At EAA AirVenture last week, Honeywell at long last debuted a replacement for the ubiquitous BendixKing KX 155 nav/com radio, the KX 200.
TKM Avionics—which has recently gone out of business—promised a drop-in replacement for the KX 155, and it looked almost exactly like this. It’s almost as if it bought the design and finished it—though that is pure speculation on the part of those who had seen both units.
The radio has an SD card database that will help identify frequencies to help with situational awareness. That’s a welcome feature. Several others include:
- High-resolution color LCD
- 50-channel memory presets
- 25 kilohertz or 8.33 kh channel spacing
- Full-featured digital nav/com with VOR, LOC, ILS, and glide slope
- Compatible with existing indicators and installed equipment
- Compatible with 14- and 28-volt systems
- Possibility to expand capabilities with future Honeywell Anthem cockpit connectivity
- Two-year warranty
Prices vary by installer, but one option is currently available for $4,489 from Pacific Coast Avionics.
“The price is high, but in avoiding an expensive visit with the avionics installer, it could save a bit of labor and a lot of downtime—and downtime is very expensive for operators who need the plane aloft to make money,” according to Plane & Pilot contributor and Mooney owner Jeremy King, who took a good look at the new model during the air show.
However, King gives at least one caveat: “While it’s advertised as a digital replacement for the KX-155, its outputs are not digital—so while it will work fine with legacy CDIs or HSIs, it won’t play well with instruments that require a digital signal, such as Garmin’s G5.”
