another comm no TSO question (sorry)

S

Scott MacMoyle

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Scott M
I am an IA and I own a Grumman Tiger. Give me a good reason not to install a Garmin GTR 200. I know they say experimental only but its just a comm radio. Its not TSO but niether are most comms out there. VAL comms at least claim to meet TSO requirements. I kmow Garmin would never admit that but does it even matter. Why pay the extra dough for the GTR 225 ? resale and piece of mind are the only reasons I can think of.
 
thats my opinion too. I am too old and ugly to care about them anymore
 
Personally I buy a certified radio, but that’s my own minimum. I’d also only purchase a radio with a Nav section which must be certified.

Can’t remember last time I bought a “certified” handheld, which is legal.
 
yes. I am thinking about using this for a year then it could become the back up radio when I bought a NAV comm or second comm
 
My guess is that you’re seeing “experimental only” because you’re looking at it on the Aircraft Spruce website. Having read the manual and installed a GTR200 in a TCd airplane, I can’t find any reference to any nonsense like this in the manual or anywhere else other than on Spruce’s site. Spruce may simply be saying that because some of the Garmin equipment is only supposed to come through an authorized dealer, at least for the radios going in TCd airplanes.

Regarding non TSO radios... ever own or work on a plane with a KX170 in it? There are (or at least were) thousands of them installed and they were not a TSOd radio.
 
Thanks for the replies. I see no reason for not doing it. I think I will get the bluetooth version. If Spruce will sell it to me. Will they require an N number and do a registration check or just be happy to take my money ?
 
Scott MacMoyle said:
Thanks for the replies. I see no reason for not doing it. I think I will get the bluetooth version. If Spruce will sell it to me. Will they require an N number and do a registration check or just be happy to take my money ?
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Unless things have changed they don’t check to see what it is going into.
 
From my understanding if you’re not using it for IFR for the Grumman it should be fine.

I don’t think that need a N number and it’s also none of their biz, just say you don’t have one yet
 
James331 said:
From my understanding if you’re not using it for IFR for the Grumman it should be fine.

I don’t think that need a N number and it’s also none of their biz, just say you don’t have one yet
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IFR's got nothing to do with it unless you're talking GPS.
 
Spruce does want an N-number to sell you a GNX 375, though :)

Spruce.jpg
 
I've seen many icom non-TSO radios go into many TCd aircraft, work great, sound great, last long time...
 
NordicDave said:
Personally I buy a certified radio, but that’s my own minimum. I’d also only purchase a radio with a Nav section which must be certified.

Can’t remember last time I bought a “certified” handheld, which is legal.
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Please quote chapter and verse to support that a Nav radio must be certified
 
I'm glad you brought this up Scott. I'm thinking of going the same route.
 
For most things, TSO is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition to install something in an aircraft. Your case is one that doesn't require it.
 
And the only "certification" that a part 91 COM or NAV radio needs is spelled out specifically in 14 CFR parts 15 and 87, which are the FCC certification rules. Read the backplate of your radio.

Jim
 
The GTR200 is a great radio. Setting aside the issue of whether a radio that is or meets TSO is even required, I'll suggest that if you read the manual closely, there's a good argument that the GTR 200 meets TSO standards. The TSO for comm radios (TSO C-169a) refers to an RTCA specification; the Garmin manual for the GTR 200 notes that the transmitter and receiver meets those same RTCA standards.

I know of several certified airplanes (CAR3 airplanes for whatever that's worth) with GTR200s installed as minor alterations.
 
unsafervguy said:
Please quote chapter and verse to support that a Nav radio must be certified
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IFR GPS must meet TSO c129 or c146 (there other other qualifying TSOs also, but these are the basic ones.) VFR doesn't matter.
 
chemgeek said:
IFR GPS must meet TSO c129 or c146 (there other other qualifying TSOs also, but these are the basic ones.) VFR doesn't matter.
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The industry accepted term for a NAV radio is one that receives from 108.000 to 117.975 MHz. for the purpose of decoding VOR and LOC information. Nobody said anything about GPS.

Jim
 
Lachlan said:
You seem kinda weird, but not that angry. Might could try a little harder on that. Try tossin’ a ”dang kids” in there from time to time.
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Ain't my style.

Been doing this avionics thing since I was 14, that was 61 years ago. Peddling my bike over to La Presa airport in eastern San Diego and pestering the old geezer over there fixing Superhomers to teach me the trade. Put myself through college working nights at a major airline in the avionics shop, got a degree in Semiconductor Physics and have operated my own avionics manufacturing company since 1974. I'll trade chops with anybody anywhere, and if they prove me wrong, I'll admit it and go on. But when some ignorant jerk comes on here and says something that is blatantly untrue, I **will** take him/her to task. Without so much as a "by your leave".

I never thought I'd grow up to be a grumpy old f@rt but here I am KILLIN" IT.

Jim
 
I just ordered a GTR200B from Stein Air. Best price, no tail number required, and super customer service.....

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 
ordered mine from Spruce. Got lazy and paid for a harness with jacks on it. Never would have afforded myself such luxuries back in the day. Thanks for all the replies.
 
Scott MacMoyle said:
ordered mine from Spruce. Got lazy and paid for a harness with jacks on it. Never would have afforded myself such luxuries back in the day. Thanks for all the replies.
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The harness is worth the money spent in my opinion. I still modified it but it cut down on the amount of work I had to do by a significant amount.
 
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