Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net> (Marvin Kaye)
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 19:56:05 -0500
Message-ID: <redirect-2912647@logan.com>
Reply-To: "Dan Schaefer" <dfs155@earthlink.net>
From: "Dan Schaefer" <dfs155@earthlink.net>
Subject:  Audio panel from RST
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To Peter Sokolowski re: RST audio panel.

Pete, I've been using one for over 10 years and am very pleased with it.
Their unit is very light and seems to be bullet-proof - I've had no problems
with mine whatsoever! I built the one with a separate Marker Beacon receiver
and I recommend that, only because I think it's simpler that way.

I particularly like the feature that allows me to listen to a CD while
humming along but instantly cuts the music if the intercom is used, I
transmit or I receive a call from ATC (or whoever). The only thing I had to
do to tailor the unit to my liking was to reduce one resistor value to get a
little more volume from the AUX (CD) input.

A few years after I built mine, RST came out with a mod to install separate
controls for the intercom (two concentric knobs - in place of an earlier
single - which separately control intercom on - off/volume and squelch
level). I had my unit factory mod'ed and it's a good thing. Units probably
contain this mod from the get-go now, but I'd double check to be sure. You
want this mod.

The unit is fairly easy to build - IF you've had a even little bit of
electronic assembly experience. Some of the PC board conductor runs are
pretty fine and close together and it's easy to get solder bridges and/or
delaminations (from too much soldering iron heat), and you need to be
careful when bundling the wires as there's not much excess room inside the
box once all assembled. Not to say it's really difficult, it just takes
moderate care.

Incidentally, I have no personal interest in RST, I just like their stuff
and chose to build their kits (I built many of my antennas from their kits,
too - VOR, Glide Slope, Marker Beacon and Transponder - and they're
excellent) because I decided at the start that I was going to do everything
I could myself when building my 235.

Cheers for the New Year!

Dan Schaefer