Garmin GMA 340 Music Input

Scott Moore wrote:



So does the GMA 340. Read the installers manual, please.

Hey, Scott. Before snipping at me like that, why not ask me if I did?

Know what the answer would be? I read it backwards and forwards AND I
called Garmin (told NO) AND I asked the techs at Lancaster Avionics, PA,
when I was down there last year for work (told NO).

There is NO WAY in the GMA340 to disable the auto mute when *receiving
radio transmission for the pilot station*.

Perhaps you were referring to the second output for the passengers, but for
the pilot... NO.

Now, I guess I could be guilty of not mentioning this nuance in the first
post, but since I am the pilot and prefer music while flying long trips, I
was looking at this issue from my perspective, not the passengers.

--
Peter


















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Peter R. wrote:
Scott Moore wrote:


So does the GMA 340. Read the installers manual, please.


Hey, Scott. Before snipping at me like that, why not ask me if I did?

Know what the answer would be? I read it backwards and forwards AND I
called Garmin (told NO) AND I asked the techs at Lancaster Avionics, PA,
when I was down there last year for work (told NO).

There is NO WAY in the GMA340 to disable the auto mute when *receiving
radio transmission for the pilot station*.

Perhaps you were referring to the second output for the passengers, but for
the pilot... NO.

Now, I guess I could be guilty of not mentioning this nuance in the first
post, but since I am the pilot and prefer music while flying long trips, I
was looking at this issue from my perspective, not the passengers.


The 340 installers manual talks about a signal line on the back of the unit
that disables auto mute. Did Garmin tell you that this didn't work for the
pilot ?

Scott Moore wrote:

The 340 installers manual talks about a signal line on the back of the unit
that disables auto mute. Did Garmin tell you that this didn't work for the
pilot ?

Garmin explained it to me as follows: The GMA340 has two aux inputs.
One input serves all intercom stations and one input serves just the
passengers' station. The auto-mute of the input when receiving a radio
transmission cannot be disabled for the input that serves all stations.
The auto-mute can be disabled for the second input.

Believe me. I *really* wanted this feature disabled when I first bought
the aircraft that was equipped with the GMA340 (last year) and had asked
everyone involved if this was possible. When I learned it wasn't, I
actually considered replacing the GMA340 with PS Engineering's
Garmin-compatible audio panel and selling the GMA340 on eBay.


--
Peter













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Peter R. wrote:
Scott Moore wrote:


The 340 installers manual talks about a signal line on the back of the unit
that disables auto mute. Did Garmin tell you that this didn't work for the
pilot ?


Garmin explained it to me as follows: The GMA340 has two aux inputs.
One input serves all intercom stations and one input serves just the
passengers' station. The auto-mute of the input when receiving a radio
transmission cannot be disabled for the input that serves all stations.
The auto-mute can be disabled for the second input.

Believe me. I *really* wanted this feature disabled when I first bought
the aircraft that was equipped with the GMA340 (last year) and had asked
everyone involved if this was possible. When I learned it wasn't, I
actually considered replacing the GMA340 with PS Engineering's
Garmin-compatible audio panel and selling the GMA340 on eBay.



Ah, I stand corrected. I assumed you had not read the installers manual.

I'm sad, I had been planning to do that as well. The problem is not just
having or not having the controller blanked out by music, but having *anyone*
in the friggin' cockpit turn it off by coughing.

Scott Moore wrote:

The problem is not just
having or not having the controller blanked out by music, but having *anyone*
in the friggin' cockpit turn it off by coughing.

Scott, turning off the auto-mute *can* be done for intercom activity, no
matter the input. This is what moving the switch in the back of the audio
panel does, as this is what Lancaster Avionics did for me when I asked them
to disable the auto-mute all around (as part of a bigger avionics job I
needed done).

When I picked up the aircraft and flew it home, the auto-mute for intercom
activity was disabled (what you are looking for), but the music input still
cut out when the radio picked up a transmission. I called the avionics
techs when I got back home and asked about this. They then told me it
couldn't be done for the reception of radio transmissions. Disappointed
but still holding out hope, I called Garmin and asked about this. Again, I
was told no.

The issue I have is that I fly a lot in center airspace in the Northeast
US. Unless it is later at night, the radio is so active that listening to
music is difficult with this auto-mute feature. Having trained and flown
many hours in a C172SP with a Bendix-King/PS Engineering audio panel that
had a button on the face of the panel to disable auto-mute, I guess I had
grown spoiled.

BTW, I like to listen to Jazz en route, a habit I picked up in college as
it helps me concentrate. I once tried to listen to stand-up comedy while
flying, but it was way too distracting.

--
Peter













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Peter R. wrote:
Scott Moore wrote:


The problem is not just
having or not having the controller blanked out by music, but having *anyone*
in the friggin' cockpit turn it off by coughing.


Scott, turning off the auto-mute *can* be done for intercom activity, no
matter the input. This is what moving the switch in the back of the audio
panel does, as this is what Lancaster Avionics did for me when I asked them
to disable the auto-mute all around (as part of a bigger avionics job I
needed done).

When I picked up the aircraft and flew it home, the auto-mute for intercom
activity was disabled (what you are looking for), but the music input still
cut out when the radio picked up a transmission. I called the avionics
techs when I got back home and asked about this. They then told me it
couldn't be done for the reception of radio transmissions. Disappointed
but still holding out hope, I called Garmin and asked about this. Again, I
was told no.

The issue I have is that I fly a lot in center airspace in the Northeast
US. Unless it is later at night, the radio is so active that listening to
music is difficult with this auto-mute feature. Having trained and flown
many hours in a C172SP with a Bendix-King/PS Engineering audio panel that
had a button on the face of the panel to disable auto-mute, I guess I had
grown spoiled.

BTW, I like to listen to Jazz en route, a habit I picked up in college as
it helps me concentrate. I once tried to listen to stand-up comedy while
flying, but it was way too distracting.


Did you attach the auto-mute from the back to a switch, or hardwire it ?

Scott Moore wrote:

Did you attach the auto-mute from the back to a switch, or hardwire it ?

Fortunately I had it hardwired. Knowing now that the switch only controls
the intercom-activity muting function, I don't see the need for the extra
expense and loss of panel real estate in installing the switch.

--
Peter













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