VHF Radio replacement help

[olyolson]

Been doing some research on radios and found three that would work in the price I'm looking for. Going to replace the Narco 810 I have so I can use one freq while monitoring another. An added bonus is music input and the PAR 100EX seems to be the most capable. I would also be able to replace my older Dave Clark ISOM intercom with the 100EX at the same time.

Need input from anyone that uses the radios below and what you like (or not) about the radio. If there are other radios in this price range that I'm missing please let me know.

- PS Engineering PAR 100EX
- Garmin GTR 200
- ICOM A210 25

Thanks

[Pmerems]

I just upgraded to the Garmin GTR 200 (from a SL40). I have about 5 hours on the new radio. All I can say is amazing. I posted a review so just search on GTR 200 to read my review.

The SL40 was a great radio. The GTR 200 is even better and the internal intercom is outstanding.

[mscheuer]

Paul, do you have two Coms? If so, how do you switch between the two. I think Oly is interested in two radios which would require some type of switching means.

I really like his idea if the PAR100EX!

Mark Scheuer
PS Engineering

[rvbuilder2002]

Originally Posted by mscheuer

I think Oly is interested in two radios which would require some type of switching means.

No, he just said he wanted to use one freq. while monitoring another.

The second and third on his under consideration list will allow you to (receive) monitor the standby freq. while using the active one. Not sure about the PAR100EX

[mscheuer]

Roger that.

I still like the PAR100EX

[Snowflake]

I just received my GTR 200 which will replace my iCOM A210. Loved the A210, but iCOM wasn't interested in helping me fix it after I water-damaged it, despite localising the failure to the front panel. Now Garmin has the GTR 200, which is functionally equivalent but by all reports even better than the 210. I'll give Garmin a try this time instead, I know they'll stand behind their product.

[aerhed]

Haven't heard the MGL V6 mentioned. Dual scan, SL30 protocol, six place stereo intercom, vogad or vox, two and a quarter face, weighs less than it's wiring harness. 1100 bucks.

[olyolson]

I guess I should have clarified a bit. I'm looking for one radio to replace the Narco 810 Comm I currently use (lower left part of the panel in the picture). I do not have the panel space for a second radio.



So far it looks like the Garmin GTR 200 is the best choice for features and value. The PAR100EX would be an awesome choice with the Bluetooth capability but it's about $1000 more than the Garmin GTR 200. The other thing I like about the Garmin is the 10W power output vs the 5W of the PAR100EX. The only thing I can't find from the Garmin website is how to specifically input music. No mention of an input jack.

It seems that there has been some grumbling recently about ICOM products or their lack of support. I have no experience with their products but based on what others have said here on the Forum, I am hesitant to go with any ICOM radios.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by olyolson

It seems that there has been some grumbling recently about ICOM products or their lack of support. I have no experience with their products but based on what others have said here on the Forum, I am hesitant to go with any ICOM radios.

I can elaborate on my situation... I was one of the people defending iCOM quite a bit, as the radio itself is brilliant. Connected to my Garmin GPS, I had local airport frequencies on standby whenever I needed them. I could monitor an ATIS or Ground frequency while on tower. Remote flip-flop of frequencies could be done with a button on the stick, and even memory bank selection as well. The radio has an amazing amount of flexibility.

Alas, the flaky design of the ribbon cable that connected the front panel to the body didn't win many ham-fisted owners over. I had one fail eventually, due to repeated removals/insertions. My own fault, and to iCom's credit they gave me two replacement ribbons.

My radio died through my own ineptitude... First time I parked my tip-up canopy outside where it got rained on, I didn't think to dry the canopy before opening it. It had stopped raining, and I was no longer thinking "it's raining". The sheet of water that rained down into my panel was rather impressive. Thankfully, the only things that got any serious wetness were the radio and the transponder. Both worked fine after drying out, and the Garmin GTX327 still works fine today.

The iCom started getting flaky about a year later, and eventually I sent it in to be looked at before it died completely. Which it did, on iCom's bench test. They diagnosed it down to a problem in the front panel, but were hesitant to put a second front panel on it and test it "just in case it blew". And they didn't want to sell me a spare panel so I could do it myself.

Honestly, if Garmin hadn't come out with the GTR, I still would have bought another iCom 210. It had no problems that I didn't cause myself. I'm actually losing some functionality with the GTR, because it doesn't have remote frequency band select like the iCom did... You can flip-flop but that's it.

Music input is pin 18 and 19 (L and R), according to the GTR200 manual I downloaded from the Garmin website... PDF page 45, manual page 4-1.