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I need input

The previous owner of my plane posted a bunch of photos online so he could send the link to any prospective buyers. I still look at them from time to time, because I'm still learning about the plane and there are sometimes things I want to look at when I'm at home.

Several days ago, I was looking through the photos when something caught my eye. The photo in question was this one:


Below the transponder is a small light, and what looks like a small audio socket. When he was showing me the plane, the seller explained what the light was for but I couldn't remember what it was. And I didn't recall any mention of the jack at all. So I emailed him about it.

The light is for the ADS-B out transmitter. If it experiences a fault and is no longer transmitting my position, this light will illuminate. I looked up the pilot guide for the Garmin GDL-82 that is installed in the plane and it has a reference to this feature as well. One question answered.

As for the thing next to the light, he believes it is a place where a switch could be installed that toggles a feature of the GDL-82. If the switch is installed, switching it on enables "anonymous" mode where the tail number is not included in the ADS-B out broadcast. This feature is also described in the pilot guide for the GDL-82.

Thing is, it really, really looks like a standard 1/8" stereo plug. I know that the intercom has an input for an external audio source so you could hook up a phone, music player, etc. If this object really is an input jack, I could use a cable with a 1/8" stereo plug on each end to connect my iPad mini to the intercom by plugging one end into the headphone jack on the tablet, and other into the jack on the panel.

So today I went out to the airport to check on a couple things. The first thing I wanted to do was make sure the plane was okay after the major winter storm that went through last weekend. I also wanted to test the radios again, as well as try out my handheld backup radio. Finally, I wanted to see if this object actually is an auxiliary audio input jack for the intercom so I took a short, double-ended cable and my iPad.

When it comes to the radios, radio number 1 seemed to work just fine, even with the intercom turned on. Radio number 2, however, seemed not to be transmitting voice. It was transmitting carrier, as I could trigger the automatic weather reporting system, but requests for a radio check got no response. The backup handheld radio worked fine so, at the very least, I can use it if I fly before the shop has a chance to look at the comm stack and things go screwy again.

When it comes to the jack, well, it turns out that it really is a 1/8" jack and it really is wired up to the intercom as an aux input. This is really cool. This means that I can connect the iPad to it and, if I'm running an app that provides an audible traffic alert like ForeFlight or FltPlan Go, I'll be able to hear it.

Comments

  1. GaryMarch 17, 2021 at 4:40 AM

    My new to me Commander did not come with a bluetooth audio panel like my last plane had. I found a work around using the imput jack on my panel by connecting a bluetooth device that runs for 10-15 hours and connects to my iPad and phone. The unit is made by TaoTronics.

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