ANN Flies With A PMA 8000B... The Best Audio Panel We've Ever
Owned
PS-Engineering may be a company with humble origins... but there
is no doubt that General Aviation wouldn't sound the same without
them.
Earlier this year, PS-Engineering's PMA8000B won a coveted
"Gadget Of The Year" award... because they earned it.
Up against the Garmin juggernaut, it is impressive to note that
a little company can still specialize in one thing, do it better
than anyone, and keep mighty Goliath/Garmin at bay. Such a company
is PS Engineering... the PMA 8000B installed in our SR22-G3's panel
is not only the best/most easy-to-use audio panel we've ever owned,
it has a bag of tricks that just won't quit... and the RECENT
addition of MP3 capability means taking your tunes wherever you go.
These folks are simply the best in the biz...
Pilots may upload files to the panel using a portable USB Thumb
drive. Once the Thumb Drive is connected to the audio panel by the
supplied USB cable, pressing the Function and Transfer Keys
automatically starts the transfer process. The PMA8000B-MP3
provides audio annunciations to keep the pilot advised of the
status and the completion of the transfer. Front panel buttons
accomplishes MP3 On/Off, Skip Forward, Pause, Random, Sequential,
and Volume Up/Down. The music is distributed to the crew and
passengers according the pilot controlled configurations, also
easily changed 'on-the-fly.'
When paired with the Avidyne Entegra Release 9 system, the
PMA8000B takes on amazing capabilities and is about as perfect an
addition to R9 as we've seen (and in fact, we strongly advise you
to add the PMA8000B to any R9 installation... its worth the
expense, even if you have an elder audio system that still works
well... the PMA8000B will simply blow you away with the
functionality it brings to R9). The Avidyne version of the PMA8000B
allows R9 to know what combination of VHF communications
transceivers are selected by the crew, allowing the IFDs to display
plain-English station identifier information about the radio
frequency selected, so at a glance, pilots know exactly with whom
they will be talking when they key their mic (you do not want to
know how many times this has eliminated the potential for confusion
onboard our bird).
In addition, Avidyne notes that the PMA8000B leverages the full
four-channel communications capability of Entegra Release 9's
dual-DVX740 VHF radio modules by adding the ability to
simultaneously monitor its standby frequencies along with the
active frequencies. This can be very valuable during IFR operations
such as when you are flying IFR to an uncontrolled airport and you
are in two-way communication with approach control, listening to
ATIS, monitoring the common traffic advisory frequency for the
destination, and monitoring 121.5, the guard frequency.
We're truly happy with the way our airplane is getting us around
these days and the addition of the PMA8000B is a significant reason
why. This unit and the company that builds it has our Highest
Recommendation.
Pssssssssst! Now Hear This! Cool Facts About
PS-Engineering
- PS Engineering® has been making intercoms for 25 years
- Since the beginning, PS Engineering set a benchmark in intercom
design and is the originator of individually gated microphone to
reduce cockpit noise.
- PS Engineering pioneered music in airplanes with our Patented
SoftMute™ as well as the Karaoke Mode™ and provided the
very first FAA-approved stereo intercom.
- PS Engineering offers four different models of intercoms (in 13
flavors) that cover the market from 2-place LSA, to open cockpit
warbirds, four and six place aircraft, and up to 10-place corporate
aircraft, in every price range and capability.
- PS Engineering audio panels have been into outer space, aboard
SpaceshipOne, and will be returning aboard SpaceShipTwo
- PS Engineering was the first to introduced an internal digital
radio recorder in intercoms back in 1992.
- PS Engineering has been making Audio Panels for 15 years,
combining intercom and audio control for system utility greater
than the sum of its parts.
- PS Engineering invented and Patented the SWAP Mode™, and
introduced GA pilots to "Split" mode.
- PS Engineering has successfully Patented and has fielded more
than 60,000 IntelliVOX® automatic squelch circuits, reducing
workload and improving cockpit communications.
- PS Engineering has six different models of audio panels,
ranging from least expensive FAA-EASA certified unit with marker,
to drop in replacements for aging King audio panels, to the
experimental PMA9000EX with LCD display, to the PMA8000B with
Bluetooth phone and streaming music.
- PS Engineering has invented more capabilities in audio control
panels than anybody, including IntelliVox® automatic VOX, Front
Panel Utility Jack, Multiple Music Muting Modes, Pilot Music in
Isolate mode, full duplex Telephone Interface, and Digital Recorder
(IRS™).
- PS Engineering keeps the cost of ownership down, with up to
3-years of warranty, and a low flat-rate repair cost
structure.
- PS Engineering has two units in the Smithsonian Air & Space
Museum, aboard Bob Hoover's Shrike Commander and in
SpaceshipOne.
- PS Engineering has partnered with Avidyne, Honeywell, and L-3
Communications and former UPS-AT to provide audio control system
for their avionics suites.
- PS Engineering is a pioneer in In-Flight Entertainment, with
certified, aviation-designed CD and DVD players as well as audio
panels with built-in SIRIUS Satellite Radio.
- PS Engineering makes all their products, from automated PC
board assembly to the finished units, in an East Tennessee in a
town of 8,000 people.
PS-Engineering Keeps Making News!
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.16.24)
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