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Which would you pick?

strahler13

strahler13

Well Known Member
RV-8 build. Down to the last few choices. Would you go with:

1. Garmin GNS 355 GPS/COM and Garmin GMA 245 Audio Panel or

2. Garmin GPS 175 and PS Engineering 200B Audio Panel/COM

The GNS 355 is quite a bit deeper into the panel which causes minor problems. Saving a little $$ with Option 2.

Lastly, anybody have any of these items to sell?
 
I have combo 1 and love it. I love the touch screen radio. The com panel is great to link your phone for clearance delivery and music allowing all passengers to listen to the same music.
 
strahler13 said:
RV-8 build. Down to the last few choices. Would you go with:

1. Garmin GNS 355 GPS/COM and Garmin GMA 245 Audio Panel or

2. Garmin GPS 175 and PS Engineering 200B Audio Panel/COM

The GNS 355 is quite a bit deeper into the panel which causes minor problems. Saving a little $$ with Option 2.

Lastly, anybody have any of these items to sell?
Click to expand...

#1, -- I much prefer having the COM radio in the GPS unit. And the Garmin ones are pretty good. You don't need to touch the audio panel that much, and I like having one user interface to deal with more than two.
 
option C is to get the 175 and a GTR200. That has the intercom built in to it. I have a GNX375 and GTR200B in my Christen Eagle. Bluetooth to the GTR.
 
2CF2B68F-0ED0-471E-8942-9F4825BB455E.jpg

I chose option 1.
 
enterprise said:
option C is to get the 175 and a GTR200. That has the intercom built in to it. I have a GNX375 and GTR200B in my Christen Eagle. Bluetooth to the GTR.
Click to expand...

+1

Really no need for an audio panel with GPS and one COMM. You are only using the intercom function of the AP and there are less expensive options for that, like the one above.
 
I consider the biggest bang for the buck (First Class IFR bird):
- Garmin GPS 175 as the TSO navigator
- Trig TX56A as Comm #1 and NAV/LOC/GS receiver
- Dynon SV-COM-X25 as Comm #2
- The PS Engineering PMA450C audio panel

Carl
 
For a while, PS intercoms were far and away the best. Garmin has closed the gap, and has better service options. But I like both.
 
#1 is going to integrate with your GDU perfectly.
You’ll be able to tune and see frequencies via the GDU.
You’ll be able to select com radios and see status via the GDU.
None of that is available to you with #2.
I have a GNC355. Ive used the radio to tune a frequency precisely never.
 
strahler13 said:
I'm guessing I would need an audio panel if I'm using two radios??
Click to expand...

Generally speaking, Yes. Though it is possible to get the same functionality with a dual switch arrangement if your intercom has two non-switched audio inputs (going to need a second for the EFIS audio alerts). I have two comms and a Nav and get full audio panel functionality without an audio panel. Just doesn't look as pretty. I was tight on space and didn't want to remove my 396, which is a nice backup to the GRT EFIS. I do lose some features, like having the pilot and co-pilot transmitting on different comms, but that isn't a loss for me as I rarely have either a qualified co-pilot or the need for them to do that.
 
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Garmin makes wonderful stuff, of that there is no doubt. However, it would be prudent to calculate out the thousands of dollars that will be spent on updates and data with Garmin over Dynon where OEM updates are free for life and data is one time fee ($199 deal on Black Friday) for life. Massive difference over say 10 year period. Just sayin'
 
Ed_Wischmeyer said:
For a while, PS intercoms were far and away the best. Garmin has closed the gap, and has better service options. But I like both.
Click to expand...

Hi Ed, thank you for the kind words.

We haven't stopped trying to be the very best supplier of audio control systems.

Could you please tell me what you meant when you said GARMIN has better service options? This could be really helpful to us to learn where we are falling short.

Thank you
 
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Garmin vs PS service options

Found out something interesting about PS Engineering and their impressive service policies on old equipment.

"When we stop producing a product, we keep our flat repair fee in effect for 3 more years. Then after that, we have a policy where we charge a $200 non-refundable estimate fee. The tech will then call within 5 business days with how much more it will cost.
"The highest cost (including the $200) we have ever charged (and it was because the audio panel was in bad bad shape) was $768. The pilot still had it repaired because he "loved" it. A typical repair fee never goes over $400, even if we haven't made it for 20+ years!"

My earlier comment about who has better service options was not based on full information...
 
Richard Connell said:
#1 is going to integrate with your GDU perfectly.
You’ll be able to tune and see frequencies via the GDU.
You’ll be able to select com radios and see status via the GDU.
None of that is available to you with #2.
I have a GNC355. Ive used the radio to tune a frequency precisely never.
Click to expand...


Surely the TY91L com unit can take standby frequency tuning over RS232, just like the Trig TY91 unit. The tap on the frequency on a GPS screen should send it into standby. I have wired Trig VHF coms and Icom coms to do just that with Garmin GPSs. It is what is known as the SL40 protocol.

I love the PAR 200B and want to try one soon. But if PSE didn't provide for the SL40 protocol remote standby frequency tuning that would be a huge oversight on their part. I think that would be spelled "faux pas". This cannot be the case.

I have always found PSE to be very good with customer service and when you call you are talking to somebody who designed the system and software and knows their stuff. Which is a lot better than being put in a holding que in Garmin's aviation support system for 25 minutes only to then get somebody who has to go ask somebody else about what you are talking about. And hey, PSE has the only audio panel with two Bluetooth channels in it (albeit not the PAR 200B).
 
jliltd said:
Surely the TY91L com unit can take standby frequency tuning over RS232, just like the Trig TY91 unit. The tap on the frequency on a GPS screen should send it into standby. I have wired Trig VHF coms and Icom coms to do just that with Garmin GPSs. It is what is known as the SL40 protocol.

I love the PAR 200B and want to try one soon. But if PSE didn't provide for the SL40 protocol remote standby frequency tuning that would be a huge oversight on their part. I think that would be spelled "faux pas". This cannot be the case.

I have always found PSE to be very good with customer service and when you call you are talking to somebody who designed the system and software and knows their stuff. Which is a lot better than being put in a holding que in Garmin's aviation support system for 25 minutes only to then get somebody who has to go ask somebody else about what you are talking about. And hey, PSE has the only audio panel with two Bluetooth channels in it (albeit not the PAR 200B).
Click to expand...

I don’t know is the short answer. Ask them and report back. It seems plausible.
This isn’t a critique of customer support or quality of either product on my part, and I’ve had ups and downs with Garmin too.
All I’m saying is if you install option 1 as it was designed it’s 100% guaranteed to do what it says on the box, straight out of the box. It’s a well thought out intuitive UX.
By all means try something different.

As far as BT is concerned, I have never used audio panel BT other than to experiment. I’ve always found the headset BT much more flexible. This is especially the case with a 4 seater. My pax (especially the teenagers) don’t want anything to do with anything I’m piping through the BT and vice versa.
The most important button in the airplane after the AP disconnect is the PASS ICS mute.
 
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