Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013 - 80

PILOT’S GUIDE

Sounding Off On Audio Panels
S T O R Y B Y D A L E S M I T H

uick: Name the most over-used and under-appreciated piece of avionics in the panel? Time’s up. The few who said audio panels are free to flip to the next story. The rest of you should stay right here and take a few minutes to learn some inside tips to help guide you when it’s time to purchase the next audio panel. AUDIO PANELS 101 Buying an audio panel used to be the simplest thing a pilot could do for his/her panel. They were basically just a switching point for the radios. The really good ones also had built-in marker beacon alerts and lights. But, audio panels have evolved in a big way. Today, these once-simple units have become highly sophisticated audio controllers, offering everything from standard nav/comm switching to voice-activated intercoms, digital voice recorders and satellite radio, MP3 music and cellphone interfaces, just to name a few. So, what are these features, and why would a pilot want them? Good questions. Let’s look at a few of the more popular capabilities. Please keep in mind, thanks to the active imaginations of each company’s marketing departments, the same basic functionalities will go by a variety of different names – so, do your homework wisely. VOICE-ACTIVATED INTERCOMS Instead of having a press-to-talk button, the intercom automatically senses when a person speaks into the microphone and activates the system. Most are smart enough to only allow one person to talk at a time. The sensitivity also is set to eliminate background air and engine noise. It’s an especially beneficial tool for noisier cockpits, such as helicopters.

DIGITAL VOICE RECORDER This is very handy if a pilot flies alone in the instrument flight rules environment or in busy visual flight rules corridors. The recorder continuously records the comm radio. Should the pilot miss a call or an air traffic control direction, he/she can replay the last minute or so (the length of recording time varies by manufacturer) with the touch of a button. CELLPHONE INTERFACE Many of the higher-end audio panels provide the capability to interface with a cellphone, either via plug or wirelessly with Bluetooth. It’s handy for getting ground clearances before you crank up the engines. Remember, as tempting as it might be, the use of a cellphone in-flight is not permitted. Not that a pilot would ever do it. SPLIT MODE If the pilot flies with a co-pilot, this handy feature will allow the pilot and the right seater to communicate separately on the comm 1 and comm 2 radios. This will enable the pilot to monitor ATC, while the co-pilot monitors the ATIS at the arrival airport or calls ahead to the fixed base operator. AUTO SQUELCH This handy feature eliminates the need to manually finetune the squelch. The unit senses ambient noise and adjusts the volume accordingly. DIGITAL MUSIC INPUTS Like the cellphone connectivity, many units enable pilots to connect an iPod, iPad or other MP3 device directly into the audio panel using either an adapter plug or Bluetooth. Also, make sure the unit purchased automatically cuts out the music inputs when receiving a call from ATC.

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Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013