Sheesh
dan said:
Guys, I mean this in the nicest way, but RTFM. I had the same questions originally and talked to Garmin to find out the details. I gotta run...I could spend all day typing the manual and posting to this forum, but I have an RV-7 full of gas that needs to be flown to Vegas RIGHT NOW...back online from Mandalay Bay later tonight...
Hey Dan, even the "nicest way" wasn't very nice... Especially after I had just spent all morning RTFM. As you know, there is no documentation *in* the manual about the audio, it's levels, whether Alarms/Alerts are mixed with XM audio, and what comes out where, etc... As a matter of fact, it doesn't even talk about the 1/8 stereo jack except to show you where on the back of the unit it is. Even you, it appears, had to send Garmin an email to ask!
So, let's see if I can help everyone as your request wouldn't.
The Voice+ and Voice- pins are "amplified audio" pins, they will be matched for a 4 or 8 ohm speaker and will drive probably 1W (+/-) of audio. Something an audio panel does *not* want. These will also NOT be stereo (don't see a L/R/Shield do ya
)
The 1/8 stereo jack is a "headphones audio" jack and will be driving mv of audio level, something an audiopanel *does* want to see. And it will be stereo
I can't really tell much about the "alarm" pin, it's noted in the interconnection drawing, but nothing else. From Dan's second message, it appears that it "goes to ground" when an alarm/alert message occurs on the screen, and some of those also generate an audio tone/message.
Open questions for those using one.
a) when the alarm/alert tones or messages come out and XM music is playing, do the alarm/alert tones blank the XM music, or are they mixed?
b) has anyone enabled the alarm pin and what did you use it for?
I can now understand why people are putting the 396 on the ADF or other selector on their audio panel. If the warning tones also come out the music output, then if you use an audio panel that has built in muting, if a Comm radio goes active, you'd mute the 396 and also the 396 warning alerts if you connect them only to the "music input" on your audio panel.
.... Garmin to the rescue again. Darn it.
Note for those using the 396 in a portable mode, there is a website that talks about removing the magnets from the XM puck so it doesn't mess up your compasses
Sorry, Dan, but I really didn't appreciate that comment, even with the "caveot".