this a good idea? Well, what you pay extra for the otto, you could buy an intercom. The idea was less weight/wiring, and more simplicity. Is it? I dunno... but I'm hard headed. Possibly I'll be buying an intercom in the future.

Let ya know how it goes.
Chuck

Hi Chuck,

With all due respect, I'd urge you to just spend the couple hundred bucks and put the intercom in now. I just weighed a brand new PM-3000 and it weights just about 7 ounces so it's not a big gain in weight (Less than one Big Mac's worth).

The reason I suggest you do it now is that I personally believe that after any extended amount of time the open mic/hot mics will drive you crazy in an RV and it's just not noisy enough to justify a PTT Intercom over VOX.

I see you mentioned part of your justification is simplicity, but to be quite blunt (I've never been known to overly sugarcoat things) from my perspective you've done the opposite. You now have an Itermcom enable wire (pair?) running all the way to the stick where it's paired with the PTT leads. Then you have yet another switch for "cold mic" and more separate intercom PTT switches (for use in cold mic operation??). From what I can see that's at least 3 extra switches and 1 extra long run of two wires. Compare that with a whopping 3 wires about 12 inches long between the ICOM and Intercom and I think perhaps the intercom route might be wise.

If you'd have installed the intercom you'd have the same PTT wire running to the stick, but no separate run for ICS enabling all the way from the panel to the stick, no separate cold mic switch, and no separate cold mic PTT's. Same Jacks, so no change there.

Anyway, I'm really not trying to dog you, just trying to politely convince you to put the darned intercom in now. It's a heck of a lot easier to do before you're flying then after.

As others have mentioned, the hot mic/ptt ics "MIGHT" be appropriate for some VERY noisy cockpit environments, but I think it's crazy in an RV. You gain nothing and you lose lots of convenience and saved exertion without having a VOX setup of some sort.

Remember, the above advice is worth exactly what was paid for it and my opinion isn't necessarily any better than anyone elses, but I'd urge you to re-consider your approach!

Have a great day,
Stein.

I use the built in intercom in the ICOM A200 in my Vari-Eze. It is only just adequate. Even with the volume turned up full it is not loud enough.
IMHO, get a seperate voice activated intercom.
Finley Atherton
9A Fuselage

Thanks Stein... you too Finley. Said I ws hard headed... not brilliant. Stein I wired a ps intercom to a Garmin 250XL once and I seem to remember a lot more than 3 wires... you do this for a living, is the Icom easier to mate to the intcm?

Anyway I'll reconsider... I suppose I could use the trigger for forward firing ordnance. hmmmmmm

Reheat said:

... I wired a ps intercom to a Garmin 250XL once and I seem to remember a lot more than 3 wires... you do this for a living, is the Icom easier to mate to the intcm?

Anyway I'll reconsider... I suppose I could use the trigger for forward firing ordnance. hmmmmmm

Click to expand...

or you could use the trigger for AP control wheel steering or disconnect, flip flop, or a host of other "things" depending on what's in your plane!

Here's the basics on the ICOM to a typical PSE or something...it's 3 signal wires with 2 of them having a low/ground that follow. Typical interconnect from the ICOM is the following:

Pins:
H (Phone Audio Out with pin 7 as the low side/shield ground).
J (Comm Mic Audio)
9 (PTT with pin 8 as the shield ground for both J&9)

So, in our harnesses we usually use a twisted pair and a twisted triple...in reality it's 5 wires, but only "2" wires if you can figure out my weird description. It's really not bad at all.

Hope this helps! I'm telling you that you'll be glad you did it now!

Cheers,
Stein.

Cheers back to ya!

Thanks, Stein, for the reply to my original message. It's good to hear it from an avionics expert.
Steve