Radio Replacement

I have (2) KX170B radios which I'm very happy with, except that one of
them has been diagnosed with a bad MHz crystal on the comm side. The new
crystals are apparently no longer available from Bendix/King. The
avionics shop apparently scavenged a replacement from a used radio they
had in the shop, but they were not able to align the radio to factory
specs with this "used" crystal. They are recommending that I replace the
radio which, of course, is of the most benefit to them.

I have thought of the following options:

#1 -- Send the radio to the KX170B.com guy (Gary Glassmeyer). I've
spoken to him and he claims that he has a source for the crystals. I
estimate that this would cost me $500-$600 (including shipping),
assuming that he doesn't find anything else wrong.

#2 -- Local avionics shop is offering to install a used KX155 for $2500,
including the radio.

#3 -- Have Garmin SL30 installed. I have been told that this would
probably require an indicator replacement as well. Estimated cost $6000.

#4 -- Have Garmin 430W installed, also with new indicator. Estimated
cost $12,000.

Keep in mind that I have zero desire for the flip-flop or any of the
other nice but not compelling gizmos on newer radios. I can live without
the IFR GPS right now, though the 430W might be a nice complement to the
396 that I have on the yoke and provide me with capabilities that I do
not presently have in the panel. Not sure that the SL30 is worth it.
Keeping the KX170B (even a successfully repaired one) is probably
delaying the inevitable, but my money makes more money in the bank than
in the panel.

Any thoughts?


Thanks,
JKG

Jonathan Goodish wrote:
I have (2) KX170B radios which I'm very happy with, except that one of
them has been diagnosed with a bad MHz crystal on the comm side. The
new crystals are apparently no longer available from Bendix/King. The
avionics shop apparently scavenged a replacement from a used radio
they had in the shop, but they were not able to align the radio to
factory specs with this "used" crystal. They are recommending that I
replace the radio which, of course, is of the most benefit to them.

I have thought of the following options:

#1 -- Send the radio to the KX170B.com guy (Gary Glassmeyer). I've
spoken to him and he claims that he has a source for the crystals. I
estimate that this would cost me $500-$600 (including shipping),
assuming that he doesn't find anything else wrong.

#2 -- Local avionics shop is offering to install a used KX155 for
$2500, including the radio.

#3 -- Have Garmin SL30 installed. I have been told that this would
probably require an indicator replacement as well. Estimated cost
$6000.

#4 -- Have Garmin 430W installed, also with new indicator. Estimated
cost $12,000.

Keep in mind that I have zero desire for the flip-flop or any of the
other nice but not compelling gizmos on newer radios. I can live
without the IFR GPS right now, though the 430W might be a nice
complement to the 396 that I have on the yoke and provide me with
capabilities that I do not presently have in the panel. Not sure that
the SL30 is worth it. Keeping the KX170B (even a successfully
repaired one) is probably delaying the inevitable, but my money makes
more money in the bank than in the panel.

Any thoughts?

I agree if you go with #1 that is $5-6 hundred that you will never get back
and you will probably have to replace the radios sooner or later anyway.

#2 Isn't a bad deal but if you look around you can probably find a KX155 for
less money. Try e-bay.

#3 I think the SL30 and it's little non-NAV brother are the coolest radios
out there. I'm putting an SL40 or maybe 30 in my kit built because panel
space is limited and I want to be able to at list listen to two freqs at
once. The 30 also has it's own CDI that can be used as a second Nav head.

#4 If you don't want or need IFR GPS that's lots of money.

But given what you've said I'd find a used KX155. Follow this link I'll bet
you find one or 10
http://search.ebay.com/search/search...&satitle=KX155

On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:59:11 -0400, Jonathan Goodish
wrote:

I have (2) KX170B radios which I'm very happy with, except that one of
them has been diagnosed with a bad MHz crystal on the comm side. The new
crystals are apparently no longer available from Bendix/King. The
avionics shop apparently scavenged a replacement from a used radio they
had in the shop, but they were not able to align the radio to factory
specs with this "used" crystal. They are recommending that I replace the
radio which, of course, is of the most benefit to them.

I have thought of the following options:

I'd wait until Jim Weir checks in on why the rock is preventing the
original radio guys from tuning the rig up to spec. That sounds fishy
to me - as in there's something else bad that's going to cost you more
money in the end.

Don

Jonathan Goodish wrote:

I have (2) KX170B radios which I'm very happy with, except that one of
them has been diagnosed with a bad MHz crystal on the comm side. The new
crystals are apparently no longer available from Bendix/King. The
avionics shop apparently scavenged a replacement from a used radio they
had in the shop, but they were not able to align the radio to factory
specs with this "used" crystal. They are recommending that I replace the
radio which, of course, is of the most benefit to them.

Back in my ham radio days, I had custom crystals
made for converting police band radios to 440mhz.
The custom crystals costed me about $30 each with
about a 2 week lead time. OTOH, given that every-
thing about an airplane is hard and expensive, I
suppose you couldn't get it done for less than
$500.

Given that your tech couldn't align the radio
with a scrounged crystal, I'd have to assume the
worst, that the radio is not easily fixed.

Jim Stewart wrote:
Jonathan Goodish wrote:

I have (2) KX170B radios which I'm very happy with, except that one of
them has been diagnosed with a bad MHz crystal on the comm side. The new
crystals are apparently no longer available from Bendix/King. The
avionics shop apparently scavenged a replacement from a used radio they
had in the shop, but they were not able to align the radio to factory
specs with this "used" crystal. They are recommending that I replace the
radio which, of course, is of the most benefit to them.

Back in my ham radio days, I had custom crystals
made for converting police band radios to 440mhz.
The custom crystals costed me about $30 each with
about a 2 week lead time. OTOH, given that every-
thing about an airplane is hard and expensive, I
suppose you couldn't get it done for less than
$500.

Given that your tech couldn't align the radio
with a scrounged crystal, I'd have to assume the
worst, that the radio is not easily fixed.

Custom crystals still start at about $30.

The only problem (ignoring the legalities) would be providing appropriate
specs for the crystal.

On the other hand, since crystals are generally not prone to failure and
the radio didn't work with a different crystal, I would begin to doubt
the original diagnoses.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

I replaced my number 1 nav/com with an SL30 + new CDI/GS head and the 6K
sounds about right. It is a great radio that doesn't require much space and
is almost the same as having 2 nav/coms. You can monitor a second nav and
com frequency while using the primaries. I don't think the little yellow
led arrays will ever need replacement either as they seem to with the Kings.

--
Best Regards,
Mike

http://photoshow.comcast.net/mikenoel

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.

"Jonathan Goodish" wrote in message
...
I have (2) KX170B radios which I'm very happy with, except that one of
them has been diagnosed with a bad MHz crystal on the comm side. The new
crystals are apparently no longer available from Bendix/King. The
avionics shop apparently scavenged a replacement from a used radio they
had in the shop, but they were not able to align the radio to factory
specs with this "used" crystal. They are recommending that I replace the
radio which, of course, is of the most benefit to them.

I have thought of the following options:

#1 -- Send the radio to the KX170B.com guy (Gary Glassmeyer). I've
spoken to him and he claims that he has a source for the crystals. I
estimate that this would cost me $500-$600 (including shipping),
assuming that he doesn't find anything else wrong.

#2 -- Local avionics shop is offering to install a used KX155 for $2500,
including the radio.

#3 -- Have Garmin SL30 installed. I have been told that this would
probably require an indicator replacement as well. Estimated cost $6000.

#4 -- Have Garmin 430W installed, also with new indicator. Estimated
cost $12,000.

Keep in mind that I have zero desire for the flip-flop or any of the
other nice but not compelling gizmos on newer radios. I can live without
the IFR GPS right now, though the 430W might be a nice complement to the
396 that I have on the yoke and provide me with capabilities that I do
not presently have in the panel. Not sure that the SL30 is worth it.
Keeping the KX170B (even a successfully repaired one) is probably
delaying the inevitable, but my money makes more money in the bank than
in the panel.

Any thoughts?


Thanks,
JKG

Jonathan Goodish wrote:
I have (2) KX170B radios which I'm very happy with, except that one of
them has been diagnosed with a bad MHz crystal on the comm side. The new
crystals are apparently no longer available from Bendix/King. The
avionics shop apparently scavenged a replacement from a used radio they
had in the shop, but they were not able to align the radio to factory
specs with this "used" crystal. They are recommending that I replace the
radio which, of course, is of the most benefit to them.

I have thought of the following options:

#1 -- Send the radio to the KX170B.com guy (Gary Glassmeyer). I've
spoken to him and he claims that he has a source for the crystals. I
estimate that this would cost me $500-$600 (including shipping),
assuming that he doesn't find anything else wrong.

#2 -- Local avionics shop is offering to install a used KX155 for $2500,
including the radio.

#3 -- Have Garmin SL30 installed. I have been told that this would
probably require an indicator replacement as well. Estimated cost $6000.

#4 -- Have Garmin 430W installed, also with new indicator. Estimated
cost $12,000.

Keep in mind that I have zero desire for the flip-flop or any of the
other nice but not compelling gizmos on newer radios. I can live without
the IFR GPS right now, though the 430W might be a nice complement to the
396 that I have on the yoke and provide me with capabilities that I do
not presently have in the panel. Not sure that the SL30 is worth it.
Keeping the KX170B (even a successfully repaired one) is probably
delaying the inevitable, but my money makes more money in the bank than
in the panel.

Any thoughts?


Thanks,
JKG

You overlooked one more option...
Purchase a used, yellow tagged KX170 for maybe $500. Cheapest easiest
solution. A KX170 will work as good as it ever did and is a
well-respected radio.

The SL30 is a good radio (I have one) as is the KX155, but the KX170
will do anything they can do (maybe a few more steps, like finding a nav
radial).

Rich

In article ,
Rich wrote:
You overlooked one more option...
Purchase a used, yellow tagged KX170 for maybe $500. Cheapest easiest
solution. A KX170 will work as good as it ever did and is a
well-respected radio.

The SL30 is a good radio (I have one) as is the KX155, but the KX170
will do anything they can do (maybe a few more steps, like finding a nav
radial).


My non-working 170B is physically in near-mint condition; many of the
used 170Bs look like they've been through a couple tours in Iraq.
Nevertheless, the problem with a working 170B would be the same as the
problem I have now--if the unit dies tomorrow, repairs are going to be
uncertain at best. I really do like the 170B radios despite the lack of
some modern conveniences (like flip-flop), but if you can't get parts,
that's a huge problem.

The local avionics shop with the used KX155 is claiming that my existing
indicators are compatible, but I'm not convinced. I don't want to let
them get halfway through an install, only to find out that they're going
to stick me with an outrageous price on a new indicator.



JKG

"Jonathan Goodish" wrote:

#4 -- Have Garmin 430W installed, also with new indicator. Estimated
cost $12,000.

Data point: A prospective buyer just told me he had decided not to buy my
airplane solely on the basis of its not having a 430 installed.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

In article ,
"Dan Luke" wrote:

#4 -- Have Garmin 430W installed, also with new indicator. Estimated
cost $12,000.

Data point: A prospective buyer just told me he had decided not to buy my
airplane solely on the basis of its not having a 430 installed.

feh.

--
Bob Noel
(gave up lookingn for a particular sig the lawyer will)