Found Radio Problem - BNC and come lose from antenna.

[CBogle]

Dear members:

A couple of weeks ago my #2 communications radio, a King KY97A started transmit and receive garbled and weak intermitantly. I took the radio to a shop and they put it on the bench and said all was normal and that the problem must be in the antenna or antenna wiring.

Wanting a second opinion before trouble shooting the antenna I borrowed a new radio, slid it in the rack and everything worked fine. This indicated a radio problem so I sent the radio off for repair.

A week later the repair facility called and said they had the radio running for three days and could not find any problem. So, back to the antenna.

I went out to the plane and started looking for problems from the connector at the back of the rack working my way up towards the antenna, opening panels, inspection plates, etc. I wish I had started at the other end because when I got to the antenna, I found the BNC connector had simply come off. I re-attached it and everything is fine.

Murphy's law at work again. Given a 50/50 chance at starting to debug the wiring and antenna from either end, I chose the wrong end and that new radio seeming to work fine really put me on the wrong track. Total cost of finding the disconnected BNC connector - $200.

Regards,

Curt - N4288V

[Indopilot]

On a simular note. My radio man also says that the 90degree BNC connector adaptors can go bad and cause simular problems even though it stays connected It can cause you to pull your hair out.