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KX-170B Nav/Com Great piece of kit

The only time I’ve had a dual radio failure was when I first had the aircraft, with two KX170B’s in the panel. And that happened in the middle of the Irish sea. I still have them, (3 actually) suitable spares only, free to anyone who wants to pick up the courier charge. I could use the space.

EGBW / KPRC, United Kingdom

Bathman wrote:

I thought the display on narco units was very easy and cheap to replace. Isn’t it the same display as used in slot machines?.

No, the COM810 uses a proprietary cold cathode display, similar to the one in the KX155. (Neon orange 7 segment displays with some extra proprietary light-up symbols and messages). You can now only get the displays NOS (new old stock) or second hand, they go for about US$200+ on ebay.

Last Edited by alioth at 14 May 12:04
Andreas IOM

When I converted to an aircraft with a radio, in 1965, it only had a few active channels. I understood an engineer could change these. My first marine radio, fitted to a boat I bought, was huge. When it failed in the late 70s, the VHF I replaced it with had only a few active channels, but these were user-selectable by re-positioning pins.
Ibra wrote:

the pilot does not even know how to increase the volume let alone tune frequencies or transmit morse codes

Morse Code and Semaphore were taught in my first term in secondary school, as a 12 year old. I transferred at the end of one term to another school where I learned more usefull things, such as Latin.

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

In the real old days

Let me guess? they had RT operator onboard (sometimes +navigator), the pilot does not even know how to increase the volume let alone tune frequencies or transmit morse codes

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

It’s not a display. It is plastic drums with the numbers painted on them. These rotate together with a switch which switches in some bits which set the frequency. I most likely have a MM somewhere…

In the real old days you had a big version of this called a carousel which contained a load of quartz crystals I remember these

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I thought the display on narco units was very easy and cheap to replace. Isn’t it the same display as used in slot machines?. Digikey I think

Hence my thumbs up for the king 170/175 no electronic display to fail.

Last Edited by Bathman at 11 May 15:02

I repaired the displays on my 824 Nav, some segments were missing when I bought the plane. I never use the Nav radio but I believe the display is still OK 10 years later. The 810 Comm has given me no trouble so far but I have the spare radio on the shelf for when it does. I could fly with these radios for a very long time…

Ah, I used to have a Narco 810 from Not A Radio Company. The high voltage displays seem to fail for fun (I replaced it with a Garmin GTR 225 when it failed for the nth time). I still have the 810 on my shelf as a curiosity.

Last Edited by alioth at 11 May 12:30
Andreas IOM

Only a small, I don’t know the numbers but perhaps tiny, fraction of the worlds GA aircraft fly in airspace requiring 2280 radio communication channels. For the rest of us, and particularly those for whom the radio (singular) is an accessory that allows us to get into ATC controlled airports and out again, no other purpose, older radios are fine. Mine is the dreaded 760 channel Narco 810, fully functional with some cosmetic parts taken from another that didn’t work, and with yet another (720 channel variant) as a functional spare bought for a couple of hundred dollars. I like using it, but it’s known to be fragile so I’d prefer a King of similar vintage.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 10 May 15:08

Say Again stevelup

Last Edited by Ibra at 10 May 12:48
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom
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