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Bendix King KLX 135A comm / GPS educate me please.

T

terry.mortimore

Well Known Member
Hi gang:

My project is a pay as you go affair. My original plan for the radio stack was to use a Garmin 496, Garmin GTX 327 and a Garmin SL-40.

I've installed slotted rails in my radio stack opening so I'm flexible for different installations.

I've seen some real deals on some older avionics and I'm starting to wonder if I should try and use some older gear to get me going and then up grade later. It would get me flying about a year sooner.

Can someone educate me on the KLX 135A comm/gps? Ease of use, reliable? Or is it a real Dinosaur?


Thanks Terry.
 
kls-135a

I have a king klx-135a and am about to replace it. I sent it in two years ago for the new battery (internal) and just to check it out. It worked fine and is easy to use, but. I would not buy one today. Just too many nicer radios out there. At this time, it is acting up and on some days the gps side just will not work. simple unit, served its purpose, but not again.
 
I helped a guy build an aircraft in 1995. He installed the KLX-135A. It has been nothing but trouble. It has failed several times and each time, King refused to admit a problem until he had replaced the antenna, antenna cable, and all wiring.

When it works, it works well, but it is not very user friendly.
 
Yeah, its a dinosaur! Its OK as a radio (mine has been mainly reliable for 10 years), but as a GPS it sucks - map is tiny. SL-40 & 496 is a way better choice.

Pete
 
Can any of you guys tell me what kind of antenna you use on the klx-135? Mine seems to work pretty well when I'm close in and need to talk, but has some significant line of sight issues. Airplane currently has a wingtip antenna.

Rex
 
Coms need vertical polarization, and it is hard to get that on a wingtip. I have an Archer clone, and I think it is adequate but not as good as an external antenna. I have a -10 so it has thicker tips, I get more vertical polarization than you can. It is important that the high current part (the leg the coax attaches to) is bent to be as vertical as possible.
 
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