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SL30 not working

JKevin

Well Known Member
Several months ago I purchased an unused SL30 that had been sitting in a hangar for a number of years as a project that never came to fruition. Finally installed it in my aircraft this week and the unit will not power on.

A working SL30 from another aircraft works just fine in my airplane, and my dead SL30 does not work in that aircraft's rack, so the problem seems to be with the radio, not the installation.

I opened the unit. Found only one fuse, a 3A fuse that tests good. Nothing else visually obviously out of sorts. I know that the radio will probably have to go back to Garmin, but if there are any suggestions for something else to try before that I would appreciate it.

2 questions:

1) does anyone know EAB-friendly Garmin dealers to assist with sending unit to Garmin?
2) any idea of current / recent Garmin charges? Last I saw on another board was $550 but that was a few years ago.

Thanks in advance!
 
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I just did this last month. I was having a intermittent transmit issue and what I thought might be an overheat condition. It's not cheap (800) but all stuff is comm and Nav data is updated software test etc. and the unit so far is working with none of the issues. The Garmin g3x team can get you the necessary RMA numbers and info if you contact them.
 
according to the sl-30 install manual, the comm side is internally protected with a 7A fuse and the nav side with a 3A fuse. You need to dig deeper and find the other fuse.


Jay
 
according to the sl-30 install manual, the comm side is internally protected with a 7A fuse and the nav side with a 3A fuse. You need to dig deeper and find the other fuse.


Jay

Yes I would also look for the 7A fuse.

If the G3X guys cannot help with RMA, check with SteinAir as they have been very helpful in the past.
 
SL30

OP here. Thanks for all of the useful replies!

Can't believe I missed a fuse. Will check tonight and report back.

THANKS again!!!
 
Also with the SL30 NAV/COM there are two power inputs, one for the nav side and one for the comm side. I have found with an SL60 which was a GPS/COM that the radio would not operate without both sides powered.
 
While you have it apart looking for the other fuse, get an ohmmeter across the power switch (part of the volume control) contacts. Maybe they corroded sitting in the hangar. Check easy stuff first, no matter how unlikely. e.g., ?exercise? the contacts by turning it on-off-on .... several times. Visually examine the power pins on the radio connector, make sure nothing is bent. Double check that your radio seats as far back in the rack as the known good one. etc. If you do find a blown fuse, proceed with caution. Fuses rarely blow without reason.

BTW, IMHO the SL30 is the best nav-com ever made. I?m frequently surprised to find owners who are unaware that the SL30 can track the ?active? nav and provide the to/from bearing to the ?standby? nav (e.g., a VOR cross-fix) simultaneously.
 
Fuses

Well for whatever it's worth both fuses are intact. Will take back to the airport tomorrow and try in the tray again.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.
 
One more unlikely but very easy thing: spray all the contact pins with electronic cleaner spray before inserting.
 
If you have an Avionics shop handy I would have them bench check it and if necessary look inside at the connector. Our local shop took our 530W apart and secured the connector. Charged an hour labor. This was recently BTW. I was going to send it to Garmin, He said let me look at it first, He did, fixed it and it works just fine. Just an idea:)
 
Good advice in prior posts, worst case scenario we can help you get it repaired at Garmin...

Cheers,
Stein
 
No Joy

Just a status update from OP:

Internal fuses both good.
Reseated internal contacts.

Still no power on.

My avionics installer is doing RMA through Stein.

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

Kevin
 
Update from OP

Received unit back from Garmin today. $800 repair fee.

Notes from Garmin only state that Nav board was replaced.

Unit plugged in and works fine.

So still don't know what happened.

I bought the navcomm from a classified on VAF someone who had purchased a kit project which included the radio "new never installed." so history really isn't known. No way to know if it ever worked, or if something happened in conjunction with the install.

This install included a Collins IND-351 which was purchased from Ebay "working when removed." Was wired according to SL30 manual.
The avionics expert on the field wonders if the indicator took out the nav board and we are hesitant to hook it back up.

Flying now with the radio and no indicator. Glass is in my future but not right away. I would like an indicator but didn't / don't want to spend much on a GI-106. Hence the IND-351 from Ebay.

Any thoughts on an indicator taking out a radio?
Any thoughts on testing an indicator, I assume for shorts / expected resistance?

Thanks for all of the advice so far
 
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One of the great things about the SL-30 is its all digital nature. You don?t need a fancy resolver type indicator - if set up from the menu, I?m pretty sure you can enter the desired OBS setting directly on the radio. Not super convenient, but possible. And you can get to/from bearings on the radio, as well as a localizer deviation display. For less than the cost of a GI-106 CDI you can buy a whole mini EFIS like a GRT mini, set it up as an HSI, and get a CDI and GS display on an HSI, as well as a bearing pointer to the VOR in the standby box!
 
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