GARMIN GMA340 (347) compared to PMA8000B
Thanks Vince for asking. I'll try to keep this brief and too the point.
For the last 20 years, we have focused all of our energies in audio systems for GA single and twin-engine aircraft. I think it is safe to say that PS Engineering has led the field in innovation and value.
The mix has changed with GARMIN's intro of the GMA347. In my opinion, the majority of the GMA347 new capabilities, PS Engineering audio panels had already made available since 1997. Capabilities like automatic VOX, cellular telephone input, aircraft radio digital recorder.
After evaluating a GMA347, I have found that it does not have all of the capabilities that the new PMA8000B has.
For purposes of keeping this simple, please know that the GMA347 is a superset of functions of the GMA340, meaning it does everything the 340 does and then has several new functions. So I?ll be comparing, for the most part, the GMA347 and the PMA8000B.
IntelliVox versus GARMIN?s automatic VOX.
I haven?t flown behind the GARMIN?s new automatic VOX, but I can tell you that there are over 20,000 pilots who are flying behind our IntelliVox, including all 2000 ? 2004 Raytheon Bo?s and Barons (which is otherwise an all GARMIN stack), and to the best of my knowledge, we have very few, if any, customers who aren?t delighted with its performance.
And while GARMIN kept the ability to have manual VOX, I think if you research the field results of our IntelliVox, pilots will tell you that it works flawlessly and that there is never a need t\for an adjustment. So we kept the extra knobs off the faceplate, and used this valuable real-estate for much better uses.
Front Panel Utility Jack ? Exclusive in the PMA8000B
This is a first in the industry. This jack can be used for connecting your cellphone, your iPod (with all the gain necessary to hear your tunes), or even the output from the GARMIN GPS396. In fact, this utility jack is smart. For example, if the PMA8000B determines you are playing a panel mounted entertainment source, it will configure the front panel jack as an unswitched input (GPS396 TAWS output). And as you will learn later, this jack, as well as the other two entertainment inputs, can be configured by the pilot to do just about anything one can imagine.
Front panel pilot selectable configurations versus PC connected configurations
Through the PMA8000B (3) front panel function keys (A,B,C), the pilot can determine (using our Virtual Technical Support ? voice annunciations of selected functions) how the entertainment inputs will perform. While the 347 can be configured using a PC, it does not have the flexibility that would allow the pilot to change how the entertainment inputs are routed, nor does it allow the passengers the opportunity to changing their muting functions. The PMA8000B if front panel configurable, the GMA347 requires removal and placement on a PC to change its functions. Again please note, to the best of my knowledge is no capability in the GMA347 that allows the passengers to change their muting function or music routing, the PMA8000B does.
Cellular Telephone Interface
When the phone is being used, the 8000B mutes whatever entertainment is being heard for whoever is on the phone. The 347 does not mute entertainment, forcing the pilot to either turn off or turn down the entertainment. May not sound like a big deal, but when you are flying; the less one has to do to accomplish a task the better, in my opinion.
Plug and Play with GMA340
The PMA8000B is backward compatible with the GMA340 while the GMA347 is not. In addition, the GMA347 connector has (2) 78 pin connectors versus the 340?s (2) 44 pin connectors. And with the PMA8000B front panel utility jack, if you are upgrading a GMA340 with a PMA8000B, you get all of the capabilities of the 8000B without having to add any wires at all.
Music Fidelity and Flexibility.
In my opinion, PS Engineering wins hands down on this issue. But you will really have to make that determination for yourself. Talk with a friend or chat with a fellow pilot at your airport, and ask about our audio fidelity, both intercom and music. And as was discussed above, there really aren?t any limitations on who hears what when, when it comes to entertainment with the PMA8000B, including having the Karaoke or Mute modes for all headsets. This is not the case with the GMA347. (Note: reports from the field indicate a major detractor of the GMA340 is it?s inability to provide low noise high gain from iPods and other devices, nor having the ability to stop the aircraft radio from muting the entertainment when the pilot would like to select this mode)
Digital Recorder
In 1992, GA was first introduced to a digital aircraft recorder in FLIGHTMATE. In 1994, the Internal Recorder System (IRS) was available as an option in PS Engineering?s intercoms. And now, this capability comes standard with the PMA8000B, at no additional cost. While the GMA347 now has added capability, we can say that we have 1,000?s pilots using the IRS to help them to stay on top of their radio communications. Both units have the playback function on the front panel.
Warranty
We provide a 3-year warranty, and then a fixed repair fee of $109. In the first year, if there are any troubles with our 8000B, assuming the unit was installed using our custom wire harness or by one of dealers, we can provide at a nominal fee, a replacement unit that would be shipped overnight at our expense, the day we get the call. The last two years of the 3-year warranty, we ask the customer to pay for the shipping the unit back to the customer. To the best of my knowledge, I don?t know of any other avionics manufacturer that guarantees same day warranty exchange as a standard warranty service.
Pricing
The difference in the purchase price of the 340 and the 347 is somewhere between $300 - $500. The MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of the PMA8000B is $1695. So in reality, the price between what you can purchase the PMA8000B and the GMA347 will be close, if not in fact, less than the GMA347!
I really tried to keep this as short as I could, and I hope I accomplished in getting the information you will need when you make your audio panel purchase decision.
If not, just let me know what questions you might have and I'll be glad to answer to the best of my abilities.
Sincerely,
Mark Scheuer
PS Engineering, Inc.
www.ps-engineering.com
[email protected]
