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Topic ClosedBoth radios go quiet - oh no!

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M20Kid View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Both radios go quiet - oh no!
    Posted: 06 Aug 2018 at 8:17pm
I'm posting this in the Audio Panel space because it's the only hardware common to both radios.  Read my story and let me know if I need to call for an exorcism.

I have an Avidyne 540 for a #1 comm and a KY-97 for a #2 comm.  Both are connected through the Avidyne 240 audio panel but as far as I'm currently aware that's the only common element in the radios.

I was flying about 1000 nm last week (yes, home from OSH) and at least half a dozen times I lost the ability to hear incoming comm on BOTH radios!  It happened while with Chicago center, Minneapolis center, Kansas City center, and Fort Worth center; I don't think there were all having transmission issues on the same day.  Here's what I know -

1. All would be quiet and I would get an urgent call from either center or another airplane center had pressed into service to help contact me.  When I would answer I could always hear fine and the transmissions from other aircraft and center with both strong and clear.

2. Other times it was the reverse, things would be quiet and I would key up for a radio check.  Two or three calls later I would hear the response and they would always tell me they heard every request and responded each time.  I only heard after several responses.

3. I switched to my backup radio and had the same thing happen!

4. At one point I turned an ATIS freq that was nearby and monitored.  Things were fine for a while and then the transmission stopped.  The RX indicator on the 540 was not lit.  When ATIS was again audible it was the same broadcast as before.  The time was not the appropriate time for a change to ATIS.

5. While I do not believe my airplane was hit by lightening, it was parked in the North 40 at OSH all during the week and there were a few strong storms that passed near the area.  Heavy rain and strong winds were common and a few rumbles of thunder.  I don't camp at the airplane so I wouldn't know how it was at that exact spot during the storms.

As far as I know now there are no common parts between the radios other than the 240 audio panel.  However, that should not inhibit the RX light on the 540 even if it blocked the audio from coming through.  Also, my with was with me and we could always talk to each other - which was easy in times of silent radios!

Lastly, being a long trip I brought an MP3 player and plugged it in through a music input jack through the 540.  The music never stopped playing (I pressed the 'music' button on the 240 so the music doesn't mute during radio transmissions) so I know there wasn't a loss of all sound.

My avionics guy who installed all the systems is stumped.  Does anyone have any idea that could explain everything?  At this time I'm willing to entertain advice from other pilots, avionics professionals, and any witch doctors who may be able to cast the appropriate spell to cure my ailing airplane!

Edited by M20Kid - 06 Aug 2018 at 8:22pm
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tony View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Aug 2018 at 8:36am
Based on this statement:  "Things were fine for a while and then the transmission stopped.  The RX indicator on the 540 was not lit."  I don't think its the audio panel. 
 
Did your avionics guy, who did the install, wire up the interlock to mute the receivers in the other one is transmitting? If so, I would pull that wire out and see what happens. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Aug 2018 at 11:38am
Tony, the install was done over a year ago with no issues until the last flight so I don't think it would be an incorrect wiring.  If it were it would happen all the time.

Like you I don't believe it could be the audio panel but I posted here because that's the only common piece between the two radios.  Otherwise all systems are separate including antenna and wiring.  Just strange to have them both act the same wrong way at the same time.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Aug 2018 at 12:39pm
I was thinking more of a chaffing wire to aircraft structure. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Aug 2018 at 11:05am
Originally posted by M20Kid M20Kid wrote:

Otherwise all systems are separate including antenna and wiring.  Just strange to have them both act the same wrong way at the same time.
I'd bet they both share the same PTT button.  I would expect ATC would have told you if you were hot mic, but that's something that can mute the output and would apply to both radios.
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tony View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Aug 2018 at 1:22pm
You would see that on the audio panel that they were in TX mode.  I'm talking about the receiver mute wire that you can add as an option; so when one radio transmits it mute the other receiver. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Aug 2018 at 1:46pm
This topic has been closed as a duplicate of http://www.avidynelive.com/both-radios-go-quiet_topic1581.html.  Please continue the conversation on that thread.

Edited by AviSteve - 09 Aug 2018 at 1:48pm
Steve Lindsley
Avidyne Engineering
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