Avionics failure yesterday...

In article ,
Jose wrote:


If you key the mike, does the TX light up? You could go to 121.5 and
use morse code. Clumsy, but possible in a true emergency, so long as
you don't get distracted by it.

OK, all you controller types out there -- what are the odds that anybody on
121.5 would know enough code these days to have a clue what was being sent
(or even recognize it as anything but a bunch of annoying clicking noises).

wrote:


Thanks. In reality, it was not a big deal. It's what it could have
been had there actually been a fire.


I had a similar thing once. I had just pulled my plane out of the shop
where they had worked on the voltage regulator. I don't know if it was
just my imagination or what but I was sure as I was climbing out I
smelled electrical smoke and thought I might have detected some
visually. I keyed the mike and told the tower I was coming back and
shutting off the master now. I did, and as I am on short final
I notice the entire Air National Guard crash and rescue brigade
racing to the approach end of the runway. Oh well, better safe
than sorry, I just hope they don't drown me in foam before I can
get out of the aircraft.


I mention the batteries because I once was a passenger in a IFR
(but VMC) NORDO plane and the pilot's hand held batteries were
also moribund. I did manage to get clearance to land at Dulles
with only the receiver working.

Roy Smith wrote:
In article ,
Jose wrote:

If you key the mike, does the TX light up? You could go to 121.5 and
use morse code. Clumsy, but possible in a true emergency, so long as
you don't get distracted by it.

OK, all you controller types out there -- what are the odds that anybody on
121.5 would know enough code these days to have a clue what was being sent
(or even recognize it as anything but a bunch of annoying clicking noises).

Not sure they'd recognize morse code, but that doesn't mean that can't
be an effective means of communications. If you were still on the
original approach frequency, the controller might guess who it was
and say:

N5327K if that is you trying to transmit click the mike twice.

and so forth to ask simple questions about what you wanted to do.

The time we lost all electrical but I had effectively a receive-only
handheld radio, they issued turn instructions to us for identification
and to inquire about our intentions.

If you key the mike, does the TX light up? You could go to 121.5 and
use morse code. Clumsy, but possible in a true emergency, so long as
you don't get distracted by it.

No, it didn't. There was no transmit and no receive. I assumed that
when I said "the radios were dead" I didn't need to explain further.

IF the transmit light was going on, and I DID know a bit of morsecode,
it might have been worthwhile to pound out a few letters, but just
barely. What I should have done, as I said, is squawk 7600.

wrote:

Lessons learned:

1) ALWAYS have handheld with me. I own one - I'd left it in my own
152, which is what I usually fly. Nothing but laziness in not taking
it with me. (What could go wrong on a short, local flight, after
all?!)

2) Take a bit of time to think about a squawk in any lost-comm
situation. Really, it would have taken 5s to change the squawk and I
had plenty of time.

Would welcome any comments on the experience.


Be sure you have a head set adapter. Handhelds are very hard to use with
all the noise. I have one.
--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

Ron Natalie writes:

I mention the batteries because I once was a passenger in a IFR
(but VMC) NORDO plane and the pilot's hand held batteries were
also moribund. I did manage to get clearance to land at Dulles
with only the receiver working.

Lithium batteries will hold their charge for a decade at least. They
are also very light, and they provide high current on demand. I use
them exclusively for everything when I have the option.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote:
Ron Natalie writes:

I mention the batteries because I once was a passenger in a IFR
(but VMC) NORDO plane and the pilot's hand held batteries were
also moribund. I did manage to get clearance to land at Dulles
with only the receiver working.

Lithium batteries will hold their charge for a decade at least. They
are also very light, and they provide high current on demand. I use
them exclusively for everything when I have the option.


Even plain old Alkalines will work. The problem is NiCads and NiMH
suffer from self discharge which is excacerbated by heat (i.e.,
leaving the radio to bake in closed up airplane).

On 25 Sep 2006 19:43:30 -0700, wrote:

At first I read this as the master, but I think you meant the avionics
master. Did any radio lights come on? Did the transponder do its
transponder blikey thing?

It was the avionics master, yes. Everything but the audio panel came
back on - the radio were just fine, but with a dead audio panel there's
no way to use them!

The 2000 SPs have dual-bus avionics masters. Just curious, did you
try just one side of the switch? Kill the avionics master, turn
everything off by their individual switches and then try turning back
on just the COM1 etc? Also, without a functioning audio panel (if
that's the component which broke) the EMRG mode (click the on/off
switch) should tie you directly to COM1 and give you a radio.

Course, if you're staring at an airport when it happens and not IMC at
the time, the checklist is pretty pointless beyond "turn off power to
all devices."

Roy Smith wrote:
In article ,
Jose wrote:

If you key the mike, does the TX light up? You could go to 121.5 and
use morse code. Clumsy, but possible in a true emergency, so long as
you don't get distracted by it.

OK, all you controller types out there -- what are the odds that anybody on
121.5 would know enough code these days to have a clue what was being sent
(or even recognize it as anything but a bunch of annoying clicking noises).

Actually, an easy, although slow way, is to use the identification
symbol on a VOR on a chart for a guide. I've entertained myself on long
flights like that before.

"Peter Clark" wrote in message
...
On 25 Sep 2006 19:43:30 -0700, wrote:

At first I read this as the master, but I think you meant the avionics
master. Did any radio lights come on? Did the transponder do its
transponder blikey thing?

It was the avionics master, yes. Everything but the audio panel came
back on - the radio were just fine, but with a dead audio panel there's
no way to use them!

The 2000 SPs have dual-bus avionics masters. Just curious, did you
try just one side of the switch?

???

THE Master is a two-part red switch (ALT/BAT) but AFAIK, the "Avionics
Master" is a one piece white switch.
Of course, each component has it's own on-off interface.

Jay B