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Second radio question

9Abuilder

Member
I fly an RV-9A. I’ve been flying behind my AFS 5600 panel for a couple of years now. My panel also includes a single AFS com radio and AFS basic intercom for two people. Lately, I’ve thought about adding a second com radio and was wondering what all of you feel is the best choice for this. I am a low-time VFR pilot and I don’t intend to upgrade to IFR anytime soon. Maybe something that includes a nav/com combo?
 
As a VFR pilot I have only found a few times where I would have liked to have a second radio to have more frequencies queued up or to get the weather while on flight following but never really a need. I'm building my 10 for IFR use (will get my IR once I finish the 10) and I will have dual radios.
 
My airplane first flew with one nav/comm radio but I had TWO VHF antennae. I used a handheld connected to the 2nd antenna and had a plug connector in the airplane that tied the audio from the handheld into the aux audio input on the King radio. I eventually replaced the radio with two radios and tied the audio out together through two resistors and used a panel mount switch to control what radio was the transmit radio.

Audio mixers are now available to protect the audio out circuits on the radios without the use of a resistor like I used.

What you want to do is very simple for someone with a little electrical background.
 
As a VFR only pilot for over 40 years I have never wished I had a second radio. I have 2 channels on my GX65 and find that to be plenty.
I think in the past a second radio was mainly for redundancy but with modern radio technology there is a very very slim chance of a radio failure.
 
PS Engineering PAR200B

I was in your exact same configuration, including the AFS 5600. My reasons for adding a second radio aren't really relevant, and I do think that the reliability of modern radios makes a single radio setup for VFR quite comfortable.

Anyhow I added a PS Engineering PAR200B. Audio panel with Remote Trig transceiver. No Nav, but again, I don't have any vor/loc nav capability in the RV8 and would be quite comfortable flying IFR.

The install becomes very easy if you have the AFS Advance Control Panel. It then is just a matter of building the harness and adding an antenna.
 
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I cant offer my opinion on what is the best choice for a second radio other than another one the same as you have?

I am like you - low time VFR only pilot. When I was taking lessons in a 172, the hardest thing to figure out was the radio- audio panel. Now I have the G3X system with the G 200 (I think that is what it is) radio and can monitor a second frequency. For me, this is good. It might be nice to have a couple more frequencies already entered but with the G3x it is so easy I dont miss a second radio.

I do carry a handheld that can hook to my headset but I rarely fly into towered airports so it is just for emergency or if I am at an airport and dont want to power up yet.

I am interested in what you decide so let us know what direction you do.
 
As a VFR only pilot for over 40 years I have never wished I had a second radio. I have 2 channels on my GX65 and find that to be plenty.
I think in the past a second radio was mainly for redundancy but with modern radio technology there is a very very slim chance of a radio failure.

I’ve only been flying for 22 years, but having a second radio is awesome, whenever I fly a plane with two radios, I use it almost every flight! Either picking up ATIS without leaving ATC, or talking to other pilots in formation, or picking up weather on radio 122.00, or listening to the practice area while transitioning.. so many uses. The monitor function is nice but if ATC talks, it cuts out and isn’t as useful.
 
I fly an RV-9A. I’ve been flying behind my AFS 5600 panel for a couple of years now. My panel also includes a single AFS com radio and AFS basic intercom for two people. Lately, I’ve thought about adding a second com radio and was wondering what all of you feel is the best choice for this. I am a low-time VFR pilot and I don’t intend to upgrade to IFR anytime soon. Maybe something that includes a nav/com combo?

Our next software release will support 2 com radios displayed and controlled from the EFIS. Assuming you have a spare EFIS serial port you can use our remote transceiver and not have to mount anything on the panel.

Rob Hickman
Advanced Flight Systems
 
I just bought my plane and haven’t flown it yet, but it’s equipped with a GNC300XL navigator for primary radio, but I also have an MGL V16 that’s hooked up to an MGL Vega. Works really well and it’s quite cheap.
 
I’ve only been flying for 22 years, but having a second radio is awesome, whenever I fly a plane with two radios, I use it almost every flight! Either picking up ATIS without leaving ATC, or talking to other pilots in formation, or picking up weather on radio 122.00, or listening to the practice area while transitioning.. so many uses. The monitor function is nice but if ATC talks, it cuts out and isn’t as useful.

Tom, you may have been flying 22 years, but maybe not so much the last few?
"Flight Watch" (wx on 122.0) went away some years ago.

to the OP: I do have two flip flop radios, and I do fly IFR. That said, my #2 is almost never used to transmit. I do listen to ATIS without leaving the ATC frequency (main use), and sometimes monitor UNICOM while enroute with ATC on #1, etc. But I could easily live without it. IMHO the low-cost solution for you is a handheld, wired into the headphone jack with the "2 resistor mixer" previously mentioned. Limited transmit range, but perfectly adequate for VFR use.
 
Tom, you may have been flying 22 years, but maybe not so much the last few?
"Flight Watch" (wx on 122.0) went away some years ago.

to the OP: I do have two flip flop radios, and I do fly IFR. That said, my #2 is almost never used to transmit. I do listen to ATIS without leaving the ATC frequency (main use), and sometimes monitor UNICOM while enroute with ATC on #1, etc. But I could easily live without it. IMHO the low-cost solution for you is a handheld, wired into the headphone jack with the "2 resistor mixer" previously mentioned. Limited transmit range, but perfectly adequate for VFR use.

I still am very active.. I still use it, sometimes on 122.20, sometimes 122.4. It’s still a thing!!
 
If you have one of the more modern com radios that have the ability to monitor the standby frequency, then a second com radio would only provide usefulness, in most cases, if your primary radio were to fail. For this reason, I have a handheld radio (Sporty’s) to use as a backup. If the small whip antenna on the handheld radio is not sufficient, I’ve installed my com antenna in an easily accessible spot where I can plug in my handheld to that antenna and get sufficient coverage.
 
Our next software release will support 2 com radios displayed and controlled from the EFIS. Assuming you have a spare EFIS serial port you can use our remote transceiver and not have to mount anything on the panel.

Rob Hickman
Advanced Flight Systems



Rob,

Without checking my install notes or the manual... I thought the remote transceiver uses the SV network and not a serial connection to the EFIS?
What would the serial connection be for?
 
I fly an RV-9A. I’ve been flying behind my AFS 5600 panel for a couple of years now. My panel also includes a single AFS com radio and AFS basic intercom for two people. Lately, I’ve thought about adding a second com radio and was wondering what all of you feel is the best choice for this. I am a low-time VFR pilot and I don’t intend to upgrade to IFR anytime soon. Maybe something that includes a nav/com combo?

If you decide on a radio, I have one for sale. For the money, the Beckers can’t be beat.

https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=211546

Jerry
 
Monitor Guard?

When flying cross country, do you monitor guard?

In the event you missed your call, ATC will give a call on 121.5 and you have a chance to catch it.

I would much rather have radio #2 pick it up instead of monitoring the second frequency on radio #1.

I also use #2 for ATIS and set up for TWR/GND when arriving.

One radio vs two? Please pour me a double.
 
I only have one radio, don't ever monitor 121.5. Adding a second radio, or even adding hardware allowing me to utilize my IFD440's ability to monitor a second frequency, is on my list of things to upgrade as time, opportunity, and money becomes available.
 
Our next software release will support 2 com radios displayed and controlled from the EFIS. Assuming you have a spare EFIS serial port you can use our remote transceiver and not have to mount anything on the panel.

Rob Hickman
Advanced Flight Systems

Rob, is this only the AFS panels or will it work also work with Skyview?
 
second radio

The real point is if you have the money and the space in the panel, Why not have two.
Two is always better than one for the before mentioned reasons.
I wouldn't have a panel with only one radio unless there wasn't room.
My three cents worth Fixit.
 
My opinion: For VFR, having a radio with "active standby" feature is nearly as good as 2 radios - better in some ways as it can save you having to have an audio panel with the expense and complexity that that adds. The main downside is, no backup radio if one fails. But a handheld can serve in a pinch.
 
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