Radio static

G

George Foster

Filing Flight Plan
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Jan 22, 2017
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Bluesideup
We have an Archer II and both radios have static through the speakers/headsets when the engine is running. We borrowed a new Garmin 530 and installed it and the static continued. We've turned on and off everything from the intercom to cycling the magnetos. We've replaced the antenna cables. The most interesting thing about the static is it drowns out ATC but as you fly closer to the center's radio towers, the static fades when ATC is transmitting. Also, we are loud and clear when we transmit. The mechanics want to begin pulling apart the panel. Any ideas before we give them the go-ahead?
 
George Foster said:
We have an Archer II and both radios have static through the speakers/headsets when the engine is running. We borrowed a new Garmin 530 and installed it and the static continued. We've turned on and off everything from the intercom to cycling the magnetos. We've replaced the antenna cables. The most interesting thing about the static is it drowns out ATC but as you fly closer to the center's radio towers, the static fades when ATC is transmitting. Also, we are loud and clear when we transmit. The mechanics want to begin pulling apart the panel. Any ideas before we give them the go-ahead?
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Need more info. When does the static stop? Turning off com radios? Turning off the intercom?

How long have you had the airplane and when did this start? What com rados do you have other than the 530?

I had a GNC250XL & Icom A210 and never had a peep of static in Lincoln NE, perhaps one of the worse places on earth (it seems) for radio static on aircraft frequencies. I just pulled the 250XL and put a GTN650 in and by golly I do get a spit every now and then, typicallay only when flying around Lincoln NE. A friend's airplane was way freaking worse (KX155), so loud I couldn't stand doing touch & goes with it, but the noise stopped when leaving Lincoln. That airplane's ELT was the problem.

I bought a new USB charger adapter that fit the cigarette lighter socket a month ago that turned out to an increadible noise generator, breaking the squelch on both the GTN and Icom
 
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Are the jacks isolated or grounded? They should not be grounded.
 
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Clark1961 said:
Are the jacks isolated or grounded? They should be grounded.
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No PS Enginering panel has them grounded at the jack end, and you'll get noise if you do. They require a dedicated ground wire inside the shielded twisted tripple (or pair) from each jack to the audio panel/intercom.
 
bnt83 said:
No PS Enginering panel has them grounded at the jack end, and you'll get noise if you do. They require a dedicated ground wire inside the shielded twisted tripple (or pair) from each jack to the audio panel/intercom.
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Thanks for catching that typo. Fingers are slower than brain this morning. I've corrected my post. The bolded part of the quote was where I was headed.
 
George Foster said:
We have an Archer II and both radios have static through the speakers/headsets when the engine is running. We borrowed a new Garmin 530 and installed it and the static continued. We've turned on and off everything from the intercom to cycling the magnetos. We've replaced the antenna cables. The most interesting thing about the static is it drowns out ATC but as you fly closer to the center's radio towers, the static fades when ATC is transmitting. Also, we are loud and clear when we transmit. The mechanics want to begin pulling apart the panel. Any ideas before we give them the go-ahead?
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Way not enough information. Has it been there from day one or did it just start? "Static" is random bursts of noise, sometimes so "burst" as to be there all the time. Does it vary in intensity or frequency with engine RPM or is it constant, engine on or off? Do you have an ADF and is the noise there also? Is it on both com and nav? All frequencies or a select few? Do you have an "iPad" 5 volt power supply? Any information is useful.

Jim
 
Thanks for the responses.

To fill in some blanks, the static is worse at full power. Some frequencies have less static. One freq had no static, and then developed static. The prob began a couple of months ago. It developed spontaneously while flying. No maintenance was preformed on the A/C prior which might have created the problem. We do not have USB on the plane. The second radio is a KX165, and it has the same problems. We not only swapped out the radios, but also the Garmin audio panel. Engine off, there is no static. No ADF on board.
 
George Foster said:
Thanks for the responses.

To fill in some blanks, the static is worse at full power. Some frequencies have less static. One freq had no static, and then developed static. The prob began a couple of months ago. It developed spontaneously while flying. No maintenance was preformed on the A/C prior which might have created the problem. We do not have USB on the plane. The second radio is a KX165, and it has the same problems. We not only swapped out the radios, but also the Garmin audio panel. Engine off, there is no static. No ADF on board.
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Does it change in any way when you run on a single mag, both L and R?
 
weirdjim said:
Does it change in any way when you run on a single mag, both L and R?
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No, we cycled the mags, turned on and off everything that is in the cockpit from the lights to the intercom. Nothing changes.
 
Take the coax to the ELT antenna off RIGHT AT the ELT. And turn the ELT completely off with the switch on the body of the ELT itself. Report back.

Jim
 
Still stumbling along. We removed the ELT completely and also removed the autopilot and there was no change. I also verified that the static is coming through the VOR receivers while listening to their frequencies.

Next, the mechanic wants to remove four fuses at a time in hopes of isolating the circuit.
 
George Foster said:
Still stumbling along. We removed the ELT completely and also removed the autopilot and there was no change. I also verified that the static is coming through the VOR receivers while listening to their frequencies.

Next, the mechanic wants to remove four fuses at a time in hopes of isolating the circuit.
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Why in the holy cat hair do you need a mechanic to remove a fuse?

Jim
 
Well, problem solved - at oil change time of all things. We have an EDM 700 and the old analog oil sending unit. When the mechanic examined the analog sending unit, he saw the connecting wire was missing the nut. Nut attached - no more static. Maybe time for a new mechanic.
 
Thank you all for your comments......................
 
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