Transponder

N2865C · Post by **N2865C** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:00 am

My transponder died an unglamorous death yesterday

. Unfortunately I have never been able to find an avionics shop in our area that I trust or that doesn't have a two month wait. Any recommendations for a shop that I could ship my KT76A to for repair?

Robert Eilers · Post by **Robert Eilers** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:52 am

I have heard that Sterling at Buchannan field CCR does good work. I also hear they are not cheap. Don't know about the wait. The best shop in the Bay Area, as far as I am concerned, was Bay Avionics who recently closed their shop at OAK (Port was squeezing the life out of them). I am hoping they will start up again at LVK.

hilltop170 · Post by **hilltop170** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:53 am

http://www.bevanrabell.com/

These folks have done several repairs for me and have been very reasonable. They have a good reputation.

jeff170a · Post by **jeff170a** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 6:05 am

I have used Airmartronics, (831)768-9733, right on your field several times with good results. Some of his equipment is as old as our airplanes! He once worked on the innards of my KT76 and got it fixed up fine.

Jeff.
1951 170A, N1722D, O-300D
Must be a twin of Richard's !!

hilltop170 · Post by **hilltop170** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 6:22 am

Jeff- Post a picture of 1722D if you can.

cessna170bdriver · Post by **cessna170bdriver** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 12:47 pm

John,

I don't have any recent personal experience with avionics shops, but High Desert Avionics at Fox Field in Lancaster, CA has a good local reputation for the quality of their work, but from what I hear, they can be slow. According to switchboard.com they can be reached at (661) 949-8300.

Good Luck!

Miles

N2865C · Post by **N2865C** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:46 pm

jeff170a wrote:I have used Airmartronics, (831)768-9733, right on your field several times with good results. Some of his equipment is as old as our airplanes! He once worked on the innards of my KT76 and got it fixed up fine.

Mike is a nice guy but is totally overbooked.... Last time he worked on my radio he had it for 7 months! He did give me loaner but it wasn't much better than the one I took in for repair.

lowNslow · Post by **lowNslow** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:36 pm

John, APR Aviation here at Monterey airport does avionics (they also have a avionics shop in Fresno). I do not have any experience with them so I can't tell you if they are any good are not. Problem is MRY is class C airspace so you need a transponder to get here.

Might be worth a call 1-866-373-3672.

N2865C · Post by **N2865C** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:06 pm

lowNslow wrote:John, APR Aviation here at Monterey airport does avionics (they also have a avionics shop in Fresno). I do not have any experience with them so I can't tell you if they are any good are not. Problem is MRY is class C airspace so you need a transponder to get here. Might be worth a call 1-866-373-3672.

Thanks Karl..... I the transponder died as I was departing MRY

. I'm pretty sure I could talk my way back in without a transponder, but I am old and jaded (and cheap) and reluctant to take anything to an avionics shop that isn't recommended by someone that has had personal experience with them. When I ask the local IA's and A&P's who the best shop in the area is their response so far has been universal... There isn't one

They all used to like Bay Avionics as mentioned above. I heard that it is the high cost of living in the Bay Area that makes it very hard to find technicians who will work here, and that was a contributing factor to Bay Avionics demise.

lowNslow · Post by **lowNslow** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:23 pm

It is definitely getting harder to find techs around here. A lot of the ones around don't want to mess with it unless it's the new stuff. I found a retired avionics guy near Hunter Ligget to work on my old KX170B radio. He does great work, is very reasonable, but unfortnatly he doesn't do transponders. We might be forced to upgrade to glass cockpits.

N2865C · Post by **N2865C** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:03 pm

hilltop170 wrote:http://www.bevanrabell.com/

These folks have done several repairs for me and have been very reasonable. They have a good reputation.

Thanks for the referal... Did you take your plane in or ship them your unit?

lowNslow · Post by **lowNslow** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:51 am

removed

hilltop170 · Post by **hilltop170** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:42 am

John- Bevan-Rabell is in Wichita if I remember correctly. I have always shipped the radio to them after talking with a tech on the phone so they expect to see it. They get them back in a reasonable time and a fair cost.

sphillips · Post by **sphillips** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:10 pm

Kings Avionics in Salt Lake City, and Aerotronics in Billings, MT

N2865C · Post by **N2865C** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:18 pm

Thanks, I shipped it off to Bevan-Rabell after talking to the tech today. They were very nice and seemed knowledgeable on the phone...... I'll report back with the results.