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Fun with the Icom A210 mounting bracket

LettersFromFlyoverCountry

LettersFromFlyoverCountry

Well Known Member
I've been bedeviled today trying to figure this out. I'm fitting the radio stack trays (basically just a Garmin GTX 327 and an Icom A210) and I can't get the A210 tray fitting because I can't get the radio to fit into the mounting tray and I'm sure I'm missing something obvious.

But there's the trouble as I see it. When inserting the radio in the mounting tray, it goes in all but about 1/4". I don't see how it can go in any farther, because the edge of the tray hits the lip of the radio.

16_icom_1.jpg


A look at the backside reveals that what we and the radio have here is a failure to communicate.

16_icom_2.jpg


I'm pretty sure it's not the radio, but the doofus trying to install it. What am I missing?
 
You might have to back off the locking pawl enough for it to engage in the slot in the tray. You can then pull the radio into place using the jack screw mechanism.
Jim Sharkey
 
The A210 and its mounting latch

Can be a real problem to figure out. If I remember correctly the latch will NOT work if fully backed out. The instructions helped a bit but best just take the radio and do not try to insert it fully seated into the rack . The latch has to pull it into position before any of that will work. I'm not a fan of the latching mechanism nor the way the face plate has to be removed to get the radio into the rack but once in it did work fine. Good luck and be careful with the delicate flat wire connection from the face plate to the radio . Looks like a place to develop problems. / DRR
 
DennisRhodes said:
Good luck and be careful with the delicate flat wire connection from the face plate to the radio . Looks like a place to develop problems. / DRR
Click to expand...

At least those delicate fat wires are only one dollar a piece. Buy three or four at a time from Icom, if you need a replacement. :) If you mess one up like I did, the top of the radio comes off, and you just pull the ribbon wire out out of that circuit board too.

My A210 radio was a bit tougher too lock in place when surrounded by other equipment in the radio stack. The Garmin SL-40 was a lot easier to install or remove. It just takes a bit of practice with the Icom.

L.Adamson
 
jsharkey said:
You might have to back off the locking pawl enough for it to engage in the slot in the tray. You can then pull the radio into place using the jack screw mechanism.
Jim Sharkey
Click to expand...
What Jim said...

With the radio out of the tray, turn the screw enough to move the "pawl" down to where it should be.

Don't forget to tie end of the trays together to keep them from flopping around when you pull some G's or in turbulence.

I put a strap over my trays and dimpled them so I could use #6 screws. I even drilled a hole through the bottom of my trays so I could put a screw driver through one side. In other words, don't be afraid to modify the trays.
 
OK, just so I'm clear here.... turning the latch screw to fit is going to make the radio slide deeper into the tray somehow? Cuz the tray is right at the lip on the radio.
 
Take the radio of the tray and turn the screw until that little thing is in the right place to catch the hole in the tray and hold it securely.

Then put the radio back in the tray and turn it until it catches.

The goal is to move the catch down the screw.
 
I went back up to your top post and looked at the pictures Bob - have you test fit the connectors to the rack with the radio in place? You might be right that the radio doesn't actually have to go any deeper - different trays have different configuration, and I can't remember how the 210 fit now....long time ago, memory cells that haven't been used....

Try inserting the radio with the connectors, and see if you are deep enough. And I agree with the point that the "latch on screw" mechanism is tricky and far from intuitive!

Paul
 
The mystery continues.

I stopped at the hangar on the way home. The locking mechanism, as near as I can tell, doesn't play into the problem at all. I spun it all the way in, and it wasn't in far enough to clear the top of the bracket. I spun it all the way out and, well, that wasn't going to fix anything anyway.

No, the problem is strictly this forward edge of the mounting bracket, which is hitting this very slight ridge on the radio (that's deck/fence stain on my fingernail, just for the record)

16_icom_3.jpg


This was a part of the VAF group buy a few years ago so I know several people here have this model. Did you have any problem getting the radio to slide in all the way? See those two indents there? Are they on yours.

I mean, MAYBE it was just a poorly constructed bracket and too much was left on. Seems unlikely, but maybe. I could just file that down to get it to slip in far enough.

Paul, I did doublecheck the connector and, no, it doesn't fit at all the way it is now. And there's no way i'd be able to get an antenna connection in there.

There are those two "probes" on the rear, too. They also show about 1/4" of length before it hits the back of the radio.

A very strange problem, indeed.
 
210 Radio

Mine slides in fine.
I will check the at the hangar to see if I have the interference issues
you mentioned. Will reply Tuesday evening
 
Bob Collins said:
The mystery continues.

I stopped at the hangar on the way home. The locking mechanism, as near as I can tell, doesn't play into the problem at all. I spun it all the way in, and it wasn't in far enough to clear the top of the bracket. I spun it all the way out and, well, that wasn't going to fix anything anyway.

No, the problem is strictly this forward edge of the mounting bracket, which is hitting this very slight ridge on the radio (that's deck/fence stain on my fingernail, just for the record)

16_icom_3.jpg


This was a part of the VAF group buy a few years ago so I know several people here have this model. Did you have any problem getting the radio to slide in all the way? See those two indents there? Are they on yours.

I mean, MAYBE it was just a poorly constructed bracket and too much was left on. Seems unlikely, but maybe. I could just file that down to get it to slip in far enough.

Paul, I did doublecheck the connector and, no, it doesn't fit at all the way it is now. And there's no way i'd be able to get an antenna connection in there.

There are those two "probes" on the rear, too. They also show about 1/4" of length before it hits the back of the radio.

A very strange problem, indeed.
Click to expand...

I wish I had the "directions" handy.............

But the antenna coupling is connected to the tray with a C-ring. The radio just slides into it. Then you attach your own antenna wire and BNC connector to this quick connect. I don't see that coupling in your pic. And the wire connection most likely fit, and was screwed "inside" the tray (as I remember).

L.Adamson
 
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L.Adamson said:
I wish I had the "directions" handy.............

But the antenna coupling is connected to the tray with a C-ring. The radio just slides into it. Then you attach your own antenna wire and BNC connector to this quick connect. I don't see that coupling in your pic. And the wire connection most likely fit, and was screwed "inside" the tray (as I remember).

L.Adamson
Click to expand...

This is a good point...I didn't get this at first either, but after I put the BNC connector in with the snap ring, the radio fit snug. That could be your only issue here Bob...put that BNC in, and re-check it...it's a BEAR to install tho! :eek:
 
Thanks to the SteinAir highly innovative Mentor-A-Moron [tm] program, the mystery has been solved.

It's like this: Stein said the problem was the locking mechanism had been flipped 180 degrees and locked down.

He got it oriented to its proper position.

16_icom_4.jpg


Slipped the radio into the housing...

16_icom_5.jpg


And tightened...

16_icom_6.jpg


To remove, he said, push in and turn.

16_icom_7.jpg
 
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