PS Engineering’s new PAR200 audio panel/com radio system is the result of a partnership between PS Engineering and Trig Avionics. The PAR200 is the “world’s first FAA-certified audio panel with com radio,” according to PS Engineering, which received FAA technical standard order approval just before EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Retail price is $2,995, and delivery is available immediately.

Trig Avionics provided its TY91 remote-mount VHF transceiver and PS Engineering the audio panel, which features an all-new interface. Based on hundreds of surveys of customers flying the experimental PAR100EX audio panel system, which also has a remote-mounted radio, PS Engineering incorporated as many improvements as possible. “The result is that the user experience is much improved,” said PS Engineering founder Mark Scheuer. Customers had also been asking for a certified version of the PAR100EX.

“We enjoyed working with Mark,” said Andy Davis, president of Trig Avionics. “We’re looking forward to doing some future [products] with PS Engineering.

The design of the new PAR200 was prompted not only by the customer comments but also by the fact that more newly built airplanes and older certified airplanes are equipped with large displays that use up much of the panel real estate. Mounting the transceiver remotely saves a lot of space, although it was still challenging to design the PAR200 selector panel to accommodate the intercom, audio panel, stereo system and radio controls, according to Scheuer. The PAR200 includes a four-place stereo intercom with PS Engineering’s IntelliVox, which adjusts squelch threshold automatically as ambient noise changes, as well as Bluetooth connectivity to cell phones or for streaming music from mobile devices.

The right side of the PAR200 is for com settings, with active and standby frequencies and monitor functions. The left side controls audio selection, intercom and music volume, intercom mode and multiple music mute mode control. Up to five frequencies can be stored in non-volatile memory. A second com radio can be interfaced with the PAR200, and the unit includes a speaker amplifier.

PS Engineering also announced that it has partnered with glass cockpit avionics manufacturer GRT Avionics to provide the PAC15EX audio panel/intercom system, which is integrated into GRT’s HXr electronic flight instrumentation system for the experimental market. “With the audio panel mounted out of the way,” said PS Engineering vice president Gary Picou, “GRT’s flat user-menu gives the pilot all of the capabilities of a panel-mounted audio panel without that precious panel space being used, or multiple menu pages being viewed.”