Icom A200 Help needed.

[Yenn]

I recently bought an Icom A200 and couldn't get a quote from the local agent to supply and install, so it came from Airborne Avionics in Narromine.

 

I have used the A200 in several planes and found it to be top quality.

 

I wired the frame up as per the diagrams and gave the set a try. It received OK and when I hit the transmit button a hand held radio gave a hissing sound so i assumed it was transmitting. Unfortunately no speech was transmitted, so I assumed my mike was defective. On trying my headset and mike in a friends plane with an A200 it worked OK. My radio was put into his rack and wouldn't work, so obviously it was my new radio at fault.

 

The local agent tested it and said it was transmitting the carrier wave, but no modulation. He sent it back to Icom and they found nothing wrong with it. It still won't transmit voice or in other words a modulated signal.

 

The way I am going it looks as of the warranty period will run out before I can get it working.

 

Do any of you with radio expertise have any idea of what I have done wrong. That is assuming it is my fault, of have Icom made stuff ups like this in anyone's experience?

 

 

[Guest Michael Coates]

It's really easy to check, if Icom say its working then assume it is (because it would be tested on one of their test boxes used every day)

 

So the next problem would be if you can receive (hear) then your headset is wired correctly and if you are transmitting with no modulation then you need to check the mic wiring.

 

Do you go into an intercom ?? or are you wiring up directly ?? Check the mic wiring, thats probably where you will find the fault and once cured, send Icom a letter and say you have just started using your comm and ask if they can start your warranty from that date. Most avionics companies expect that you wont start using your radio for several months after purchase because a lot of sales are to builders. Thanks

 

 

[bushcaddy105]

Gooday Yenn

 

For what it's worth, my new A200 did 2 visits back to Icom before it worked properly. After 30 mins or so, the audio would get increasingly distorted to the point of being unreadable. First visit they had it 6 weeks, and returned it saying they couldn't find any fault. It was exactly the same, so back it went with a terse letter. 10 days later, it came back with a letter again saying that they found nothing wrong, but had replaced all possible components as a precaution. It has worked perfectly for the last 2 years. Moral of the story - hang in there! (And keep at them until satisfied)