Dynon Skyview com radio cuts out intermittently

[JayPhelps]

Hey folks, just recently I experienced a "Message" alert on my Skyview, and my Dynon com radio blinked out and back on. It happened so quickly that I didn't note that the original message was for a loss of com radio connection. The longer I flew the more often it happened. I landed at the nearest airport and checked for loose connectors, but the only thing I found was a loose antenna cable. I gave it a quarter turn and it locked in no issue. On subsequent flights the problem pops up intermittently. Lucky (so far) the com radio comes back immediately, but if/when I'm talking with center and it "blinks" out and gives me the "message" alert, I potentially miss valuable communications. Anyone else out there experience anything like this? Of note, the system is indicating 13.2volts and has gone as high as 13.4volts and showed a yellow caution for an instant. The system is pulling between 3-4amps continuous on a Rotax 914 turbo @ 5250 rpm. Thoughts?

 

[MikeD]

I think you are on the right track looking for loose connectors. Any thoughts on why the antenna cable was loose?

To help quantify the frequency of com radio loss, I would download the alert log file and review the type and frequency of alerts. I.E.
I.E.

Alert Type (Audio/Text)	Action	Description
TEXT	HIDE	WI-FI OFFLINE
TEXT	SHOW	alertCOM RADIO PANL OF
AUDIO	PLAY	SYS_MESSAGE
AUDIO	PLAY	SYS_MESSAGE
TEXT	HIDE	COM RADIO PANL OFFLINE
TEXT	SHOW	alertCOM XCEIVER OFFLI
AUDIO	PLAY	SYS_MESSAGE
TEXT	HIDE	COM XCEIVER OFFLINE

 

[JayPhelps]

I think you are on the right track looking for loose connectors. Any thoughts on why the antenna cable was loose?

To help quantify the frequency of com radio loss, I would download the alert log file and review the type and frequency of alerts. I.E.
I.E.

Alert Type (Audio/Text)	Action	Description
TEXT	HIDE	WI-FI OFFLINE
TEXT	SHOW	alertCOM RADIO PANL OF
AUDIO	PLAY	SYS_MESSAGE
AUDIO	PLAY	SYS_MESSAGE
TEXT	HIDE	COM RADIO PANL OFFLINE
TEXT	SHOW	alertCOM XCEIVER OFFLI
AUDIO	PLAY	SYS_MESSAGE
TEXT	HIDE	COM XCEIVER OFFLINE

It was definitely the com radio. I forgot to mention when I put the gear down (Searey Amphib) the radio also reset again which leads me to think it's a power issue, though I don't see any indications anywhere else other than the com radio...

 

[Rhino]

I wouldn't rule out the power issue, but this sure sounds like an intermittent wiring connections. You should be aware that loose connections are in no way limited to the physical mating of a connector to a box. It's very often a loose wire or pin within the connector itself, which wouldn't be fixed by tightening the connector. That gets reported here as much as loose connectors, if not more often. I'd check the pins in the connectors to make sure none are pushed or bent, and that the wires are seated in the pins correctly.

 

[Carl_Froehlich]

Saw this happen before. Check the associated circuit breaker screws as tight.

Carl

 

[Rhino]

That might explain the power fluctuations.