Anybody have an audio panel that will do this?

bcool

bcool

Pre-takeoff checklist
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I was wondering if anyone knows of an audio panel that will do the following:

Allows only the pilot to listen & talk to ATC, but keeps him in the intercom loop to talk with the passengers.

All the audio panels I've flown with have just an isolate mode that isolates the pilot from the passengers. I've often wanted to be able to communicate with my passengers but not burden them with the ATC comms.
 
I've never found one. My PMA450 lets me isolate the pilot/copilot from the back seats. I always wanted a panel that does what you're asking. My wife likes to listen to music but hates the constant ATC interruptions. I have to take it off isolate whenever I need to tell her something.
 
It looks to me like the PMA-8000 series will. The unit needs to be set to "alternate Intercom Function" and the "ISO/CREW/ALL" button needs to be in "All"

You can download the pilot guides on their website.
 
A paragraph from the PMA-8000G Pilot Guide:
http://www.ps-engineering.com/pma8000g.shtml

Alternate Intercom Function


This function controls the distribution of aircraft radio within the intercom,

as well as passenger intercom muting, when in the “ALL” intercom mode.

In the “standard intercom function” mode, aircraft radios are distributed to

all, when the intercom is in the ALL mode. In CREW mode, only the pilot

and copilot positions will hear aircraft radios.

When “Alternate Intercom” function is toggled (hold ICS button for more

than three seconds in ALL mode) a voice announces “Alternate Intercom


Function,” and the passengers will NOT hear aircraft radios, even in the All


intercom mode. They will be able to converse with the crew. However, when

the aircraft radio becomes active, the intercom audio from the passengers is

muted, allowing the crew to focus on the radio. The passengers will still be

able to talk to each other. Pressing holding the ICS button for three seconds

again switches the intercom back to “Standard Intercom Function.”

Alternate Intercom mode is reset at power up
 
I like the PMA450A that my buddy installed in his plane. It is probably the closest to what you are looking for.

there are a couple of Intercom modes that are close to what you are looking for

Alternate Intercom Mode The PMA450A includes an Alternate Intercom Mode. This allows intercom communications between crew and passengers, without interrupting the crew’s radio communications. The passengers do not hear the aircraft radio audio. The passengersare blocked from the crew, such that the crew cannot hear the passengers’ microphone audio while the radio is active. Passengers can still talk to each other. To enable the Alternate Intercom Mode, press RADIO-ICS→ Intercom: to switch between Standard, Alternate modes and CP Pax modes. This state is remembered during power cycles

http://www.ps-engineering.com/docs/PMA450A_PG.pdf
 
The manual for the PMA-8000G says it better than the manual for the 8000BTi.
 
The 8000 doesn't do this either. The table on page 7 of hte pilot guide shows the various ICS modes.
 
I'd be willing to bet that most of their new audio panels can do it, but verify.
 
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My 8000BT was shipped after April 2011 and can do it too. (BT is discontinued and replaced by the BTi)
 
The PMA450A will do all that. You can go pilot, pilot co-pilot, all on ATC. Pax don't have a clue you are talking to ATC. Intercom still works unless you don't want them to hear you then you can obviously ISO them too.
 
rbridges said:
I've never found one. My PMA450 lets me isolate the pilot/copilot from the back seats. I always wanted a panel that does what you're asking. My wife likes to listen to music but hates the constant ATC interruptions. I have to take it off isolate whenever I need to tell her something.
Click to expand...
 
We kept our Cessna audio panel when we upgraded to a GTN 750 so I haven't ever experimented...but the manual makes it appear there seems to be a way to do anything and everything with that sucker!

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I have a hard enough time remembering this stuff lol!
 
Maybe I'm wrong, perhaps you can't isolate the copilot from the radios in "Alternate Intercom" on all of them. Basically trying to change the copilot to a passenger. A way around that would be wiring both the copilot jacks and a passenger jacks at the copilot seat, or just making the passenger (sitting shotgun) plug into a passenger jack.
 
The modes listed above still don't actually meet what he wants. He said he wants to hear all Pax intercom at the same time as ATC, without muting either. But he doesn't want pax hearing ATC.
 
The PMA450A new feature "Co-Pilot as Passenger" mode does exactly this. It makes the co-pilot seat behave like a passenger allowing intercom between ALL parties (including pilot) yet isolating all passengers from any radio communications so the only thing passengers hear is music & intercom chatter. The pilot hears intercom, radios, music (if desired) and intercom/music mutes (if desired) when radio communication is happening. I just installed a 450A and have it set up as co-pilot (wife) as passenger to do what the OP is desiring (if I understand correctly).
 
I think it could be done on the others with some additional switching, assuming it is a 6 place intercom in less than a 6 place airplane. You could wire the copilot channel and a passenger channel to a switch which could determine what the jacks at shotgun-seat would do.

The com/nav radios will still mute all the passenger's chatter in the pilot's headset.

I did monkey with my 8000BT and it will not let the copilot jacks act as passenger jacks.
 
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Thanks for the info! I have a PMA8000B, and after the comments about the Alternate Intercom Function I think that's the closest I'll get to what I'm looking for. I'll have to give it a try the next time I go flying.

It sounds like this won't work for the right front seat position, though - that's considered a "crew" position, correct?
 
bcool said:
Thanks for the info! I have a PMA8000B, and after the comments about the Alternate Intercom Function I think that's the closest I'll get to what I'm looking for. I'll have to give it a try the next time I go flying.

It sounds like this won't work for the right front seat position, though - that's considered a "crew" position, correct?
Click to expand...

Correct, you could have her plug into a passenger spot and try it.

Both the PMA8000B Pilot guides I looked at (serial number dependent) mention an "Alternate Intercom Function"

http://www.ps-engineering.com/PMA8000B_Pilot_Guides.shtml
 
bcool said:
Thanks for the info! I have a PMA8000B, and after the comments about the Alternate Intercom Function I think that's the closest I'll get to what I'm looking for. I'll have to give it a try the next time I go flying.

It sounds like this won't work for the right front seat position, though - that's considered a "crew" position, correct?
Click to expand...


???

The PMA450A will do everything you are asking. $2500 and its a slide in replacement for the GMA340 and most of the other PSE panels.

You asked, we delivered.
 
I emailed PS Engineering about the copilot as passenger mode for my PMA450. Unfortunately it's not possible. They said there were hardware changes in the 450A.
 
rbridges said:
I emailed PS Engineering about the copilot as passenger mode for my PMA450. Unfortunately it's not possible. They said there were hardware changes in the 450A.
Click to expand...
Contact Chase Larabee from Avionics Source on Beechtalk. He will give you a decent trade up allowance on the 450 and get you into a 450A.
 
Why don't y'all chatter about what you REALLY want to do (bullet points work very well) and perhaps the RST skunk works will have something real to work on over this winter.

Reminder, if you don't EVER want to listen on the aircraft speaker (are they really building them that way today??) the problem becomes an order of magnitude easier. And a HELL of a lot less expensive.

Thanks,

Jim
 
Probably already been answered above, but. Is there a way that the passengers can listen to the radios and pilot and talk to each other without pilot hearing them? You pretty much get a sterile cockpit, unless they start shouting, and they can listen in to what's going on.
 
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