New Avidyne problems, pirep

[carusoam]

The value of RG400 hasn’t come up lately...

If your radio install is using a lot of old wire including what worked before...

Its possible that replacing the old wire with RG400 may have some improvement wanted by the new radios...

PP thoughts only, not an avionics tech...

Best regards,

-a-

[GeeGeeBee]

6 hours ago, carusoam said:

The value of RG400 hasn’t come up lately...

If your radio install is using a lot of old wire including what worked before...

Its possible that replacing the old wire with RG400 may have some improvement wanted by the new radios...

PP thoughts only, not an avionics tech...

Best regards,

-a-

Good point!  Something else to investigate.

https://www.wiremasters.net/about-us/blog/new-ads-b-systems-bring-coaxial-demands-rg58-vs-rg400

[GeeGeeBee]

My avionics shop confirms I have RG400.  So we'll check that off the list.

Will the AUDIO setup settings impact reception?  The options are Active Com (volume level and squelch on/off), Standby Com (volume level and squelch on/off), Sidetone (volume level), Active VLOC (volume level and Id On/Off), and Aural Alert (volume level).

[GeeGeeBee]

To answer myself (and for the benefit of those who follow), yes.  Or at least it apparently made a difference in my case.  Turning all volume levels to off except Active Com has improved my reception.  Things seem okay except for a background rhythmic static pop that appears to be related to my strobe.

[chriscalandro]

Is it clean though?  Sounds like you changed auto squelch to some other more sensitive setting. 
 

as long as it’s clear and not staticky. 

[GeeGeeBee]

Sorry for the delay in responding.  Was down for six weeks with an annual inspection that would not end.  

To answer your question, now that I'm back flying: it's static-y.  Pretty bad actually.  And I lost comm completely on the ground today.

I've also had the same frustration as you, @chriscalandro with Avidyne continually responding to request for tech support or troubleshooting tips with "contact your installer."

If anyone wants to hear what today's flight sounded like and the comparison with my COM2 Garmin GNC255, go here:

https://youtu.be/G5ZKmCVxppE

Help or advice appreciated.  Getting a little frustrated.

[chriscalandro]

Best I’ve got is check your antenna. 
 

Slide a 430 into that slot and try it. 

[N201MKTurbo]

Avidyne needs to admit that they need a new radio engineer. Design a good radio and retrofit all the existing units with it.

[GeeGeeBee]

@chriscalandro, would swapping the output cables between COM1 and COM2 accomplish the same thing?

[LANCECASPER]

I have an Avidyne IFD550 and, as a point of reference, mine was sold and installed by a high volume Aviynde dealer. It was a new install, so it was not dependent on 20+ year old wiring, cabling and antennas, and whatever 430/530 install corners that were cut, prior to WAAS upgrades. My com radio is 5/5 and works well even inside my hangar. 

On a previous airplane I did slide-in replacements with no problems, but this was on a factory installed 530W & 430W. I can imagine how frustrating it is for the customer and for Avidyne on slide-in replacements when the previous installs cut corners on wiring and cabling, or when someone does an install and doesn't follow the installation manual completely.

My experience with Avidyne has been a 10 out of 10 since 2014 when I bought an early IFD540. Any time that I have had a question they have been extremely responsive and even on a software upgrade that went wrong they patiently helped me to get it right. On customer service for me they have been everything that Garmin isn't.

[GeeGeeBee]

@LANCECASPER, I'm glad to hear that.  My experience thus far with Avidyne has been mediocre at best.  Most of the time, the tech support simply consists of "ask your installer."  I'm an engineer and though I'm no avionics expert, I know how to troubleshoot and methodically fix problems.

I get that slide-in replacements can be frustrating for Avidyne but they're the ones touting it.  They had to have realized that they're accepting all the prior cables and antennas and should have designed accordingly.  In my case, my 430W radios were working just fine, so it doesn't seem likely that it's the cables and antenna, though certainly something might have happened during the install.

[N201MKTurbo]

10 minutes ago, GeeGeeBee said:

@LANCECASPER, I'm glad to hear that.  My experience thus far with Avidyne has been mediocre at best.  Most of the time, the tech support simply consists of "ask your installer."  I'm an engineer and though I'm no avionics expert, I know how to troubleshoot and methodically fix problems.

I get that slide-in replacements can be frustrating for Avidyne but they're the ones touting it.  They had to have realized that they're accepting all the prior cables and antennas and should have designed accordingly.  In my case, my 430W radios were working just fine, so it doesn't seem likely that it's the cables and antenna, though certainly something might have happened during the install.

The Avidyne requires much better antennas and cables than any other radio to work properly. That’s because Garmin and King make much better radios.

Just read the sensitivity specs of both. 

[LANCECASPER]

12 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Just read the sensitivity specs of both. 

Please post those so Avidyne can chime in. @Bryan Kahl

[GeeGeeBee]

Thanks @LANCECASPER.  Would love to hear Avidyne's thoughts, not just on the specs and installation requirements but on my issue(s) as well.  @Bryan Kahl

Edited March 14, 2021 by GeeGeeBee
Clarification

[chriscalandro]

10 hours ago, GeeGeeBee said:

Thanks @LANCECASPER.  Would love to hear Avidyne's thoughts, not just on the specs and installation requirements but on my issue(s) as well.  @Bryan Kahl

You could try that, but my experience is that the radio pretty much needs perfection or the radio is garbage. 
 

changing the antenna and cable shouldn’t be too difficult, but yeah, try swapping cables and try a Garmin in the slot if you can. 

[GeeGeeBee]

I will say this - over the past 24 hours I have had several emails from Avidyne tech support and would like to upgrade my "mediocre" rating to "very good."  Hopefully they'll see me all the way to the end and earn an "excellent". 

Right now they seem to be focused on the wiring/connectors/antenna.  They suggest a VSWR test; I will have my installer conduct that as soon as weather permits (he's about 45 minute flight from me).

I did run one more series of test looking at squelch, engine, and alternator.  Results here: 

PS - I discovered after posting this video that the IFD440 does have adjustable squelch levels, but the adjustment is buried and has to be accessed via maintenance mode.

Edited March 16, 2021 by GeeGeeBee
Update

[chriscalandro]

Seems like you have to complain publicly still you actually get their attention. 
 

Since it’s been working, I’ve enjoyed mine. 

[GeeGeeBee]

Update for future reference.  Took the plane back to the installer.  Despite my initial inquiry as to the type of cable connecting to the antenna, they discovered that it actually wasn't RG400 as they had thought (or assumed) but instead was RG58.  They replaced it with RG400 and everything sounds much better now.  Though I did have a stuck mic issue on the flight home.  Hopefully coincidental and unrelated...

[LANCECASPER]

1 hour ago, GeeGeeBee said:

Update for future reference.  Took the plane back to the installer.  Despite my initial inquiry as to the type of cable connecting to the antenna, they discovered that it actually wasn't RG400 as they had thought (or assumed) but instead was RG58.  They replaced it with RG400 and everything sounds much better now.  Though I did have a stuck mic issue on the flight home.  Hopefully coincidental and unrelated...

 

Glad to hear that your problems are solved. Thanks for letting us know.

Amazing how Avidyne got bashed in this thread when both problems were related to not following the installation instructions and using the correct cabling. I hope your shop treated you fairly when replacing your RG58 with RG400.

[MikeOH]

4 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

 

Glad to hear that your problems are solved. Thanks for letting us know.

Amazing how Avidyne got bashed in this thread when both problems were related to not following the installation instructions and using the correct cabling. I hope your shop treated you fairly when replacing your RG58 with RG400.

Yeah.  AND, it makes perfect sense why Avidyne kept telling him to, "Talk to your INSTALLER!"

[dzeleski]

FWIW my 440 slid right in and its radio is far better then the 430 it replaced. I have not had any issues with it at all since day one of the install. I did have a GS antenna connector that was disconnected, I reached out to support and they were pretty helpful in narrowing it down with me.

[bmcconnaha]

8 minutes ago, dzeleski said:

FWIW my 440 slid right in and its radio is far better then the 430 it replaced. I have not had any issues with it at all since day one of the install. I did have a GS antenna connector that was disconnected, I reached out to support and they were pretty helpful in narrowing it down with me.

it is!  430/530 doesnt compare to the IFD series. the one issue i had avidyne repaired within a 48 hour window with no issues.  most avionics issues I've found are install issues.  

[chriscalandro]

18 hours ago, MikeOH said:

Yeah.  AND, it makes perfect sense why Avidyne kept telling him to, "Talk to your INSTALLER!"

Looks like you missed the part where mine was a COMBINATION of the radio not liking the old wire AND the original radio having a fault on the com card...

 

I still don't think that a quality radio should have that much degraded quality from RG58 to RG400.

[ZuluZulu]

3 hours ago, bmcconnaha said:

it is!  430/530 doesnt compare to the IFD series.

Considering the IFD was introduced 15 years later, I would hope so!  In other news, my iPad beats the hell out of my Newton.

[MikeOH]

5 hours ago, chriscalandro said:

Looks like you missed the part where mine was a COMBINATION of the radio not liking the old wire AND the original radio having a fault on the com card...

 

I still don't think that a quality radio should have that much degraded quality from RG58 to RG400.

Sure, hook it up with twisted pair...