Improved Panel In Celebration Of The Company's 25th
Anniversary
PS Engineering has been in the intercom/audio panel businesses
for 25 years, and for their silver anniversary, they're rolling out
several improvements in its flagship audio panel, the PMA8000B. The
panel has been upgraded with Monitor Mode, Multiple Music Muting
Modes, user-selectable Telephone sidetone, and selectable Music for
the pilot while in ISO mode.
"As is our custom for the last quarter-century, we have been
listening closely to our customers," said company founder Mark
Scheuer, "They offer suggestions every time we get close to them,
at air shows, on the phone, owner group web sites, and of course by
email. These utility enhancements are the direct results of dozens
of customer interactions over the years that the PMA8000-series has
been shipping."
The Monitor mode is probably the most significant product
improvement that has been made to the PMA8000B since it was
introduced 3 years ago. This new capability allows the pilot to
designate one com radio as primary, while having the second com as
the secondary audio source. When the primary radio becomes active,
the secondary com radio will temporarily mute. According to
General Manager Randy Beavers, "When you are getting a recorded
weather broadcast, and ATC wants to speak with you, it is nice to
have that less important audio drop off during the conversation."
The Monitor mode will enhance your IFR approach environment,
eliminating having to try to decipher two simultaneous radio
transmissions.
The new multiple music muting modes allows the user to have the
PS Engineering's legendary SoftMute of the entertainment system
activated by intercom conversation, radio traffic, both, or not at
all, otherwise known as Karaoke Mode. "Instead of just mute
on or mute off, this function gives the pilot the ability to
decide, on the fly, how the music will mute," continued
Beavers.
Due to the wide variety of cellular telephones, PS Engineering
has now made the selection of Cell phone sidetone a user control.
Greg Ledbetter, Manufacturing and Test Manager, said, "Since there
is a tremendous amount of variation from one cell phone to another,
it is impossible to know if the cell phone will provide sidetone
while interfaced to our audio panel. In the past, this
configuration selection had to be performed by the avionics
installer but this new enhancement allows the pilot to control cell
phone sidetone being heard or not by front panel control."
According to Gary Picou, Vice President at PS Engineering for 12
years, "The enhanced PMA8000B has the ability to provide music to
the pilot, even while in the isolate mode. This gives the pilot new
freedom to shut out the jabbering passengers, while continuing to
listen to tunes, concentrating on the business of flying. We pay
attention to how these products are really being used, and what the
pilots really want sometimes is peaceful isolation with their
favorite music to keep boredom out of the picture."
Even with the addition of these "Silver Edition" features, the
price remains the same $1895.00 for PMA8000B, $2095.00 for the MP3
version. Enhanced units will be available March 1st.