Avionics (Radio Problem) Narrowed Down... I Think???

Received a new relay on Wednesday, plugged it into the audio panel and
slid the audio panel back into the stack this morning.

Took off out of Georgetown, after making my radio calls (with sidetone
on every call), turned downwind, and set the trim for a 300 fpm climb,
while I started tuning in frequencies. First SAC ATIS.... Loud and
Clear. Second NorCal approach... Loud and Clear. Back to GT freq
123.05 and heard numerous calls at Marysville and Cameron Park.

As I continued to climb, through 7000 feet, I considered turning right
45 degrees and heading over Lake Tahoe as the winds were calm and the
weather was gorgeous. As I prepared to turn, I noticed Nevada Co.
airport and Grass Valley off to my immediate left. Tuned into the
local frequency, let them know my position and asked for a radio
check.... LOUD AND CLEAR!

Waved hello to Jim (probably didn't see me), and decided I would head
back home and get some chores done, even though I could have flown all
day! Did I mention it was gorgeous out there?

Thanks for everyone's patience and help over the last few months! I'm
so glad to think this nightmare could finally be behind me, and am
ready to head up and get that instrument currency, now that I can
communicate!!! I just hit 6 months without my approaches a few weeks
back, so I'll have to go up with a friend and get some hood work done.
After that, I'm looking for some of that Valley fog, as I'm ready for
some actual!!!

Best Regards,
Todd

On 11/19/2005 4:06 PM, three-eight-hotel wrote:
Received a new relay on Wednesday, plugged it into the audio panel and
slid the audio panel back into the stack this morning.

Took off out of Georgetown, after making my radio calls (with sidetone
on every call), turned downwind, and set the trim for a 300 fpm climb,
while I started tuning in frequencies. First SAC ATIS.... Loud and
Clear. Second NorCal approach... Loud and Clear. Back to GT freq
123.05 and heard numerous calls at Marysville and Cameron Park.

As I continued to climb, through 7000 feet, I considered turning right
45 degrees and heading over Lake Tahoe as the winds were calm and the
weather was gorgeous. As I prepared to turn, I noticed Nevada Co.
airport and Grass Valley off to my immediate left. Tuned into the
local frequency, let them know my position and asked for a radio
check.... LOUD AND CLEAR!

Waved hello to Jim (probably didn't see me), and decided I would head
back home and get some chores done, even though I could have flown all
day! Did I mention it was gorgeous out there?

Thanks for everyone's patience and help over the last few months! I'm
so glad to think this nightmare could finally be behind me, and am
ready to head up and get that instrument currency, now that I can
communicate!!! I just hit 6 months without my approaches a few weeks
back, so I'll have to go up with a friend and get some hood work done.
After that, I'm looking for some of that Valley fog, as I'm ready for
some actual!!!

Best Regards,
Todd


That's great news. I had a problem with an ANR headset early in
my training that almost caused me to stop. Luckily, before I did,
I tried out a cheapo pair of non ANR and have never gone back.

To this day, I still marvel over how well I can hear each communication.
It's amazing how precious it can be once you've had to do without for
some time!

By the way, do you already have someone lined-up for the instrument
practice?

--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Sacramento, CA

To this day, I still marvel over how well I can hear each communication.
It's amazing how precious it can be once you've had to do without for
some time!

No kidding! I've been dying to do some practice IFR flying, but afraid
of having to go the handheld and tell ATC that I'm just going to resume
own nav back to Georgetown, rather than trying to concentrate on
approaches and fuss with a handheld (and not be able to communicate to
the guy in the right seat). I sooooo hope this is the end of it, and I
can get back to hearing and talking to everyone!

By the way, do you already have someone lined-up for the instrument
practice?

Someone that's always willing, but not necessarily lined up...

If you're up for some evening flying, we should get in touch.

Best Regards!
Todd

On 11/19/2005 5:24 PM, three-eight-hotel wrote:
To this day, I still marvel over how well I can hear each communication.
It's amazing how precious it can be once you've had to do without for
some time!

No kidding! I've been dying to do some practice IFR flying, but afraid
of having to go the handheld and tell ATC that I'm just going to resume
own nav back to Georgetown, rather than trying to concentrate on
approaches and fuss with a handheld (and not be able to communicate to
the guy in the right seat). I sooooo hope this is the end of it, and I
can get back to hearing and talking to everyone!

By the way, do you already have someone lined-up for the instrument
practice?

Someone that's always willing, but not necessarily lined up...

If you're up for some evening flying, we should get in touch.

Weekends are better, but I would like to help if you need it.
Contact me off-list any time.



Best Regards!
Todd



--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Sacramento, CA

Will do.... Thanks Mark!

OK, now take that old relay, get a piece of bond copy paper and some pure
isopropyl (the 99% stuff) alcohol, tear/cut a strip of the bond paper about
a quarter of an inch wide, soak the first two inches of the paper in the
alcohol, and run the paper between EACH of the contacts of the old relay,
holding pressure on the top and bottom contact just enough so that the paper
doesn't tear.

You will find as the contacts leave the alcohol part of the paper a strip of
black "gunk" down the dry part of the paper. Keep running the paper through
these contacts until the paper no longer has a black stripe on it -- and
then go to the next set of contacts. Don't forget to do BOTH sets of
contacts on a pole -- the upper and lower both get equally dirty.

Now do the NEXT set of contacts and so on. You now have a perfectly clean
relay for the next time the new one honks up.

(BTW, this trick works for switches, relays, and anywhere else you have a
relatively low current set of contacts.)

Do NOT use a file or a "relay contact cleaner" strip. These will peel any
precious metal plating off in the first swipe.

Jim


"three-eight-hotel" wrote in message
oups.com...
Received a new relay on Wednesday, plugged it into the audio panel and
slid the audio panel back into the stack this morning.

Thanks! I will do that...

Off topic question:

The audio panel from the front, has every indication that it has marker
beacons (O, M, I indicators), but there's nothing there... Simply no
led's or wires to the panel. This would seem like a fairly simple
thing to implement??? Should I just cut my losses and be happy I can
communicate, or am I getting greedy, thinking I could go to Radio Shack
and with minimal effort, upgrade this existing audio panel by myself?

If you think it's not worth the effort, I'll close this thread and open
a new one on how to repack and seal the front nose strut, or how to
find the source for fuel in the cabin smell after topping the tanks, or
tip tanks... Keep em' full or not??? :-))

Thanks!
Todd

You might be able to find light bulbs at The Shack, but more probably would
be a model train shop for 12 volt grain-of-wheat lamps.

Jim



"three-eight-hotel" wrote in message
ups.com...
Thanks! I will do that...

Off topic question:

The audio panel from the front, has every indication that it has marker
beacons (O, M, I indicators), but there's nothing there... Simply no
led's or wires to the panel. This would seem like a fairly simple
thing to implement??? Should I just cut my losses and be happy I can
communicate, or am I getting greedy, thinking I could go to Radio Shack
and with minimal effort, upgrade this existing audio panel by myself?

"three-eight-hotel" writes:

Thanks! I will do that...

Off topic question:

The audio panel from the front, has every indication that it has marker
beacons (O, M, I indicators), but there's nothing there... Simply no
led's or wires to the panel. This would seem like a fairly simple
thing to implement??? Should I just cut my losses and be happy I can
communicate, or am I getting greedy, thinking I could go to Radio Shack
and with minimal effort, upgrade this existing audio panel by myself?

Does the panel have the decoders; just no indicators? It could be
the PCB section for that function was never populated, or it's a
daughter board that was not installed...


--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

hmmm...??? If you followed any of my previous posts, you wouldn't be
surprised that I don't know what decoders or PCB's are... LOL!!! ;-)

The holes for the tri-colored lights are on the panel and labeled, but
there is nothing behind them. No led's, no wires... Is there an
entire daughter board that runs the MB's? I may be biting off more
than I can chew, but looking at pics of other Cessna audio panels
on-line, it just looked like there were led's and wires running to the
main board, but it was hard to tell...

Thanks,
Todd