Which radio - Garmin GTR 225 or Icom A-220

Half Fast

Half Fast

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Half Fast
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Soon I will need to replace the antique Val radio in my Beech. VFR-only, just need comm. The plane has a pretty new Garmin audio panel.

Radios under consideration are the Garmin GTR-225 and the Icom A-220. The two shops I’ve queried are pushing the Garmin. Not too surprising, as it costs about $500 more than the Icom.

I’d appreciate some opinions, especially from owners of either radio.
 
Half Fast said:
Soon I will need to replace the antique Val radio in my Beech. VFR-only, just need comm. The plane has a pretty new Garmin audio panel.

Radios under consideration are the Garmin GTR-225 and the Icom A-220. The two shops I’ve queried are pushing the Garmin. Not too surprising, as it costs about $500 more than the Icom.

I’d appreciate some opinions, especially from owners of either radio.
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Looked at the Trig TY96A yet?
 
I installed the Garmin GTR-225, because it integrated with my Aera 660. I can pull airport frequency information on the Aera 660 and send it to the GTR-225's standby, then I can monitor both the active freq and the standby freq. So I can pull up the approaching airport information page on the Aera 660, pull up ATIS and send it to the GTR's standby, hit the the monitor button and listen to ATIS while still having approach/center in active then after getting weather send the airports TWR Freq to standby where it is ready for the handoff. All while never dialing in a freq. The Aera 660 is mounted on my yoke and is easily controlled with my thumb. The Garmin GTR-225 while connected to my Aera 660 will also know where it is and know the frequencies of the Airport/Centers/FSS. I am still learning what all it will do.
 
c177tx said:
I installed the Garmin GTR-225, because it integrated with my Aera 660. I can pull airport frequency information on the Aera 660 and send it to the GTR-225's standby, then I can monitor both the active freq and the standby freq. So I can pull up the approaching airport information page on the Aera 660, pull up ATIS and send it to the GTR's standby, hit the the monitor button and listen to ATIS while still having approach/center in active then after getting weather send the airports TWR Freq to standby where it is ready for the handoff. All while never dialing in a freq. The Aera 660 is mounted on my yoke and is easily controlled with my thumb. The Garmin GTR-225 while connected to my Aera 660 will also know where it is and know the frequencies of the Airport/Centers/FSS. I am still learning what all it will do.
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I have a Stratus ESG/3i combo for ADSB in-out and connect a tablet to the 3i for gps nav. Works fine, but it won’t interface with the GTR like your 660 will.
 
Ive flown both and its Hands down Garmin GTR-225, which is in my SLING 2. Feature rich for a basic radio, if you learn to use its features.
 
I've been happy with my GTR-225. Depending on your installer's religious beliefs on TSO, you may be able to get a GTR-200.
 
Installed one last fall as a replacement for a KX-175b. Lost the glide slope but I'm VFR only, so not an issue. Very happy with the unit. I'm also hardwired to an Aera, see comments from c177tx above. Very good display, reminds me of a Kindle paperwhite display. Visible from a pretty wide angle and doesn't wash out in direct sunlight. Since it gets a position from the Aera, can display 10 closest airport/ATC frequencies. Can store "most used" frequencies, 10 I think. Displays the name of the frequency in active and standby which is helpful as a check if I mis-enter a frequency. Also stores last used as well. Been told the TX is strong and clear. Do wish the flip-flop button was a bit bigger, occasionally takes more than one attempt to go from standby to active, maybe I'm just fat fingered. Do recommend the unit.
 
Half Fast said:
Looked at it briefly. Do you have one? Like it?
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I do not have one, but I've had my eye on it. One feature it has that the Garmin and the ICOM do not is playback of the previous radio call. Other than that, all 3 have monitor mode, on-screen stuck-mic reporting, under-voltage reporting, "favorites" and one-touch 121.5Mhz. The Garmin and the Trig have database features and GPS interface while the ICOM does not, although the two implement it differently (Garmin requires a paid subscription while the Trig is free but DIY). The Trig and the ICOM are 1.33" high while the Garmin is 1.66" high (the non-TSO GTR200 is 1.33"). The ICOM has fewer pixels and looks uglier because of it.
 
I have a 225, I like it. But, I did have to send it in and have it fixed, it would change frequencies on its own.
 
Do yourself a favor and don't get the iCom. I've installed several of them. And IMHO, having to remove the faceplate to pull it from the panel is enough reason to dislike them. But wait, there's more! The menu system leaves a lot to be desired. And, the radio keyline is not compatible with several popular intercoms found in many light Cessnas and Pipers, without first adding a relay to the PTT circuit.
 
wilkersk said:
Do yourself a favor and don't get the iCom. I've installed several of them. And IMHO, having to remove the faceplate to pull it from the panel is enough reason to dislike them. But wait, there's more! The menu system leaves a lot to be desired. And, the radio keyline is not compatible with several popular intercoms found in many light Cessnas and Pipers, without first adding a relay to the PTT circuit.
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Good to know. Thx!
 
wilkersk said:
Do yourself a favor and don't get the iCom. I've installed several of them. And IMHO, having to remove the faceplate to pull it from the panel is enough reason to dislike them. But wait, there's more! The menu system leaves a lot to be desired. And, the radio keyline is not compatible with several popular intercoms found in many light Cessnas and Pipers, without first adding a relay to the PTT circuit.
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Is the A220 the one you are referring to? I know the A210 required faceplate removal, which I abhorred, but I thought they fixed that with the A220…

edit - after reading the manual, it appears the faceplate does need to be removed on the A220. That’s a deal-breaker. Horrible design and no excuse for a feature like that if that is still the case.
 
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Jesse Saint said:
Is the A220 the one you are referring to? I know the A210 required faceplate removal, which I abhorred, but I thought they fixed that with the A220…

edit - after reading the manual, it appears the faceplate does need to be removed on the A220. That’s a deal-breaker. Horrible design and no excuse for a feature like that if that is still the case.
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I've got one on the bench right now. The owner, a friend of mine, got a "great deal" on it and it was too late to talk him out of it. So, when the crap storm that is my life settles down, I get to install another one. Last one I swear!
 
I didn't mind the installation on my A210 but never liked the dim display. It did transmit/receive great, however
 
Installed the A220. Yes,was a-bit shocked by the stupid face plate removal requirement ,but how often do you need to remove/replace the radio? Not a make or break issue in my opinion. Yes, the setup menu is ridiculously intense. Oddly the procedure is to adjust the “settings” first, then the “configuration”. Seems backwards , but after all is said and done the A220 is a wonderful radio. Clear, easy to read, simple to operate and so far very reliable. It was installed as my #2 comm but it has become my primary comm over my Garmin nav/comm unit.
 
Jesse Saint said:
Is the A220 the one you are referring to? I know the A210 required faceplate removal, which I abhorred, but I thought they fixed that with the A220…

edit - after reading the manual, it appears the faceplate does need to be removed on the A220. That’s a deal-breaker. Horrible design and no excuse for a feature like that if that is still the case.
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I feel your pain, other than face R&R I actually like the radio itself. I've been flying with an A210 for at least 10 years and have R&R it multiple (with one hand) times due to multiple panel changes.

R&R is easy once I stopped messing with the ribbon cable. I started taking out the radio above it (now GTN) first and setting the iCom display in the tray above. The cable is long enough to do that, and then loosening the A210 chassis screws and once that was complete I would just put the screen back on the chassis rather than disconnecting the ribbon cable.

I broke the ribbon cable it came with and promptly ordered 10 extras which were reasonably priced and not a huge problem to get by calling the iCom corporate #. That was all pre-Covid so who knows what customer service is like now. I think I still have 8 new ones.

The iCom in my ship is a #2 radio and not a primary, that being said there was a time where I used it as #1 Com, when a GNC250XL was #1, the Icom sounded so much better it was the radio I used on every flight. It still sounds better than my GTN650Xi but I tend to use the GTN the most.

The iCom screen is a pretty big LCD and it blocks the traditional one mount screw though the face design. I like the knobs tactile feel on the iCom a lot better than any of the Garmins I've flown.
upload_2021-10-28_7-11-13.png

(older picture pre-GTNXi upgrade)
upload_2021-10-28_7-15-8.png
 
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I just put a GTR225 in my 170 and love it. Highly recommend. Came from an old Narco mk12d.
 
c177tx said:
I installed the Garmin GTR-225, because it integrated with my Aera 660. I can pull airport frequency information on the Aera 660 and send it to the GTR-225's standby, then I can monitor both the active freq and the standby freq. So I can pull up the approaching airport information page on the Aera 660, pull up ATIS and send it to the GTR's standby, hit the the monitor button and listen to ATIS while still having approach/center in active then after getting weather send the airports TWR Freq to standby where it is ready for the handoff. All while never dialing in a freq. The Aera 660 is mounted on my yoke and is easily controlled with my thumb. The Garmin GTR-225 while connected to my Aera 660 will also know where it is and know the frequencies of the Airport/Centers/FSS. I am still learning what all it will do.
Click to expand...

Same set up for me. Highly recommend the Garmin GTR-225.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Half Fast said:
Soon I will need to replace the antique Val radio in my Beech. VFR-only, just need comm. The plane has a pretty new Garmin audio panel.

Radios under consideration are the Garmin GTR-225 and the Icom A-220. The two shops I’ve queried are pushing the Garmin. Not too surprising, as it costs about $500 more than the Icom.

I’d appreciate some opinions, especially from owners of either radio.
Click to expand...

Why not a GTR-200? I was going to put a 225 in but my IA said there is no TSO requirement just that the radio meets FCC certs, so we put in the 200.
 
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