Offers Impressive Capabilities For Less Than $1000

Though Garmin's announcement of certification for its G600 retrofit glass panel made most of the headlines Monday, the Olathe, KS-based electronics wizards also had news to share on a much smaller scale. Garmin announced the new GMA 240 audio panel, a noncertified audio panel designed for experimental and light sport aircraft.

The GMA 240 includes many popular control and indication features found on Garmin's certified -- and higher priced -- audio panels, and has an attractive sub-$1,000 price point.

"This new audio panel is ideal for experimental and LSA pilots who want to upgrade from an intercom system, without breaking the bank," said Gary Kelley, Garmin’s vice president of marketing. "It offers reliable and versatile audio switching functions in a user-friendly design."

The GMA 240 includes a four-place stereo intercom system and support for two stereo music inputs. It has dual COM, NAV and AUX audio inputs. In addition, three unswitched audio alert inputs are provided for connection to external warning tones.

The GMA 240 shines when it comes to music support. Pilots can connect up to two dedicated music sources to the rear connector (e.g. XM music and CD player) and over-ride one of those sources at any time by plugging-in a device (e.g. MP3 player) into the 2.5 mm front jack. Music volume can then be controlled by pulling out the intercom volume/squelch knob. If connecting a GPSMAP 396/496 to the GMA 240, pilots can adjust the XM music volume directly from the GMA 240.

The 2.5 mm front jack also makes it easy for pilots to make and receive phone calls. It has a fullduplex telephone interface with intercom isolation and disable capability. This feature allows private telephone calls by the pilot or multi-party calls with the crew and passengers.

The GMA 240 is available immediately for an expected retail price of $895.00.

FMI: www.garmin.com