After a failed trip to Memphis yesterday due to low ceilings....too low to get over the Appalacians and too extensive to fly VFR on top and hope for the hole to appear near the fuel stop I am putting the IFR certification on the front burner. Trip would have been an easy one if I had basic IFR avionics. Hated to disappoint my 2 year old girl as she wanted to see grand dad, but in a VFR craft, the 180 was the safest thing to do. I recall someone recently mention that they had a Narco NAV 122 for sale....sent a PM but have received no response. Can't remember where I saw the post concerning the NAV 122. Anyone know where I can find one for a good price as this unit would save a lot of radio panel space and set me up for VOR/LOC/GS approaches as well as adding MB capability
This post may have been more suitable for the "trademart" section, but I could not figure out how to post there...even though I am a TIC170 member. Probably something simple I am overlooking this early morning
John, I hope you find a good radio. You're so right about IFR, it makes the airplane useful for travel. A year ago I installed a KX-155 with G/S. With the help of a Garmin 295 it's made IFR flying possible. Not "heavy" IFR but all those many times when it's not quite VFR and you have to punch through a few clouds. Here in Florida and the East coast it's actually easier than VFR. Good luck !
Rudy
John
The fellow with the Nav 122 is Tom Schulke. I hate to put his e-mail or phone within this post but you'll find him posting as "classic170". Look at pg 2 of the insurance thread. He's the fellow in Waupaca WI that I bought the Lycoming 180 from. A real fair and nice guy. I know that he's out of town until Sunday or so.
Thanks for the tips! I think I may reconsider the NAV 122. After calling around in Norther VA, there are not many Narco shops around. My local King shop cannot install Narco avionics as he does not have any of the intallation manuals. I called the nearest Narco shop that would answer the phone, and was told that the NAV 122 is a "fickle" unit. You have some that are rock solid for years, and then there are quite a few that need service on a regular basis. I was then told of the mechanical gearing nightmare used to change frequencies, the lacking sensitivity of the marker receiver, and the fact that these units are as old as my KX 170B. All this coming from the dealers mouth! I like the physical packaging of the NAV 122, as it is ideal for a 170 with limited radio stack options, but not if it is going to be going into the shop twice a year. And then I ask myself do I want my first string NAV receiver to be a "finicky" 20 year old unit that has had thousands of cycles of baking and freezing in some airplane somewhere? I know Narco has the 122D out now, which is nice, but then the PRICE??? and the poor dealer network in my area. VAL has a nice all in one NAV unit, but then again the PRICE! I can get a good KX-155 NAVCOM....installed.....for less than the price of the VAL itself.
Sooooo I think I am going back to my original idea of the KX-155 that my local dealer installs and services. Will take up more space in the panel that I wanted to save for an ADF, but perhaps I can use the spare instrument hole to mount a round #2 COM and still have room for the KLN88 and a KR86 or 87 ADF receiver.
My 170A has the Narco Nav122D installed. I've never had any problems with it, it has picked up signals as far as 70nm out from the VOR. The unit is very stable. The unit comes with a detailed installation manual but does not have the Mrkr Bcn recevior with it.
Yes, the Narco rep told me the NAV 122D was a much improved version of the old 122...much more reliable. Seems the Narco folks thought they had too much packed in one case and did away with the MB receiver and outboarded the GS receiver. I briefly considered it until I saw the price When I picked myself up off the ground and got back in the chair, I asked my King shop to get ready for the KX-155 installation.
The only thing really wrong with King Radios is that they're terribly hard on aircraft doors and door locks. I've never heard of an airplane being broken into to steal a Narco radio!
I had one of the older Nav122's in my 206 and for 6 years it worked great. It was accurate and I didn't have any "sensitivity" problems. The only problem I had with it was when I loaned my airplane out and I suspect that the guy (airline type, I suspect maybe was not accustomed to personal aircraft and could rely on depot-type maintenance at any base on industrial-strength equipment) was just a little too "rough" ratcheting thru the freq's in early morning startups and below freezing weather. (And then again, it could've just as well been me that would have broken it on the next flight I made. I don't really blame anyone. After all, when I bought the plane it was already a radio 10 years old.) I had to have the Compass Rose-card replaced due to broken gear teeth. Anyway, Narco fixed it and had it back in my hands in 10 days with 90 warranty for $120. I sold the airplane 4 years later and to this day I wish I had removed that Nav122 and kept it. I want another for my 170 but just can't justify the price just now for ILS in an airplane I only fly IFR to get above or below a cloud layer.
I am putting the IFR certification on the front burner. Trip would have been an easy one if I had basic IFR avionics. Hated to disappoint my 2 year old girl as she wanted to see grand dad, but in a VFR craft, the 180 was the safest thing to do. I recall someone recently mention that they had a Narco NAV 122 for sale....sent a PM but have received no response. Can't remember where I saw the post concerning the NAV 122. Anyone know where I can find one for a good price as this unit would save a lot of radio panel space and set me up for VOR/LOC/GS approaches as well as adding MB capability 
