Need advice about adding radios to HDX

[jaba-who]

I am planning an upgrade in my Jabiru 430.
I have a functioning Skyview HDX with knob and AP panel. Looking to add skyview radios.
Issues are:
I need four place intercom
I need dual radios

Need advice as to what set ups users may have that will fit this need. My reading seems to indicate Dynon only produce a two place intercom.
any advice?

 

[Setthrust]

I am planning an upgrade in my Jabiru 430.
I have a functioning Skyview HDX with knob and AP panel. Looking to add skyview radios.
Issues are:
I need four place intercom
I need dual radios

Need advice as to what set ups users may have that will fit this need. My reading seems to indicate Dynon only produce a two place intercom.
any advice?

I too am looking for this same information on my RV10 build….. need a 4 place intercom

 

[Carl_Froehlich]

I recommend the PS Engineering panel: https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/pda360ex11-13798.php

I’ve been flying this for a year in the new RV, and flew with an older version for several years in the RV-10. Love it.

For IFR, the easiest approach is to have a TSO GPS Nav/Comm to provide Comm #1, the Dynon radio as Comm #2. For the new RV-10 project I’ll go with either the GTN-650 or the GNC-355 as the certified GPS navigator (unless of course Dynon finally comes out with their own TSO GPS navigator).

Carl

 

[Rhino]

The HDX will handle dual radios just fine. An intercom was never a Dynon strong suit, and they don't offer a four place intercom. I'm looking at three radios, so I'm planning on a PS Engineering panel too.

 

[jakej]

I am planning an upgrade in my Jabiru 430.
I have a functioning Skyview HDX with knob and AP panel. Looking to add skyview radios.
Issues are:
I need four place intercom
I need dual radios

Need advice as to what set ups users may have that will fit this need. My reading seems to indicate Dynon only produce a two place intercom.
any advice?

I’d use 2 x Dynon radios ( they are Trig units) & a PM3000 intercom - simple & easy

 

[pacecapt]

The HDX will handle dual radios just fine. An intercom was never a Dynon strong suit, and they don't offer a four place intercom. I'm looking at three radios, so I'm planning on a PS Engineering panel too.

Can you elaborate on "the HDX will handle dual radios just fine"? I have a dual screen HDX system with Dynon intercom and single Dynon radio and I can't figure out how to add a second radio (any kind) that the Dynon will also control without changing to a different audio panel or adding a hard switch between the radios...

 

[sunfish]

Jaba, I have an unused sv -425 com (vertical control head) that was surplus to my build that I want to sell. I’m in victoria. Send me an email address if you are interested.

 

[Rhino]

Can you elaborate on "the HDX will handle dual radios just fine"? I have a dual screen HDX system with Dynon intercom and single Dynon radio and I can't figure out how to add a second radio (any kind) that the Dynon will also control without changing to a different audio panel or adding a hard switch between the radios...

From page 9-14 of the Pilot's User Guide:

If you have more than one Com radio that is capable of communicating with SkyView, only the primary Com radio’s status information will be displayed in the Top Bar. Additionally, only the primary radio will receive airports or frequencies from SkyView when SkyView HDX’s TUNE or APT>COM buttons are used.

However, if your second Com radio is a Dynon Avionics SV-COM-C25, all of its control-panel based features work just like the primary radio’s. In other words, you can still use the APT button to load airports, the TWR/GND/ATIS/ATC buttons to tune frequencies, and airport/station types are reverse-looked up when you manually tune the second radio.

So you'll only see the selected radio in the top bar of the main screen, but the system does handle dual com radios.

 

[pacecapt]

From page 9-14 of the Pilot's User Guide:



So you'll only see the selected radio in the top bar of the main screen, but the system does handle dual com radios.

I thought you meant there was a way to control a second Dynon radio via the HDX screen...

 

[Rhino]

There is, on the radio/com screen of the HDX. It will control both radios, but, as always in an aircraft, only one radio can be actively selected at any given time. The Top Bar is a status display that appears on all (I think) HDX screens. It displays track, altitude, etc., along with the frequency set into whatever radio is selected. If you have two Dynon radios installed, they will both be accessible and controllable via the radio (com) screen on the HDX, but when you exit the radio screen, only the status information of the currently selected radio (frequency, etc.) will be depicted on the Top Bar of the screen. You'd have to go back to the radio screen and select the other radio to make it display in the Top Bar. Additionally, in a two radio setup, when viewing an airport on the HDX (not on the com screen), using the TUNE or APT-COM buttons only sends the frequencies for that airport to the primary radio, not to the secondary. You can still go to the com screen and and send those frequencies to the secondary radio from there, just as you do with the primary radio. If there's some part of this I'm not being clear on, please let me know. Sometimes I don't get what point isn't coming across to other people. But in a nutshell, both (Dynon) radios are fully controllable on the HDX, or from dedicated radio knob panels. I plan to control them from the HDX because my panel space is limited. Because my third radio will require the use of a PMA7000, I can select radios from there as well.

 

[Rhino]

By the way, in case it hasn't yet been made clear to anyone, the radios currently offered by Dynon have the ability to monitor both the primary and standby frequencies, with activity on the primary frequency muting the audio on the secondary. So assuming the primary frequency isn't very active and always muting the standby audio, you can actually listen to two frequencies on one radio. With two radios you can listen to even more.

 

[pacecapt]

There is, on the radio/com screen of the HDX. It will control both radios, but, as always in an aircraft, only one radio can be actively selected at any given time. The Top Bar is a status display that appears on all (I think) HDX screens. It displays track, altitude, etc., along with the frequency set into whatever radio is selected. If you have two Dynon radios installed, they will both be accessible and controllable via the radio (com) screen on the HDX, but when you exit the radio screen, only the status information of the currently selected radio (frequency, etc.) will be depicted on the Top Bar of the screen. You'd have to go back to the radio screen and select the other radio to make it display in the Top Bar. Additionally, in a two radio setup, when viewing an airport on the HDX (not on the com screen), using the TUNE or APT-COM buttons only sends the frequencies for that airport to the primary radio, not to the secondary. You can still go to the com screen and and send those frequencies to the secondary radio from there, just as you do with the primary radio. If there's some part of this I'm not being clear on, please let me know. Sometimes I don't get what point isn't coming across to other people. But in a nutshell, both (Dynon) radios are fully controllable on the HDX, or from dedicated radio knob panels. I plan to control them from the HDX because my panel space is limited. Because my third radio will require the use of a PMA7000, I can select radios from there as well.

That is interesting as I have not seen anything in the Dynon manuals that indicate what you said. I am fully aware of the monitor (Dual) feature but as you stated it is only a good feature until someone keys the mic on the primary freq and that always tends to be when I am listening to the ATIS winds or baro numbers!

 

[Dynon]

Just to clarify - if you have two radios connected to SkyView, both will benefit from the connected database. IE, each radio's control panel can pull airports and frequencies. But only the primary radio is visible in the top bar, can be controlled from the COM radio page, and can be sent airports and frequencies using the TUNE COM and TUNE APT features. Each radio does have it's own a primary and standby frequency slots though.

 

[Rhino]

Thanks. That answers a question I had. So you're saying you must have a panel for the secondary radio, and cannot control it from the HDX? I was wondering how to select the second radio on the com page. That kind of eliminates the advantage of a remote mounted radio.

 

[Rhino]

I've gone back, but I can't find when or where I was told you could control two radios from the HDX. So I really need a clairication here. If I'm understanding this correctly, you're saying I can have two radios in my Skyview system, but I'll only be able to control one from the EFIS, and the other must have a panel? One of the reasons I chose HDX is because I have limited panel space, and not needing a separate radio control panel was a big benefit for me. I may not have room for that extra panel, so I may have to completely rethink my system if the radio panel is required.

 

[dougnlina]

Maybe I am just adding confusion here, but it sounds like Rhino is under the impression that the Dynon SV-COM can be used "headless". My understanding is that the radio has a remote box, and a small panel "head" display, panel display being available in horizontal or vertical configuration. I have a SV-COM and I do not remember installing it as a "headless" system being an option. That all said, I suppose the head unit could be mounted out of sight and controlled remotely by the display?
Can anyone confirm that the unit cannot be used "headless"?
Doug

 

[Rhino]

That's exactly what I was told, that the panel control units weren't necessary because the radios could be controlled from the HDX. I was also told you could do that with both radios, but apparently that's not the case. I'm limited on panel space, and having to have separate radio control panels, especially two of them, will force me to completely rethink my panel, and possibly force me away from Dynon systems to at least some extent. I really don't want to do that. It took me a long time and a lot of research to finally settle on Dynon, and I loath the idea of starting that effort from scratch again.

 

[Dynon]

Sorry to not completely clear this up. The control head IS required to use our COM radio. There's no way to control volume remotely otherwise. I suppose one could remotely mount the head off of the instrument panel, as long as you have the ability to reach behind somewhere to adjust volume when you need to (this obviously isn't ideal).

If you had two Dynon COM radios, you'd need two of the panels. The primary can be almost completely controlled through HDX's on-screen controls, with the panel still needed for volume. The other radio would be completely controlled via its physical control panel.

 

[Marc_J._Zeitlin]

I've gone back, but I can't find when or where I was told you could control two radios from the HDX. So I really need a clairication here. If I'm understanding this correctly, you're saying I can have two radios in my Skyview system, but I'll only be able to control one from the EFIS, and the other must have a panel? One of the reasons I chose HDX is because I have limited panel space, and not needing a separate radio control panel was a big benefit for me. I may not have room for that extra panel, so I may have to completely rethink my system if the radio panel is required.

PS makes a combination Audio Panel and COM radio (PAR200B). If you're going to have two radios (I don't know why folks believe they need two radios any more, since almost all decent radios, including the Dynon/Trig radio, can monitor a backup frequency, but personal preference, I suppose) then you're going to need an AP. So get the one Dynon radio and the PS combo, and you're still in the same position - you don't need a second "head" for the second radio. Or just forego the 2nd radio and lose the Audio Panel as well. Or use (if you don't care about stereo) the PS PMA4000 AP, which is small and simple - can deal with two COMs and two NAVs. Lots of choices here.

 

[Setthrust]

Sorry to not completely clear this up. The control head IS required to use our COM radio. There's no way to control volume remotely otherwise. I suppose one could remotely mount the head off of the instrument panel, as long as you have the ability to reach behind somewhere to adjust volume when you need to (this obviously isn't ideal).

If you had two Dynon COM radios, you'd need two of the panels. The primary can be almost completely controlled through HDX's on-screen controls, with the panel still needed for volume. The other radio would be completely controlled via its physical control panel.

Well this certainly changes my panel plan……again