The explosion of new devices that make noise in your headset requires a central system that enables the pilot to switch things on and off with one touch rather than a lot of fiddling.
If an aircraft owner was to option-up their cockpit to the hilt, they could end up with three comms, two NAVs, DME, ADF, markers, radio, MP3 player, intercomm and telephone all competing for the attention of their ears.
Throw in the cabin speakers and you have recipe for a cacophonic casserole.
Having one single unit to corral all the functions make things neater and much easier to use.
Compared with some of the older panels, the layouts of current systems are clearer and there is generally some positive indication of which functions are active.
Not all of them have built-in capability for every gadget you can buy, so before selecting a panel, you will need to have it clear exactly what devices you want to hook into it.
GARMIN
Garmin manufactures three audio panels: GMA 240, 340 and 347.
The GMA 240 is a lightweight unit designed specifically for experimental, recreational and light sport aircraft.
As such, it doesn’t have a lot of the functions that are not needed in those categories.
What it does have is capability for dual comms, NAVs, auxiliary receivers and music input.
It has a telephone jack for a mobile phone or MP3 player and a one-touch mute so the entertainment doesn’t drown out ATC.
The 240 has support for a four-place intercom with isolation, but is not TSO’d, so don’t go thinking of it as a cheap option to go IFR.
The certified model is the GMA 340.
With space for three comms, two NAVs, DME, ADF and markers, the 340 looks like a pretty serious unit.
The comms can be split, so the pilots can select a set each and transmit and receive at the same time.
Excellent for making the CTAF calls while the other person cancels SAR, or orders the avgas.
The six-place intercom has a pilot/crew isolator with three operating modes: pilot, crew and everyone.
There are also two input jacks for stereo music sources so you can have tunes in your headset.
The GMA 347 is very much akin to the 340 with most functions and capabilities the same.
The big difference is the audio playback feature.
This records the previous two-and-a-half minutes of audio switched through the panel, and means if you didn’t quite get your ATC clearance you can play it back in your headset.
Another important upgrade from the 340 is a telephone interface with an isolator.
This enables private phone calls to be made from a mobile and piped through either one headset or everyone’s headset if you are making a conference call.
PS ENGINEERING
The PMA6000 is a good solid unit with dual comm and NAV, single DME and ADF with markers an option.
It has independent control knobs for the pilot and co-pilot so they can select their own comm using the split comm mode.
A six-place intercom makes it ideal for fast singles or twins and the swap mode enables the pilot to switch between comms using a button on the control yoke.
Music input can be selected to discrete intercom ports, which means the doof-doof music can be limited to the ears of those in the back seat!
If you are after a bit more, take a look at the PMA8000B.
Built on the platform of the PMA8000, the B model provides dual comms, dual NAV, ADF, markers, six-place intercom and telephone system as standard.
An in-built system automatically adjusts the intercom trip levels by sampling the sounds at the microphone and determining if it is voice or sound.
According to PSE, this eliminates losing the first few syllables of the transmission whilst also ensuring cockpit noise doesn’t open the mike.
A version with a built-in MP3 player is available as the PMA8000B-MP3.
PSE’s PMA7000B is a bit more upmarket and better suited to larger GA aircraft.
As well as all the standard features of the 6000, it has capacity for a third comm and the marker indicators are standard.
The intercom is six-place, but there is room for that to be expanded to 12-place.
Mobile phone interface enables hands-free calls (when legal) that can be private or conferenced to all in the plane.
There are also two un-switched inputs so auxiliary audio like GPS and autopilot warnings can be piped into the headsets.
NORTHERN AIRBORNE
Northern Airborne Technology (NAT) now sits alongside Chelton and S-Tec in the Cobham Avionics stable.
Their audio panels, the 380 and 3110 are very button-heavy and the layout has not followed the pattern of other manufacturers such as Garmin and PSE.
That does not mean they lack for functionality.
In fact, the 380 has the capability to receive audio from up to 13 receivers.
On top of that, you can hook in stereo music, five auxiliary inputs, six cabin microphones and a hand-held microphone.
It also has dynamic noise reduction on voice and can be linked to a cockpit voice recorder.
Clearly, this unit is designed for commercial or regional operations, but may be right at home in a corporate jet or a large private twin.
Unashamedly corporate is the 3110.
This unit is loaded with capability for three VHF comms, an HF comm, two NAVs, two DMEs and two ADFs.
Marker reception is also standard fit.
NAT has designed the 3110 to suit the advanced cockpits of today, and it can live with inputs from five warning sources, such as TAWS, TCAS, EGPWS and the like.
The panel layout looks like it could use some work to be clearer, but with practise this shortcoming won’t be a problem given the need for this level of capability.
VAL ELECTRONICS
There isn’t much in the way of sophistication in the Val AP 100, but if you don’t need much then it is a perfect fit!
The unit is slimline, being only 25mm high, and contains the absolute minimum of buttons to do the job.
Not counting the ON switch, there are seven.
Still, the AP 100 handles dual comms and NAV, and un-switched ports are there for ADF, DME, autopilot and other alerts as connected.
Marker alerts are standard and can be muted out.
All inputs can be switched between the phones and the cabin speakers.
A very simple unit; perfect for recreational, LSA and low-end GA aircraft.
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