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Icom IC A210 question
After a pause of many years do to health issues and life getting in the way, I am finally trying to finish the last 1-2% of my Zodiac XL_B project. I did a lot of the panel work a decade ago but there it has sat since then. I know I'm a fossil trying to resurrect a long dormant project but I have a question for anyone using an Icom IC A210. I installed one when when I was actively building but have yet to use it.
The radio has a built in intercom. I can't tell from reading the manual but when you are in intercom mode and press the PTT, do you transmit and then return to intercom when the PTT is released? Or do you have to switch between intercom and Communications before transmitting? Any other info that would be helpful? I'm trying to decide if I need a external intercom.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bob Simmons on
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Assuming you didn't install a communications/intercom switch (never heard of anyone that did), it's automatic with PTT. The intercom is voice activated. It will work all the time once it's enabled in the menu. The radio only works with PTT.
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Let me make that more clear. A PTT switch only does one thing electrically in standard installations. It applies a ground somewhere. What that ground does depends on your equipment and your wiring. Most simple two and four place airplanes use a voice activated intercom all the time. Icom allows you to select if you want to use voice activation or not. With voice activation, everyone is on a hot mic, where the intercom activates when they speak. So, they have no need for an intercom switch to use the intercom. The PTT simply keys the radio. But, in some cases, you may not want a voice activated hot mic intercom, because the audio from all headsets may go out on whatever radio or radios are keyed at the time. That can also happen when two occupants press PTT at the same time, whether you use voice activation or not. In those cases, you may want to use the radio/intercom switch to disable the PTT when not using the radio. However, in most small planes, if the passenger knows not to press the PTT unless they want to use a radio, and knows to be quiet when you're using the radio, a radio/intercom switch isn't necessary.
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Permalink Reply by Tim Juhl on
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Heh...I did install the intercom / communications switch because it was on the wiring diagram. My fear was that if you were using the intercom you had to switch to communications to use the radio. As I understand it now, selecting communications with the switch disables the intercom which might be nice when flying solo or if you wish to avoid unwanted chatter while using the radio. If I select Intercom, pushing PTT will transmit using whatever mic is selected in the menu - otherwise the intercom is available.
Have you used the intercom in the A210? If so, is it any good? I use a Sigtronics in my Aeronca Champ.
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Used one on a short flight with someone else. Didn't really get to play with it, but it seemed to work well. He was happy with it. Have an A200 in my truck because I live in an airpark and sometimes work airshows. Don't use intercom for that though.
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My bad. It's an A120 in my truck.
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Permalink Reply by David Gallagher on
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Tim,
Glad to here you are back in the game again!
I also have that Icom radio. I didn't care for the built-in intercom functionality. I didn't want to go through the radio menus to separately control intercom volume, adjust squelch, or isolate them. I elected to go with a separate intercom that has it's own volume and squelch controls. To keep the price down, I put in a very basic PS Engineering PM501 and have been very happy with it.
Dave Gallagher
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Dave,
I'm going to play with the built-in intercom but I concede the possibility of needing to go with an external unit. I have looked at the specs on the PS PM501 as a possibility.
I agree there is much that is confusing about the setup of the Icom --- I wired two switches to it (pushbutton and toggle) but never got around to labeling them before I slacked off. Darned if I know what they do..... Once I get my new battery installed I'll have to figure them out too. Worst case scenario I'll have to remove the panel above the radios and see what pins they are wired to :-)
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The pushbutton is Push To Talk (PTT). In a standard configuration, it keys the radio. In a configuration that doesn't use a voice activated intercom, the toggle selects what happens when you press the PTT. In one toggle position, the PTT will key the radio. In the other position, the PTT just keys the microphone when you want to speak on the intercom, and the radio doesn't transmit. If you use a voice activated intercom, you don't really need the toggle, because the intercom is active whenever you speak, but it hurts nothing to have it there. If you have a com panel, you don't need the toggle either, because the switches on the com panel select what happens with PTT. Icom doesn't do a very good job of explaining all this in their manual
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You may be right, but it doesn't sound like something I would do. I have dual PTT's on the Y stick as I thought I might eventually do a little instructing in the plane. I made the panel over the radios removable and since I have some other things I need to do I'll trace the wires if I can't otherwise figure it out. It's also possible the switches go to something altogether different..... Embarassing.... I feel like such a Dunce.
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