Comm comparison questions

[pierre smith]

Our VAL comm has packed it in again and I'm going another route. Since we only have the one comm, what would you guys do....either an Icom A200 or an SL40?

Which will likely be the most dependable and trouble free?

Thanks

 

[yakdriver]

I like ICOMs. The new 210 is really nice. I have had a couple of 200s and my friend with the AG operation has had them in his AG Cats for several years with no problems whatsoever. Don

 

[Bob Martin]

SL-40

I have the SL-40 and love it.
It is like having two comms....almost.
I think people that have never had one don't know what they are missing.

I hear the new Icom doesn't actually monitor both freq's.
The SL-40 does and primary first and standby second.

The only draw back, is that if you are on a busy unicom, and trying
to listen to AWAS as you approach, it may take a couple cycles of listening
to catch all the info you want to hear as others transmitting on unicom step on
you listening to the standby channel.

It may cost a couple hundred more but you will love it.
Good Luck

 

[az_gila]

Economics - buy two...

Why not just buy two Icom A-200's?

This would give you true two channel independent capability, as well as some redundancy.

Two A-200's seem to be around $800 each.

A SL40 seems to be about $1600... add in an extra antenna and the difference is pretty small.

No audio panel would be needed, just mix the audio out wires into the intercom, and add a comm1/comm2 switch in the mic/ptt wiring. Other VAF postings have talked about this.

A good solution if you have the panel space....

gil A