C

Chappyd

Well Known Member
Has anyone who's wired up one of these in their panel done so with an audio panel as comm 2? I've got the PMA9000ex audio panel, a Garmin sl30, and the Icom. The Garmin installed no sweat works great. The garmin install manual depicts an installation with an audio panel. The Icom does not. I've wired it in accordance with sugestions I've recieved on this forum, and after talking to an avionics guy. I also spoke with Icom today and while we came up with a couple of diferent ideas, I'm still stuck.

The gist is, The 9000ex and the Garmin are working fine.

The Icom receives fine, intercom works while receiving. When I key the mic with com 2 selected on the 9000ex, the light blinks on the 9000 (as it should), and I get the "tx" symbol on the Icom, but the audio in the headset stop working, ie; no intercom. Listening on my handheld radio, I get a steady static hiss while the mic is keyed. Any ideas?

I'm really getting frustrated. I'm begining to wonder if the Icom can operate with an audio panel, seeing as they don't show an install example in their documentation. Help!!

I'm posting this in the GD forum, hoping to maximize veiws by someone who can help.
 
I'm doing this.........right now.

I have a Garmin SL-40, Icom A210, and PS Engineering PMA 8000B audio panel.

I'm going to use the same mic & headset wiring schematic as depicted in the Garmin manual, since we have the same wiring leads for the A210. That 1,2,3 aux. wiring in the A210 manual seems to mean nothing in this application.

edit: What did you do for the wiring, as per suggestions? I won't know how mine works until it's done. At the moment, I'm using the Icom with a seperate intercom.

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
Last edited:
I've been running an A210 (and an A200 in the same rack) as #2 Comm with my PS Engineering Audio panel for a couple years now - no problem, works as it should. Why don't you post a list of your interconnections - what pins on the A210 go to what pins on the Audio Panel - here - it shouldn't be too long of a list, and could give us some insights.

Paul
 
Chappyd said:
Listening on my handheld radio, I get a steady static hiss while the mic is keyed.
Click to expand...
Talking while Mic keyed?

Static hiss is an indication that you are transmitting at least a carrier.

Not hearing yourself when keying may be a sidetone issue, or audio into the 210 is not correct.

I'm running a 210 as Comm #2 into a KMA 24 and a Flightcom 403 with no problems.

It does work!
 
It's obvious the PTT/Mic Key line is working, but also obvious that your Mic Audio line probably is not (or the radio has a problem). So, it's fairly likely you have something mis-wired (probably the Mic Audio High) between the radio and the audio panel. It's not the jacks or audio panel to the jacks if the other radio works and the intercom works fine. That means it can only be one of two things....either the radio is sick or the mic audio line is wrong. Could be something else weird, but start there first as those are the most likely culprits.

Cheers,
Stein

PS, I thought you were going to trade that in for an SL-40?!?
 
I was going to trade, but when I pulled the radio I noticed a scratch on the face I hadn't noticed. Took some pictures and emailed Chad with the news. We agreed that those imperfections were a deal breaker. The light has to hit it just right to notice, I'm just glad I saw it before it got sent.

I wish I could have completed the trade. The quality of the Garmin package makes the Icom's look terrible. I have the 9000ex, sl 30, the a210 and a Narco transponder. If I was buying again, I'd still get the 9000 and the garmin, but I would NOT get the Narco or the Icom. The quality of the of the 9000 and the sl 30 is night and day to the other 2 units.

Pins are wired as follows, Icom to 9000

H--->13 Audio hi
7--->14 Audio low
J--->15 Mic Hi
8--->14 Audio low
9--->30 Ptt

The 9000 does not provide for a separate mic lo. Stein suggested tying 7&8 together in to 14. This makes sense to me especially as the garmin is wired exactly that way, and shows it in the manual.

Icom tech support suggested 2 things, trying the radio as a standalone, and separating wires 7&8, just running 8 to a separate ground. Neither worked. The garmin will work if the 9000 dies as a fail safe for comm 1. But with the Icom wired as comm2 through the audio panel, I can't see it working alone and it didn't.

Stein, do you guys repair Icoms? I'll check the mic hi leads again, but I'm pretty sure I've quadruple+ checked all the leads in and out. I suppose it should have a warranty, but I'll have to check if non-avionics installers void it.

Thanks for the input
 
Well, if it's not the wiring and not the audio panel, then it has to be the radio.

As far as getting it fixed, you'll need to go back to the person you purchased it from. The unit will have a warranty, but I'm not sure how it is when user installed. Some mfgrs have quite different warranties depending on who does the install or the wiring...

Sorry I don't have any better news.

Cheers,
Stein
 
Eureka!

I found my problem. All the wires were going to their proper locations............but the mic hi wire was grounded as well. I discovered this by accident while checking the wires pin to pin with an voltmeter for continuity. The meter I have has an audible tone setting as well as the display. While checking the wire in question, I had one probe on the pin and the other touched the airframe while I was fumbling looking for my 3rd hand. Beep. Holy cow. Checked again. Beep. Removed the wire from both connecters, sure enough the sheild had come in contact with the hot part of the lead.

Made a new wire and whatta ya know, I have 2 working radios, lol

A big hearty thanks to Stein, for pointing me in the right direction more than once :). This was/has been a big hurdle for me. Almost time to put the gear and engine on this puppy!!


Thanks again.
 
Good news and your solution is worth mentioning again.

I always tell people to check the wiring, because frankly 99% that's what it is.

What I forget to tell them, it not only to check the "pin to pin" wire runs, but check EVERY wire to ground as well. This is VERY common with shielded wires, where sometimes people accidentally nick a wire while cutting off the insulation.

Here's another one the drive the point home. We had an RV8 fly up last weekend with an Autopilot problem...not getting any ARINC. He had checked, double check, and triple checked the wiring by going wire to wire. We quickly swapped in a new known good autopilot and also a 430W to quickly find it still wasn't working, so it HAD to be wiring, even though the owner swore up and down it wasn't. My technician then proceeded to check each wire and it's pin/pin and found sure as heck that was right, but - one of the ARINC 429 lines was also showing a weak ground. Pulled out the rest of the avionics and guess what....a bent pin in the GTX-330 connector which happened to be the same ARINC line...the pin bent over and was barely touching the connector frame to ground. Replaced the pin and all was well.....4 hours and some hundreds of $$'s later. The funny thing is that apparently that pin bent itself! :)

Anyway, just be sure to check EVERYTHING because while it is possible that new units are bad out of the box (I've seen it), it's not as probable as other things.

My 2 cents as usual.

Cheers,
Stein
 
A210 Question

Dear Chappy D
I too had Xmit problems in Sept 08 when launching my RV9.....the Xmit icon lit up but only the carrier tone went out, but not my voice.
I sent the radio back to Aircraft Spruce who sent it to Icom who "Fixed" it ....6 weeks later I had the radio back, installed it ....same problem.

Went into the internal radio programming options and found that the radio would not Xmit on MIC 1, but WOULD xmit on MIC2.....so at least I can use the radio although its not right....it does work fine with the Flight Com 403 Intercom.

I have now discovered that every time my King KT76 transponder fires off it cuts off the Receive and and Xmit function of the A210 radio. Moved the A210 Antenna as far as possible from the Xponder antenna...no change.

Have you or anyone else had this problem....???
P Burf
 
You must log in or register to reply here.