Guest Robw Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Hi, We have got only one radio in our plane. I'd like to be able to listen to the area frequency to be aware of the commercial flights, but use as active frequency the CTAF frequency as the area the I fly in most, is dotted with CTAF fields. Does anyone know if one could connect a tranceiver, or a scanner to the headset cable while still connected to the aircraft's radio? Cheers, Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelorus32 Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 G'day Rob, The simplest answer to that is the Garmin SL40 VHF that lets you do just that. Costs money though! https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=197&pID=6440 Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slartibartfast Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 The Microair 760-P now has this feature. If you have an earlier 760, I think you can send it to them and have it upgraded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinsm Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Listening to 2nd frequency Try the XCOM 760. Monitoring a second channell comes as a standard feature of this transceiver. Great radio Cheers Maynard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brentc Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Just for your info, the Microair 'upgrade' is actually a replacement radio. The radio is effectively traded in for a new one, so you don't get your old one back. The Microair, Xcom, new Icom and Garmin all have this functionality now which is good. Atleast they are all catching up with each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slartibartfast Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Thanks brentc. Rob, closer to what you originally had in mind might be the FlightCell Pro from NZ. It can be used to interface to just about any communications device. I want its little brother, the FlightCell 2go to connect my mobile but no-one has made an interface cable for the JasJam yet. Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushcaddy105 Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Another idea which is worth considering:- If you have a pocket scanner, make up a lead to connect its headphone output to an audio input on your intercom. It will then work similarly to the dual watch transceivers, with the exception of not being able to set a priority frequency. If the channels are busy, you'll get them both at once, so use the volume to set the secondary frequency to be in the background. Turn it up if anything interesting comes in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vk3auu Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 If you have an intercom there is generally an input socket somewhere that does this for you. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Robw Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 My transceiver does have an audio output. So I need to check if the intercom has an input socket. If not, than I might persue the flightcell option. Thanks for all your advice, Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yenn Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 What is an intercom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinsm Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 its that thing thats also included in the XCOM as standard Maynard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Hi All The Microair M760 revision N that I have has a DB-25 connector in its wiring harness. Pin 24 Brown of the DB-25 is designated as AUX Audio signal (Music) input Mono. Pin 25 Gray of the DB-25 is designated as AUX Audio ground input Mono. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brentc Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 The updated Microair now includes a voice activated intercom too. The Icom panel mount now has it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazda Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 Keep in mind though that the airline traffic will be way above you enroute so it will not actually be "traffic" for you. The only time airline aircraft will be traffic for you is when arriving/departing an airfield - when they will be on the CTAF that you are monitoring anyway!! (Unless they put in the wrong frequency of course, which happens, so a good lookout is important.) So monitor two frequencies if you like but it probably won't make much difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brentc Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 I find the second frequency most useful for listening to the chat channel, listening to ATIS & AWIB, plus my destination CTAF when I'm a long way out so I can get a feel for what's going on before I get there. Some times 10 miles at break-neck speed (eg 230 knots in the Cirrus) isn't enough time to get a feel for what's happening up ahead particularly when 10 miles only takes a bit over 2.5 minutes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelorus32 Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 I find the second frequency very useful because whilst IFR traffic may be well above you in cruise, they are also faster and they may not be above you. By listening to the area frequency you get a broader situational awareness. You get pre-warning that the RFDS Kingair will be inbound at your CTAF and will get there at about the same time it takes you to return from the training area at 100 knots...before they have to call on the CTAF. You get pre-warning of the police helicopter transiting through your airspace when you are en-route and outside a CTAF and below 5000 feet! Both of these are real situations. Listening on area frequency is a very good thing IMHO. Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazda Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 Remember that you don't have to start monitoring the frequency at 10 miles - you can monitor as far out as you like. Maybe 20 miles or so. I've flown VFR and IFR with one radio, and a friend of mine operated aircraft at a minimum of 420 knots (7 miles/minute) on approach with one radio. Standard ops were to call 15 miles out (2 minutes) to get runway direction, etc. A second radio can be good but it really isn't required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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