Reman Or New???

[Jerseywing]

The J2 is about ready to come home and I have to buy some avionics. There are about a zillion sizes and styles out there with the prices having the same range as well. I have been looking at every mag and website to try and figure out what to get, but in looking at things, should I go with remanufactured equipment or new? I'm trying to keep the costs down, and there is some nice reman stuff out there that would be about the same cost as some of the new equipment.
If anyone has any experience with this I'd love to hear your opinion

Thanks,
Mike

[KenSandyEggo]

Mike, I've had the Icom A200 panel radio in mine for almost 500 hours and it gets very heavy usage in my area. It has performed flawlessly. At less than $800, I feel it's an excellent buy. It has flip-flop frequencies and 9 storage freqs.

If you need a transponder, I recommend the Garmin 320A. It's around $1300 and has also worked great. One of it's nice features is that it's an inch or 2 shorter than most other transponders, which gives you a little more maneuvering room on install. You can get a new encoder for around $150. Do you have much room for the radios? Can you use the open storage compartment at the left of the panel? Maybe a plate to fit the opening with your radios mounted on it. The original space at the lower center looks pretty cramped for much more than a mini-radio.

[StanFoster]

Ken: I just ordered an ICOM 200 for my RAF. I just have not had very good transmissions with my handheld. During my annual...I ran a new cable and a new antennae on the keel. I found a bad bnc connector and it did improve...but nothing like it should.

Stan

[Jerseywing]

I like the Icom, and the Garmin, (i'd really like to get the GTX 327 but its$$$) I contacted Narco and got the opening dimensions for the Escort that is in it now. It looks like they'll both fit there as long as I have the depth.
Do I need to get a seperate intercom or does the Icom have the capability?
I was hoping to put a garmin 296 in the left storage area

[KenSandyEggo]

My hangar-neighbor sent in his comm radio (a Narco) to be repaired to Narco and I think it's like 3 months and he still doesn't have it back. He's really unhappy with their service.

I'm not sure about the intercom on the Icom. If it does have one, it's probably a hot-mic, which is very annoying or a push to talk, which isn't too good because I feel like I need 3 hands to fly my gyro now. I'm sorry I didn't get a stick-grip that has enough switches/buttons for the radio, flip-flop feature and memory-frequencies' cycling. The Icom has all those options.

It looks like the radio panel could be removed and replaced with one that will accomodate the radios. I wonder how much depth there is. The left storage area seems like a good spot, especially if you need a radio and transponder. I notice the J-2 didn't come with a VSI either. I'd have a hard time without one. I want to know if I'm going up or down and how fast.

Here's a photo of a typical J2 panel with the radio way at the bottom.

[Harry_S.]

Stan: Are you using a dipole antenna ?


Cheers

[Brent_Brown]

J2s are cool. To bad not being made anymore

[Aussie_Paul]

If it does have one, it's probably a hot-mic, which is very annoying or a push to talk, which isn't too good because I feel like I need 3 hands to fly my gyro now.

[Aussie_Paul]

......If it does have one, it's probably a hot-mic, which is very annoying or a push to talk, which isn't too good because I feel like I need 3 hands to fly my gyro now.

Get a stable gyro Ken!!!!!!

I have to be cheeky after the oz s**t that I have had to put up with!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aussie Paul,

[KenSandyEggo]

Uuuuuh....I'm pretty sure my AAI conversion is stable. By 3 hands, I mean the throttle, stick, radio freq changes (I hit 3 before I take off...ATIS, ground and tower. Same on the way back. At Palm Springs, they also throw in clearance delivery). Sometimes I also have to change the transponder code and sometimes squawk the number and I also have to keep adjusting the squelch on my intercom because I fly with the doors off. I also have to adjust the trim if I have a passenger. Oh, I also have to change my GPS to where I'm going. That's not even taking into account eating a TV dinner, opening my cans of beer, untieing my shoes and lighting my cigar while I'm enroute.

[Jerseywing]

As long as you don't have to cut the tip off the cigar it should be safe...