SL40 vs intercom vs vs AV-5000 vs wire?

Background: RV-12 started pre SkyView with original wiring harness, shifted to SkyView with conversion harness. Flown since 6/2012 with no significant issues. Radio was fine on flight last week.

Problem: Saturday morning I had no audio from the SL40. No static when the volume knob is pulled out to bypass squelch. Normal messages heard from the SkyView ("Dynon SkyView" on start up and "oil pressure" repeated frequently when the engine is not running). The pilot / co-pilot audio is OK (well, no different from normal). Push to talk produces a pop in the audio but no side tone audio and no transmission occurs (checked with handheld radio a few feet from the plane). I have visually inspected the wiring in the panel and see no abnormalities or obvious wire breaks. Antenna wiring is OK. Nothing was disturbed in the panel or wiring since the last flight when all worked well.

Questions:
Does this failure pattern sound familiar to anyone? Anyone had an SL40 just quit working?
Best bet from those of you with experience in radio issues? SL40 vs intercom vs AV5000A vs wiring??

Garmin wants $550 plus shipping to check the radio. Seems like a better choice might be to replace the SL40 and original intercom with the GTR-200. I would appreciate comments from those of you who have done this, particularly regarding where you bought the radio, did you make your own harness or buy one and if so, where did you get the harness, etc?

Thanks for any help.

Bill Totty
N947WT
RV-12 #120406

Check the headset wiring first. Use different headsets and check both pilot and copilot sides. If they check out look for an avionics shop close by who could test out the radio for you. I'm sure they can do it cheaper than shipping it in to Garmin. Those would be my first steps. It's usually something simple that can be fixed before jumping all the way to replacing the radio. Unless that's what you really want. I have the GTR200 and love it. The internal stereo is very good.

If the radio checks out then look at the harness. It's easy to ping the wires to the Av-5000 module. I wouldn't rule out the Av-5000 module either as a number of us have had issues with it but I'd look at all the simple stuff first.

Let us know what you find.

Re-seating the radio is typically the first thing to try but it may be as simple as turning up the volume on the radio. The same thing happened to me in a Cirrus when I accidentally bumped a button.

Strange! My SL40 just failed 2 days ago! Here's part of what I sent Garmin. Not like your failure.''

My SL40 was placed into service in a Van's RV12 in April 2012. It has 193 hours on it.

I've had no problems with the unit until today. Upon initial powerup for a morning flight, the display (frequency numbers) flickered for about 6 seconds then were normal. I had never seen that before. I departed from my grass strip where I receive no nearby AWOS on the ground. Once airborne, all I got was static on a couple of AWOS frequencies that normally work.

Defeating squelch (pull volume knob out) did nothing. Nor did it matter if the AWOS frequency was primary, or secondary with the monitor button in effect.

However, after a couple of minutes, I turned the unit off, then on. I heard the AWOS loud and clear for about 5 seconds, then it went to static again. I tried this a couple of times and it repeated. The period I could hear the AWOS got shorter. Tried other frequencies and heard nothing. Did not try to transmit. On one of the power cycles, I noticed that the displayed frequencies that came up were not the ones it had when just powered off.

Then the unit went dark and quiet and stayed that way for the remainder of the flight (total for three short legs, 2.6 hrs.) Turning off-on had no effect at all. I left it turned off, retrying a few times in the flight. It is on a fused circuit and after the flight I checked the fuse and it is fine.

I removed the unit from the panel. SOMETHING is loose inside and rattles around. That can't be good. I guess I need an RMA number...

Hey Bill, have you considered moving to the Dynon Comm Radio? I see that it is only about half the weight of the SL40, but it is stated as having only a 6 watt of output power. It would be more trouble to install, and would require re-doing the center instrument panel. Just a thought. Maybe some of the guys currently using these will chime in. It would be nice to hear from users, and to get an feel for the performance, and their satisfaction. ...........Tom

On second thought, I just looked at Garmins GTR 200 specs, which offers 10 watts out, has built in intercom, and is in the same price range. Also, it would be a much simpler installation......Tom

The repair is probably $600. Right now that's the easiest thing to do, I can't do another revision project right now. Replacing with the GTR and getting rid of the 403 intercom would be great.

Does anyone know if the Garmin GTR-200 is a plug and play replacement for the SL-40?? Such as, is it pin to pin compatible, and can you use the existing SL-40 tray if you upgrade? Thanks............Tom

I seem to recall I have heard it is not. That would be too easy!

todehnal said:

Does anyone know if the Garmin GTR-200 is a plug and play replacement for the SL-40?? Such as, is it pin to pin compatible, and can you use the existing SL-40 tray if you upgrade? Thanks............Tom

Click to expand...

No, and No

The main wiring change is that the head set jack wires and PPT wires that currently route to the stand alone intercom, have to be rerouted to the radio.

I spoke to folks at SteinAir during Airventure and they indicated they have an adapter cable that interfaces the new GTR 200 to the original harness. You can call them to inquire.

n74846 said:

I spoke to folks at SteinAir during Airventure and they indicated they have an adapter cable that interfaces the new GTR 200 to the original harness. You can call them to inquire.

Click to expand...

Talked to Nick at SteinAir on Monday - He did not seem to know about an adapter for the original harness to the GTR-200. Any idea who told you they had one to sell?

I'll give a call and contact you directly if I can track it down. Stein was in on the discussion about upgrading my SL-40 to the GTR 200.

I'll give a call and contact you directly if I can track it down. Stein was in on the discussion about upgrading my SL-40 to the GTR 200.

I spoke to Stein who clarified the discussion we had. They are able to make an adapter for the GTR-200 to connect to the existing cable, but then you still use the Flightcom intercom. If you want a cable that connects to the new intercom, there is much more work and engineering. And a lot more expense. If a number of planes want to get this mod cable, the price comes down as the engineering cost is spread over multiple units.

Steve

n74846 said:

I spoke to Stein who clarified the discussion we had. They are able to make an adapter for the GTR-200 to connect to the existing cable, but then you still use the Flightcom intercom. If you want a cable that connects to the new intercom, there is much more work and engineering. And a lot more expense. If a number of planes want to get this mod cable, the price comes down as the engineering cost is spread over multiple units.

Steve

Click to expand...

That was the gist of my conversation with Nick as well. I hope more "conversion harness" planes become interested. Follow-up for my original post is that the radio seems to be the culprit. Had it tested by a local shop. They were unable to get the SL40 to either receive or transmit. For now I will go with a repair by Garmin to the tune of ~$620 including tax and shipping. I will revisit the change to the new radio if I have more trouble or if Van's or SteinAir make a harness set available for those of us who have the original tunnel harness set and the conversion harnesses for the SkyView.

Bill T
N947WT
RV-12 #120406

For a system with an AV-50000A CONTROL MODULE, it looks to me that all that is required to install a GTR200 is to purchase the WH-00100 GTR200 COM-INTERCOM HARNESS from Van's, remove the old radio and intercom, install the new radio and plug it in. Verify with Van's before ordering.
For systems with the original D-180 control board, it will not be easy.

If you are looking for an Intercom upgrade.......

My first 12 was built with the D180 system and the Flightcom Intercom. I have flown other aircraft with the PS Engineering intercoms and found that they are 1st class units. It was actually very easy to make a conversion harness to connect to the PS engineering unit. It did not take too much work to mount the unit in place of the Flightcom as the foot print is about the same, just different mounting holes. If you are looking for an upgrade, this is an easy one. My current 12 has the GTR 200 and it has an great intercom, but the PS is no slouch.

I

Mich48041 said:

For a system with an AV-50000A CONTROL MODULE, it looks to me that all that is required to install a GTR200 is to purchase the WH-00100 GTR200 COM-INTERCOM HARNESS from Van's, remove the old radio and intercom, install the new radio and plug it in. Verify with Van's before ordering.
For systems with the original D-180 control board, it will not be easy.

Click to expand...

Though I am old and senile, this is how I remember the conversion. I purchased a conversion kit from Vans that included harness, radio, and necessary and hardware for the project. You will not regret the flight com removal. I used the intercom holes in the panel for three toggle switches. I can post the part# when I return home next week.

Hey Larry, I'm looking forward to your next post on the subject. Also, are you D-180, or Skyview equipped, and what are the functions of the 3 switches that you installed in the old intercom location when you upgraded to the GTX-200.
Thanks....................Tom

My SL40 radio failure (page 1 of this thread) was a blown capacitor in the power supply. There goes $600.

Thanks Bill. Expensive capacitor!!

Maybe it would be a good idea to track failures on our old SL40s. Who knows, a simple power supply may be worth taking a look at with future failure.....Tom

todehnal said:

Hey Larry, I'm looking forward to your next post on the subject. Also, are you D-180, or Skyview equipped, and what are the functions of the 3 switches that you installed in the old intercom location when you upgraded to the GTX-200.

Click to expand...

Vans part # 12 GTR-200 Retrofit
This would be for Skyview panels only
The 3 holes that were originally for intercom are now
Alt Bus Fd, Alt1, Alt2
The black button next to the three switches is autopilot straight/level

Are those spare fuses on the panel on the upper right side?

Hey LV, What is the function of the switches that you put in place of the old intercom?? I just can't read the labels. Thanks....Tom

skydiverlv said:

Vans part # 12 GTR-200 Retrofit
This would be for Skyview panels only
The 3 holes that were originally for intercom are now
Alt Bus Fd, Alt1, Alt2
The black button next to the three switches is autopilot straight/level

Click to expand...

Tom, Brent,
The three switches are Alternate bus feed, Alternator1, and Alternator2.
The second fuse panel is has fusing for:

Alternate bus feed
Start
ECU 1
Fuel pump 1
ECU 2
Fuel pump 2