Avionics failure yesterday...

At first I read this as the master, but I think you meant the avionics
master. Did any radio lights come on? Did the transponder do its
transponder blikey thing?

It was the avionics master, yes. Everything but the audio panel came
back on - the radio were just fine, but with a dead audio panel there's
no way to use them!

Everything but the audio panel came
back on - the radio were just fine, but with a dead audio panel there's
no way to use them!

Well... maybe. I agree you did the right thing, but in a different
situation, where you needed to communicate, there might have still been
a way.

If you key the mike, does the TX light up? You could go to 121.5 and
use morse code. Clumsy, but possible in a true emergency, so long as
you don't get distracted by it.

It might be that they can hear you but you can't hear them. Ask a tower
for a light gun signal - see if you get it. That will let you know
they can hear you (or not). You could at least say intentions if you
were in more dire straits.

Jose
--
"Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where
it keeps its brain." (chapter 10 of book 3 - Harry Potter).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

In article ,
Jose wrote:


If you key the mike, does the TX light up? You could go to 121.5 and
use morse code. Clumsy, but possible in a true emergency, so long as
you don't get distracted by it.

OK, all you controller types out there -- what are the odds that anybody on
121.5 would know enough code these days to have a clue what was being sent
(or even recognize it as anything but a bunch of annoying clicking noises).

Roy Smith wrote:
In article ,
Jose wrote:

If you key the mike, does the TX light up? You could go to 121.5 and
use morse code. Clumsy, but possible in a true emergency, so long as
you don't get distracted by it.

OK, all you controller types out there -- what are the odds that anybody on
121.5 would know enough code these days to have a clue what was being sent
(or even recognize it as anything but a bunch of annoying clicking noises).

Not sure they'd recognize morse code, but that doesn't mean that can't
be an effective means of communications. If you were still on the
original approach frequency, the controller might guess who it was
and say:

N5327K if that is you trying to transmit click the mike twice.

and so forth to ask simple questions about what you wanted to do.

The time we lost all electrical but I had effectively a receive-only
handheld radio, they issued turn instructions to us for identification
and to inquire about our intentions.

Roy Smith wrote:
In article ,
Jose wrote:

If you key the mike, does the TX light up? You could go to 121.5 and
use morse code. Clumsy, but possible in a true emergency, so long as
you don't get distracted by it.

OK, all you controller types out there -- what are the odds that anybody on
121.5 would know enough code these days to have a clue what was being sent
(or even recognize it as anything but a bunch of annoying clicking noises).

Actually, an easy, although slow way, is to use the identification
symbol on a VOR on a chart for a guide. I've entertained myself on long
flights like that before.

If you key the mike, does the TX light up? You could go to 121.5 and
use morse code. Clumsy, but possible in a true emergency, so long as
you don't get distracted by it.

No, it didn't. There was no transmit and no receive. I assumed that
when I said "the radios were dead" I didn't need to explain further.

IF the transmit light was going on, and I DID know a bit of morsecode,
it might have been worthwhile to pound out a few letters, but just
barely. What I should have done, as I said, is squawk 7600.

With most modern audio panels, when they fail, you still have a connection
to the mic and headset jacks on the #1 COM. You can test this by simply
turning the audio panel "off" and seeing if the #1 COM works.

I have also heard of aircraft that have a "backup" set of jacks that are
directly connected to the #1 COM, bypassing the audio panel entirely.

It might be worth a little time to fully familiarize yourself with the
various audio panels you might encounter....



wrote in message
oups.com...
At first I read this as the master, but I think you meant the avionics
master. Did any radio lights come on? Did the transponder do its
transponder blikey thing?

It was the avionics master, yes. Everything but the audio panel came
back on - the radio were just fine, but with a dead audio panel there's
no way to use them!

With most modern audio panels, when they fail, you still have a connection
to the mic and headset jacks on the #1 COM. You can test this by simply
turning the audio panel "off" and seeing if the #1 COM works.

There's an emergency switch. It turns out I had forgotten about it
and, yes, I should've been a bit more familiar with all the avionics -
who ever thinks an audio panel has any real complexity?? It doesn't,
but there is a thing or two to know.

If I'd have been in the air for any *significant* time, though, I'm
pretty confident I'd have figured it out.

Switching it "off" does *not* result in COM1 pass-thru. It was off -
dead - the whole time.

"Switching it "off" does *not* result in COM1 pass-thru. It was off -
dead - the whole time."

In most installations, you CAN test the emergency override by turning the
audio panel "off". Intercoms frequently also provide the same capability.

Note that I said "test".

If you have smoke coming out of the audio panel you may well be suffering
component and/or wire damage. Obviously this could affect even "emergency"
operations...





wrote in message
oups.com...
With most modern audio panels, when they fail, you still have a
connection
to the mic and headset jacks on the #1 COM. You can test this by simply
turning the audio panel "off" and seeing if the #1 COM works.

There's an emergency switch. It turns out I had forgotten about it
and, yes, I should've been a bit more familiar with all the avionics -
who ever thinks an audio panel has any real complexity?? It doesn't,
but there is a thing or two to know.

If I'd have been in the air for any *significant* time, though, I'm
pretty confident I'd have figured it out.

Switching it "off" does *not* result in COM1 pass-thru. It was off -
dead - the whole time.

who ever thinks an audio panel has any real complexity??

Uhm, I do. Did so from day one.
It doesn't,

Switching it "off" does *not* result in COM1 pass-thru. It was off -
dead - the whole time.

Then it is not correctly wired.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)