Over the Winter months working on my 9A Panel. VFR missions local and some 1,000 mile cross / coun. Looking at the new MGL V6 comm. radios as a possibility very interesting package to fit a 2 1/4" cut-out I would go with 2 units. Comments, any new users?? Thanks, Mark C.
Van's Air Force
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MGL, V6 Comm. Radio
- Thread starter Mark C.
- Start date
petehowell
Well Known Member
1 radio or 2?
Hi Mark,
You have seen my plane and I have very much the same mission as you. After 5 years and 800+ hrs, I have found that my single SL-40, (or a any radio that can monitor a 2nd channel) works great even when up in the Minne Bravo. You can grab ATIS while on with approach, get the awos while monitoring CTAF, etc. Don't get me wrong, a 2nd radio is great, but not required.
Just my musings, others may differ.
Hi Mark,
You have seen my plane and I have very much the same mission as you. After 5 years and 800+ hrs, I have found that my single SL-40, (or a any radio that can monitor a 2nd channel) works great even when up in the Minne Bravo. You can grab ATIS while on with approach, get the awos while monitoring CTAF, etc. Don't get me wrong, a 2nd radio is great, but not required.
Just my musings, others may differ.
RickWoodall
Well Known Member
Ideas
Similar mission. I went with the mgl v10. I use it for dual monitoring comm and intercom. For $950 it is an excellent and lightway comm. I do keep a $200 handheld within reach as a back up with headset plug adapter already screwed in. Would highly recommend a similar set up to anyone wanting simple, and lightweight and on budget. Gone through lots of busy air, detroit, osh, toronto, ottawa etc with no worries.
Similar mission. I went with the mgl v10. I use it for dual monitoring comm and intercom. For $950 it is an excellent and lightway comm. I do keep a $200 handheld within reach as a back up with headset plug adapter already screwed in. Would highly recommend a similar set up to anyone wanting simple, and lightweight and on budget. Gone through lots of busy air, detroit, osh, toronto, ottawa etc with no worries.
MGL, V6
Hi guys... the only reason I said 2 radios is because I trained and now fly a 172R that has 2 radios... Going with one would also mean I wouldnt need a switch or PS Engineering Audio panel, also going with a Skyview setup a 10" on the left, 7" Skyview on the right.. The Skyviews will incorporate the transponder and auto-pilot. I think the MGL V6 can set freq. through the Skyview... Would still like comments from anyone that has used the new V6... I must have a reciever with good sound quality... THX... Mark C.
Hi guys... the only reason I said 2 radios is because I trained and now fly a 172R that has 2 radios... Going with one would also mean I wouldnt need a switch or PS Engineering Audio panel, also going with a Skyview setup a 10" on the left, 7" Skyview on the right.. The Skyviews will incorporate the transponder and auto-pilot. I think the MGL V6 can set freq. through the Skyview... Would still like comments from anyone that has used the new V6... I must have a reciever with good sound quality... THX... Mark C.
Rainier Lamers
Well Known Member
Would a PIREP from me count ? Suppose not.
I have two of them, one in our new Sling, one in our Jora (which can take both a V10 and V6 for development work).
I like them both of course. However, for a "normal" aircraft I think the V6 is a winner. It feels "slick" and setting frequencies via the right knob is a breeze, even if 8.33Khz spacing is selected. As you turn the knob faster it "skips" so you don't turn the knob silly to get to a far away channel. Selecting between "MHZ" and "KHZ" by "clicking the knob" is nice and works well in turbulence.
I have not wired in the stereo audio into our new Sling for a MP3 player - this has to be fixed ASAP. It's also not wired into the EFIS so I don't get Crystal's voice on approach reading out the airspeeds on finals - I got so used to this I miss it badly.
The dual frequency scan works better than even on the V10 (which is not bad at all). The receiver latches on even faster to a new frequency so we are now looking at as little as 20 mill-seconds for a complete secondary frequency scan and return to main frequency. The breaks are so short that audiability of voice on the main (if priority scan is used) is not affected and the breaks are useful to indicate that you are listening to standby without the need to look at the radio. The breaks are more like "clicks" now at a rate of twice per second.
We will be changing the blurb on the V6 from a "6W" to a "7W" TX power radio. Results after doing the first 200 show that the matching network is better and more consistent than expected and radios are typically producing up to 7.5W into 50 ohms with little variation.
I think we did quite well with this one.
Rainier
CEO MGL Avionics
I have two of them, one in our new Sling, one in our Jora (which can take both a V10 and V6 for development work).
I like them both of course. However, for a "normal" aircraft I think the V6 is a winner. It feels "slick" and setting frequencies via the right knob is a breeze, even if 8.33Khz spacing is selected. As you turn the knob faster it "skips" so you don't turn the knob silly to get to a far away channel. Selecting between "MHZ" and "KHZ" by "clicking the knob" is nice and works well in turbulence.
I have not wired in the stereo audio into our new Sling for a MP3 player - this has to be fixed ASAP. It's also not wired into the EFIS so I don't get Crystal's voice on approach reading out the airspeeds on finals - I got so used to this I miss it badly.
The dual frequency scan works better than even on the V10 (which is not bad at all). The receiver latches on even faster to a new frequency so we are now looking at as little as 20 mill-seconds for a complete secondary frequency scan and return to main frequency. The breaks are so short that audiability of voice on the main (if priority scan is used) is not affected and the breaks are useful to indicate that you are listening to standby without the need to look at the radio. The breaks are more like "clicks" now at a rate of twice per second.
We will be changing the blurb on the V6 from a "6W" to a "7W" TX power radio. Results after doing the first 200 show that the matching network is better and more consistent than expected and radios are typically producing up to 7.5W into 50 ohms with little variation.
I think we did quite well with this one.
Rainier
CEO MGL Avionics
MGL, V6
Thanks for the update when I checked last week on lead time it appeared you might be out of stock for several weeks on the V6...? Also is there an easy way to wire an external speaker? Just asking in your plane did you go with one or two comm radios? If you went with 2 how did you switch between them?? Thanks,
Thanks for the update when I checked last week on lead time it appeared you might be out of stock for several weeks on the V6...? Also is there an easy way to wire an external speaker? Just asking in your plane did you go with one or two comm radios? If you went with 2 how did you switch between them?? Thanks,
Rainier Lamers
Well Known Member
The first batch went faster than expected, much faster - the last of the lot where put in a box today and are going off to the U.S.
We are pressing hard for the next batch to come off the line so hopefully it will not be long.
Wiring up two radios is easy.
Depends a little on what you want to do. If you want a full redundancy radio (i.e. TX on COM 2) - this is what I would do:
Headphones:
Each radio has two stereo outputs - one for pilot and one for the pax circuit. I would join these betwen the two radios but route COM2 through a 4 pole switch on the panel so I can kill the audio from COM 2 if needed.
All of the outputs from the two radios each (left+right) go through a 10 ohm resistor so the outputs do not short each other.
OK, that is simple. Now for the MIC/PTT.
I would use a second multipole panel switch on the MICs. Use the switch to connect the MICs either to COM 1 or COM 2 - at the same time also switch one or both PTT inputs (as you need). Switching the MICs has the advantage that a radio that is powered down will not load the microphones which could cause distortion or low audio depending on your headset type.
So, two switches on the panel - one to "kill" audio from COM 2 is needed and another to switch TX between COM 1 and COM 2.
Call it a "poor mans" audio panel - but it does all you need.
Stereo music can be routed to both, as can EFIS as well as mobile phone as all of these can be enabled in the radio so if you need to switch these (if your COM 1 is U/S) you do that in the menus.
Make sure you use proper shielded cables and apply the shields correctly (shield connected only on the radio side at one point). At least shield the microphone cables - headset is not that critical.
Use microphone inputs 1,2,3 and 4 depending on how many circuits you need and then assign them in the menu to pilot and Pax (for example 1 pilot, 3 pax).
The radio has a "isoltate" pin on the connector - wire a panel switch to ground to "isolate" pilot and pax intercom circuit. I.e. if you activate the switch your pax can talk to each other without the pilot hearing the conversation. If you have assigned 2 pilot and 2 pax, the pilots can talk to each other and the pax can talk to each other (all can listen to music).
Deactivate the switch and everybody can talk to everybody.
Also choose to use 1 or 2 PTT inputs. You might want a PTT on the pax side. You can also decide how this is to work (i.e. if any PTT is pressed, should the voice from the "other" circuit be allowed in the transmission or is it blocked ?).
It's pretty flexible but you can keep it very simple as well.
Rainier
CEO MGL Avionics
