---------------------------------------------------------- RV-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Sun 07/12/20: 2 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 12:22 PM - Re: KLX 135A Issues (HARRY CROSBY) 2. 12:40 PM - Re: KLX 135A Issues (HARRY CROSBY) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 12:22:01 PM PST US From: HARRY CROSBY Subject: Re: RV-List: KLX 135A Issues GV, good to know you are still flying, I wasn't sure since I haven't seen y ou for seems like a couple years. I have the same nav/com and have almost 1700 hours on it so far with no issues, knock on wood. I haven't used to n av side of the unit for probably 10 years, I have wanted to replace it with a com with standby monitoring capability for several years but the size of the BK means I'll have to do a patch job on my panel which I hate to get i nto. I guess I'll just wait until it fails and that'll force me to do some thing about it. I just got back into the air after having to repair cracks in my engine mount that took me almost four months largely due to the Coro na virus shutdown. Anyway, it's good to know you are still flying. Harry Crosby > On 07/11/2020 8:06 PM Gary VanRemortel wr ote: > > > Many RV builders in the =9890s installed a Bendix/King KLX 135A Nav/Comm as part of their avionics suites, right up until everything chang ed and sophisticated Glass Panel Displays from Dynon, Garmin and the like s tarted to become available. I=99d like to get just a few more years out of my steam gauges, original VM1000 and conventional radio stack setup before I fully upgrade my panel. I use an ASUS tablet running Avare for na vigation these days, so the KLX 135A moving map is my backup, and I have AD S-B in/out. > > I=99ve had a few issues with the KLX 135A that many may soon ex perience. My unit, originally installed new in 1997, now has ~1100 operati onal hours. I have a copy of the Maintenance Manual to reference for repla cement parts, however Honeywell Bendix/King has been somewhat less than acc ommodating of end users in this regard, instead allowing only shops like So uth Eastern Aerospace to buy parts and do their repair work. Don=99t get me wrong, SEA is a great shop, but boxing up and sending my unit off t o FL for 6wks is not always a good option. Since retiring, I no longer hav e access to test equipment necessary for proper troubleshooting, but I am a USAF trained technician, comfortable with SMD defense electronics repair. So when I see a simple circuit with a simple problem, I assume I can fix i t straightaway, if I can get part(s). > > The KLX 135A was a solid Nav/Comm at the time, but like all electroni cs, some components are inherently life-limited. Tadiran TL-5135 battery o n digital board requires periodic replacement, Aluminum electrolytic filter capacitors on power supply and audio boards dry out, LCD display on main b oard bleeds out and reflector photo interrupters on frequency tuning dials get weak. Heat the unit sees when parked on the ramp non-operating contrib utes significantly to limited life. > > My internal battery has been replaced twice, once by LAC in San Jose, CA and more recently by SEA, but I=99ve been told it is a relatively simple DIY job. LAC replaced the power supply and audio capacitors after us having to phone up the tower and go NORDO into KLVK one day, and more re cently SEA replaced the LCD. When tuning of the decimal digits in the radi o section began to get sluggish and didn=99t always increment/decreme nt properly during rotation, I examined the unit and reviewed the simple ci rcuit. My EE buddy told me the IR LEDs in the photo interrupters were like ly getting weak due to age. After buying the last B/K 007-08094-0000 parts I could find in the states and replacing them, the unit now operates 5by5. The unit should last another 5 years. Honeywell Bendix/King says they wo n=99t have more of these parts until November 2020 but they can be re ached at techsupport@bendixking.com mailto:techsupport@bendixking.com > > -GV RV-6A N1GV > > ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 12:40:38 PM PST US From: HARRY CROSBY Subject: Re: RV-List: KLX 135A Issues Harry Crosby > On 07/12/2020 12:19 PM HARRY CROSBY wrote: > > > GV, good to know you are still flying, I wasn't sure since I haven't seen you for seems like a couple years. I have the same nav/com and have a lmost 1700 hours on it so far with no issues, knock on wood. I haven't use d to nav side of the unit for probably 10 years, I have wanted to replace i t with a com with standby monitoring capability for several years but the s ize of the BK means I'll have to do a patch job on my panel which I hate to get into. I guess I'll just wait until it fails and that'll force me to d o something about it. I just got back into the air after having to repair cracks in my engine mount that took me almost four months largely due to th e Corona virus shutdown. Anyway, it's good to know you are still flying. > > Harry Crosby > > > > On 07/11/2020 8:06 PM Gary VanRemortel wrote: > > > > > > Many RV builders in the =9890s installed a Bendix/King KL X 135A Nav/Comm as part of their avionics suites, right up until everything changed and sophisticated Glass Panel Displays from Dynon, Garmin and the like started to become available. I=99d like to get just a few more years out of my steam gauges, original VM1000 and conventional radio stack setup before I fully upgrade my panel. I use an ASUS tablet running Avare for navigation these days, so the KLX 135A moving map is my backup, and I h ave ADS-B in/out. > > > > I=99ve had a few issues with the KLX 135A that many may s oon experience. My unit, originally installed new in 1997, now has ~1100 o perational hours. I have a copy of the Maintenance Manual to reference for replacement parts, however Honeywell Bendix/King has been somewhat less th an accommodating of end users in this regard, instead allowing only shops l ike South Eastern Aerospace to buy parts and do their repair work. Don =99t get me wrong, SEA is a great shop, but boxing up and sending my uni t off to FL for 6wks is not always a good option. Since retiring, I no lon ger have access to test equipment necessary for proper troubleshooting, but I am a USAF trained technician, comfortable with SMD defense electronics r epair. So when I see a simple circuit with a simple problem, I assume I ca n fix it straightaway, if I can get part(s). > > > > The KLX 135A was a solid Nav/Comm at the time, but like all ele ctronics, some components are inherently life-limited. Tadiran TL-5135 bat tery on digital board requires periodic replacement, Aluminum electrolytic filter capacitors on power supply and audio boards dry out, LCD display on main board bleeds out and reflector photo interrupters on frequency tuning dials get weak. Heat the unit sees when parked on the ramp non-operating c ontributes significantly to limited life. > > > > My internal battery has been replaced twice, once by LAC in San Jose, CA and more recently by SEA, but I=99ve been told it is a rela tively simple DIY job. LAC replaced the power supply and audio capacitors after us having to phone up the tower and go NORDO into KLVK one day, and m ore recently SEA replaced the LCD. When tuning of the decimal digits in th e radio section began to get sluggish and didn=99t always increment/d ecrement properly during rotation, I examined the unit and reviewed the sim ple circuit. My EE buddy told me the IR LEDs in the photo interrupters wer e likely getting weak due to age. After buying the last B/K 007-08094-0000 parts I could find in the states and replacing them, the unit now operates 5by5. The unit should last another 5 years. Honeywell Bendix/King says t hey won=99t have more of these parts until November 2020 but they can be reached at techsupport@bendixking.com mailto:techsupport@bendixking.com > > > > -GV RV-6A N1GV > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message rv-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/RV-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/rv-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/rv-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.