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Garmin 660 & Garmin GDL52 Audio??

Jermechanic

Well Known Member
I have a Garmin 660 connected to a Garmin GDL52 with Garmin’s interface/12v cable. (Aviation Mount with Power Cable, Audio Jack and GDL® Connection (aera® 660)
PART NUMBER 010-12373-02)

My issue iam having is I haven’t been able to connect audio from BOTH units to my Lightspeed Zulu headset audio connector.

I can connect to either with a 1/8” cord but they don’t seem to be linked. My 496 was all linked together with XM radio audio nicely.


Is the only way to hear audio from both units to hardwire the units to an audio panel? I would think Garmin would have a way to utilize all the functions on these portable units. It would be nice to receive audio alerts and music

Has anyone found a solution?

Thanks
Jeremy
 
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Hello Jeremy,

This works great with my GMA 245 audio panel.

The GDL 52R music audio is connected to one of the 3 music inputs on the GMA 245.

The Aera 660 alert audio is connected to one of the 4 aux alert audio inputs.

Everyone in the plane can hear alerts and music through their headsets and the in cabin Virb Ultra 30 video camera picks up all music, radio communication, intercom audio, and alert audio coming via Bluetooth from the GMA 245.

You don't say what kind of intercom or audio panel you have in your plane, but connecting music and alert audio to that device would be the best solution.

Steve
 
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Flightcom 403

My Flightcom 403 intercom has 1 aux audio input. I would have to choose between alerts from the 660 or audio from the GDL52. Really surprised Garmin didn’t combine the audio through their linked power cable
 
Really surprised Garmin didn’t combine the audio through their linked power cable

Not very surprising for a couple of reasons.
  1. The Aera 660 doesn't have any digital or analog music inputs which might allow it to receive the music from a GDL 51/52, reprocess it, and output it merged with alert audio.
  2. The connector on the GDL 52 to which the Aera 660 is connected doesn't have any audio connections. The GDL 52 music output is on a separate connector.

The GDL 52 contains the SXM digital audio processing capability that allows it to independently generate music audio output with no assistance from any of the external display devices (tablets, portables, and G3X Touch) for which it can share traffic and weather data.

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Steve
 
Some other work-arounds would be to buy a new headset with Bluetooth and link it to the GDL 52 wirelessly. Then the aera 660 could be hard wired to the intercom. This scenario gives you full stereo fidelity for the SXM audio.

Or try one of the wired audio mixers to combine the audio signals from each unit into one output for the headset or intercom. Like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/COLOR-TREE-Signal-Output-DC5V-12V/dp/B08HQZ3L9F

51mEU5e7cuL._AC_.jpg
 
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Another good option would be to upgrade your COM radio and intercom to a GTR 200 or GTR 200B.

You would have a great 2 place stereo intercom with auto-squelch and the GTR 200 has audio inputs for both stereo music from the GDL 52 and aural alerts from the Aera 660.

As shown in the image below, one of the 2 softkeys on the GTR 200/200B can be programmed for quick, simple, and convenient single button music on/off (just like the GMA 245).

You certainly don't want to have a music installation (like you described in the first post) that causes you to have to navigate to the music control display screen to turn on/off music.

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Steve
 
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Best suggestion yet is that previous post from Longez. The GTR 200 (B) has to be one of the finest featured and most cost effective com radios I have ever installed in a single-radio aircraft. It is one of the only coms with a built in intercom I would put up against the best intercoms out there. 10 watt transmit. Thr aera GPS can send radio frequencies to the GTR. Easy to use and you can ditch the Flightcom. And relatively inexpensive. You won't ever look back.
 
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