Microair M760

Keith Morgan

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Jul 23, 2008, 6:11:21 PM7/23/08

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Hi All

Our radio is dead :(

For reasons of budget we are looking at the Microair M760. We would
appreciate any comments that users have concerning this product. Usually
those who have no problems tend not to say anything, so please chip in if
you have had a positive experience. In particular we are interested in the
P version which, I believe, has addessed some reliability issues.

Thanks in advance,

Keith

Keith Morgan

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Jul 23, 2008, 6:11:22 PM7/23/08

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rlovinggood

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Jul 23, 2008, 7:45:37 PM7/23/08

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Keith,

I have a 760. Don't remember the exact model number. It's been back
to Australia once for repair over the past several years I've had it.
Another problem with mine and a friend's wasn't the radio itself, but
the wiring getting power from the battery to the radio. We both had a
professional avionics shop clean (i.e., totally redo) up our ship's
wiring and presto, we haven't had problems since. I think his radio
went back to Australia once or twice before the panel was rewired too.

So, between return trips to Australia, and making sure the ship's
wiring isn't done by me, then it seems to be a good radio now.

I am convinced now that the panel wiring can't be a "rat's nest" of
plain ol' "Radio Shack" cables, as I have seen in some gliders (mostly
in mine). Gotta get someone who knows what they are doing when it
comes to good wiring!

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA

Henryk Birecki

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Jul 23, 2008, 8:25:30 PM7/23/08

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I have one of these. Had it for about 10 years. It went to back
Australia the first or second year for a preventive replacement of a
capacitor "factory recall". I am very happy with it. The human
interface takes getting used to, but no more than any other radio. The
only problem I have, is that I have a transponder that eats batteries.
As voltage drops below about 11V (11.5V?) transmission starts getting
garbled (you can still receive very well for a while). I heard
comments from Becker and other radio users that the same happens to
them.

Cheers,
Henryk

Bill Daniels

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Jul 23, 2008, 11:37:58 PM7/23/08

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Yep, what Henryk said. Nice, reasonably priced radio but it likes voltage -
goes wonky below about 11.5V. Use heavy gage power wires and fresh battery.

Bill D

"Henryk Birecki" <soarin...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:diif84p69at0a2p64...@4ax.com...

Keith Morgan

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Jul 26, 2008, 8:26:12 AM7/26/08

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Thanks to those who have helped

Keith

At 03:37 24 July 2008, Bill Daniels wrote:
>Yep, what Henryk said. Nice, reasonably priced radio but it likes
voltage
>-
>goes wonky below about 11.5V. Use heavy gage power wires and fresh
>battery.
>
>Bill D
>

>"Henryk Birecki" wrote in message

>news:diif84p69at0a2p64...@4ax.com...
>>I have one of these. Had it for about 10 years. It went to back
>> Australia the first or second year for a preventive replacement of a
>> capacitor "factory recall". I am very happy with it. The human
>> interface takes getting used to, but no more than any other radio. The
>> only problem I have, is that I have a transponder that eats batteries.
>> As voltage drops below about 11V (11.5V?) transmission starts getting
>> garbled (you can still receive very well for a while). I heard
>> comments from Becker and other radio users that the same happens to
>> them.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Henryk
>>

Andy

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Jul 26, 2008, 10:01:22 PM7/26/08

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On Jul 23, 3:11 pm, Keith Morgan

<remove_to_reply.kabmor...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> For reasons of budget we are looking at the Microair M760. We would
> appreciate any comments that users have concerning this product.

I've been using one for about 5 years. I general it's a good radio
and I particularly like the variable threshold squelch as it can be
used to shut out the chatterers and still receive safety calls from
close aircraft.

I had one significant problem with it a few years ago. It basically
lost its brain. It was scanning the whole com band but still
displaying only one frequency. That was cured by reseating the
microcontroller as suggested by a Microaire service bulletin.
Everything in the radio is controlled by a single Microchip controller
and some models had problems with poor contact between the chip and
the sockets pins. I did the work myself.

I find some other glider transmissions completely inintelligible. I
suspect that that the Microaire has a narrower than normal IF passband
and is sensitive to off nominal frequency transmitters . Was never
able to prove that but never had a problem receiving any ATIS, AWOS,
Tower, or Center broadcast.

Andy