Use cases for dual-COMM ?

[az_gila]

The other advantage is redundancy.

Even as a VFR flier only you usually need comms. on a long trip. A single radio failure will not affect your trip if your second "monitoring" function is also a transmitter.

Go for two Tx/Rx units.

[RVDan]

I'm based at a towered field and if I had a radio failure, it would be a major pain to get back in. Assuming murphys law will come into play, the com would fail when I was running late coming home one day and landing somewhere else to call tower, etc. would make me really late and so on. Besides that all these other posts made the other arguments for convenience I would have made.

[sailvi767]

You should also be monitoring 121.5 at all times. It can save you from a potential flight violation among other issues.

George

[scard]

On top of dual com (sometimes I wish I had a third radio), we use Split-Com quite a bit. Left seat on com1, right seat on com2, both doing separate business, not just listening, but transmitting at the same time.

[RV8iator]

Try leading a large, or any size, formation in or out of a controlled field and it's worth it.
Agree with others who say, once you use two, you want two..

[dutchroll]

I have a single com radio with the standby frequency monitor function, but panel space is at a premium in my tight cockpit. If I could fit two, I would. Monitor functions by default have to prioritise reception so your primary or "more important" frequency needs to be relatively quiet for you to make sense of what is happening on the standby. That just isn't realistic in many scenarios.

I've been brought up on managing two comm radios in my day job and found the transition back to a single in my leisure time to be a bit of a PITA, even when operating in uncontrolled airspace.

[Capflyer]

Two coms is a really nice feature to have especially if you fly IFR. I only have a single com, SL30, and find it more than adequite. That said I also have a second antenna on my belly and access to the connector under the panel so it can easily hook up to my handheld with the adapter should my SL30 crash. I always fly with my HH on XC's.

[erich weaver]

Going to buck the trend here. I'm limited to VFR, but have never felt the need for two comms. I see that the original poster is also VFR.. My tiny brain can only listen or talk to one thing at a time so the SL40 with monitor suits me just fine. If you feel the need for quick access to more frequencies you can always use the preset memories, but frankly I don't bother and instead just plan ahead and tune in what I will need next on the standby/monitor side. Have never felt so rushed that I just couldn't live without a 2nd comm.

Redundancy is certainly a valid concern, but my sl40 has been rock solid and I carry a hand held as a back up for my longer flights. You can plan your wiring so that you can plug it right into your external antenna if needed, and of course into your headset as well. Haven't yet needed it as a backup, but do occasionally use it outside the plane as a true hand held, so good value there i figure.

May well have a different opinion if I was IFR and/or had more money, but Im flying and happy about that.
erich

[plehrke]

I fly day VFR. I have single radio with monitor function and have never wished I had a second radio. The country is littered with cool little airports to land at and get gas and food that do not even require a radio to go visit. YMMV but that is the flying I do and love.

[humptybump]

I appreciate the diversity of use cases. I couldn't have asked for nicer people or so many different responses - Thanks!

All things being equal - aka cost, install, panel space, etc. - I would not have asked this question. A second comm is every so handy. But, all things are not equal. With radios like the GTR-200 and it's competition, the single comm setup has one antenna, one radio, and can easily be used as the intercom and service the inputs for basic audio alerts from multiple devices (EFIS, AP, EMS, AOA, etc).

So the adding of a second comm means locating a second antenna and adding an audio panel.

I already have the audio panel so the added cost is really the second radio+antenna+figuring out the antenna placement (on a flying aircraft). The cost also includes any income from selling the used audio panel.

To Erich's comment - yes, the plane is VFR day/night today. I'm instrument rated and the plane will be suitably equipped the next time I cave to working on the panel.

I didn't want to give all that information because I really wanted people to share how and when the use the second comm. THANKS!