9800 Martel Road
Lenoir City, TN 37772
www.ps-engineering.com
PMA5000EX
PMA5000EX
Audio Selector Panel
Stereo Intercom System
Flying Never Sounded So Good! ™
Pilot’s Guide
Pilot’s Guide
and
and
Operation Manual
Operation Manual
202-550-0100 New Release January 2010
Covered under one or more of the following Patent
No. 4,941,187, 5,903,227, 6,160,496, 6,493,450
Jan 2010 PMA5000EX Pilot Guide
202-550-0100 Page 1
This pilot guide provides detailed operating instructions for the PS
Engineering PMA5000EX, Audio Selector Panel/Intercom Systems.
Please read it carefully before using the equipment so that you can
take full advantage of its capabilities.
This publication covers the operating areas of the PMA5000EX systems. They are Com Transceiver Selection, Receiver Audio Selector,
Intercom, and use of the utility jack.
PMA5000EX controls
Power Switch (1) (Push OFF EMG-Fail Safe Operation)
The audio selector panel and intercom functions are turned on by
pressing the volume knob on the left side of the unit. The unit can be
left on, if you have an avionics master switch in the airplane.
When the unit is turned off, either by pressing the volume control, or
if the breaker is pulled removing power, the PMA5000EX is in FailSafe mode. In this mode, the pilot’s headset is connected to COM 1
for transmit and receive, and connected to unswitched input #1 for
priority audio alerts. The fail safe audio will only be heard in the left
ear of a stereo headset.
Communications Transmit (XMT) Selection (2)
To select Com 1 or Com 2 for transmit, simply press the button on the
bottom row, next to the XMT legend. Both the bottom and top button
indicators will light, showing you that you can transmit and receive
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on the selected radio. The PMA5000EX automatically selects the receiver, and will not allow you to transmit on a radio without being
able to hear the receive audio.
If you want to listen to the other radio, press the upper button, in the
RCV (receive) section.
If the Mon
itor function is activated, the audio from this radio will be
muted when the primary radio (selected for transmit) is receiving a
signal.
When you have a com selected for receive, it will stay selected until
you manually deselect it. For instance, if you set COM 1 for clearance
delivery, and COM 2 for Ground Control, transmit on COM 1 to get
clearance, but want to contact ground you can switch between transmitters without having to re-select the receivers. In essence, switching
the mic selector will not override prior selection of COM receiver
audio
Unless the audio panel is in “split” mode, the PMA5000EX gives priority to the pilot’s radio Push-To-Talk (PTT). If the copilot it transmitting and the pilot presses his Push-To-Talk (PTT), the pilot is then
heard over the radio.
In Telephone (§)mode, the pilot microphone and headphones are connected to the cell phone, but you still hear the COM radios selected.
The pilot PTT will switch the pilot mic to the selected com transceiver, and allow continued aircraft communications to continue. (See
Page 4—Telephone—for more details)
The copilot will also be able to transmit on the
other selected radio with his PTT.
Split Mode
In the split mode, the pilot is on COM 1, while
the copilot is able to transmit and receive independently on COM 2. Activating the split
mode is straightforward — push both the
COM 1 and COM 2 XMT (bottom) buttons at
the same time. All four indicators will come
on. Select one of the com XMT buttons to exit the split mode.
It is not possible to split the copilot on COM 1, and the pilot on COM
2.
When the split mode is activated, the intercom between the pilot and
copilot is inhibited, although the passengers can still talk among
Jan 2010 PMA5000EX Pilot Guide
202-550-0100 Page 3
themselves. The crew intercom can be reactivated if desired by pressing the “Mute” button.
Note: Split Mode does not turn off Nav, ADF, or Aux selected audio
to pilot. However, the copilot will only hear the selected com receiver
and unswitched inputs.
When you invoke the split mode, the intercom between the pilot and
copilot gets turned off to prevent confusion from multiple conversations. However, if conversation between pilot and copilot is desired,
push the Mute button to reactivate the intercom. Intercom between the
passengers is not affected.
NO T E : Due to the nature of VHF communications signals, and the size
constraints in general aviation aircraft, it is probable that there will be
some bleed-over in the Split mode, particularly on adjacent frequencies.
PS Engineering makes no warranty about the suitability of Split Mode in
all aircraft conditions.
Swap Mode (Switch between COM transmitters re-
motely)
The “swap” button allows you to switch between the COM transmitters without having to reach up to the audio panel, and is a handy way
to switch to Ground Control when exiting the runway. This optional
switch is usually mounted on the control yoke or a convenient place
by the pilot position.
Audio Selector (4)
You select the four switched
navigation receivers (Nav 1,
NAV 2, AUX 1 and AUX 2) by
pressing the desired button, and
an indicator will show you
which are turned on. AUX 1
and AUX 2 can be any audio source that is desired at the time of installation, such as ADF, or even an audio alert signal you want to control. The DME input (if present) is also shared with AUX 2.
In SPLIT mode, only the pilot will hear selected navigation audio.
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AUX Source Muting
AUX 1 and AUX 2 have a temporary muting function. When
you select AUX 1 or AUX 2,
and want to silence that audio
source temporarily you can hold
the AUX 1 or 2 button for more
than one second, and the audio
be deselected for the next 60 seconds. It will then return to the “ON”
state. This is useful if you want to silence an audio advisory signal
temporarily, but don’t want to forget to switch it back on .
Telephone (§) (9)
The TEL mode serves as a full duplex interface and distribution for
telephone systems such as portable cellular phones
with earpiece jacks. When you press the Telephone
button, it connects the cell phone to the headsets,
like adding another person on the intercom loop.
This connects the telephone to the people on the
airplane as follows:
In ALL intercom mode, all crew and passengers will be heard on the
phone when they speak. Com and other selected radio audio is also
heard in the headsets. If the pilot or copilot pushes the radio PTT,
their mic will be transferred to the selected Com radio. The telephone
party will not hear ATC communications, and vice versa.
In CREW mode, only the pilot and copilot are connected to the telephone. Passengers will not hear the telephone. The pilot and copilot
will also have transmit capability on the other selected transceiver.
In ISO intercom mode, when the PMA5000EX is in the TEL mode,
the pilot position is in the "Phone Booth." Only the pilot will hear or
be heard on the telephone. The pilot will also have access to Com 1 or
2, and will transmit on that radio using the PTT. All selected audio is
provided to the pilot.
Note: As shipped from PS Engineering, the PMA5000EX does not provide cellular telephone sidetone
(the user’s voice fed back to the headset). Some cell phones do not provide sidetone. However, telephone sidetone can be enabled by pressing the holding the TEL button for more than three seconds.
Because the cell-phone uses an intercom circuit, all stations on that circuit will lose intercom capability
when the cell phone is in use, unless sidetone is present.
Jan 2010 PMA5000EX Pilot Guide
202-550-0100 Page 5
Intercom Operation
IntelliVox® VOX-Squelch
IntelliVox® is PS Engineering’s proprietary intercom squelch control.
Through the use of digital signal processors, the each individual microphone input is monitored, and opens instantly when human speech
is detected. This results in seamless conversations aboard the airplane
for crew and passengers, without annoying syllable clipping or fatigue-inducing noise.
No adjustment of the IntelliVox® squelch control is necessary. There
is no field adjustment. Since this system is designed to block continuous tones, people humming or whistling in monotone may be blocked
after a few moments.
For consistent performance, any headset microphone must be placed
within ¼-inch of your lips, preferably against them. (ref: RTCA/DO-
214, 1.3.1.1 (a)). It is important to have the microphone element parallel to your mouth, and not twisted inside the cover.
Note: For optimum microphone performance, we recommend use
of a Microphone Muff Kit from Oregon Aero (1-800-888-6910). This
will not only optimize VOX performance, but will improve the overall
clarity of all your communications.
Oregon Aero MicMuff Part Numbers
Headset
Manufacturer
Bose Dynamic
Electret
M87
David Clark H10-30
H10-20, H10-40
H10-13.4, 13X
H20-10X
Lightspeed All 90015
Peltor 7003
ANR Pro, 7000
Pilot 11-20, 11-90, 1776, DXL 90015
Sennheiser All 90015
Telex Airman 750, AIR4000
AIR3000, Echelon 100
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Model Part Number
90010
90015
90020
90010
90015
90015
90015
90010
90015
90010
90015
It is also a good idea to keep the microphone out of a direct wind
path. Moving your head through a vent air stream may cause the In-
telliVox® to open momentarily. This is normal.
The IntelliVox® is designed to work with normal aircraft cabin noise
levels (70 dB and above). Therefore, it may not always recognize
speech and clip syllables in a quiet cabin, such as in the hangar, or
without the engine running. This is also normal.
Intercom Volume Control (7)
Turn the smaller volume knob clockwise to increase the
intercom level for the pilot and copilot to
the desired level. The volume knob does
not affect selected radio levels, music
input levels or passengers' intercom volume level.
Turn the larger knob to set the passengers’ intercom volume to the desired
level.
Since many general aviation headsets have built-in
volume controls, volume also can be fine-tuned at
the individual headset.
Mono Headsets in Stereo Installation
The pilot and copilot positions work fine with either a stereo or a
mono headset. But, since all passenger headsets are connected together, if one person uses a mono headset, it will cause the other passenger station to become monaural. It will not hurt the audio panel,
and it will return to stereo when the headset is removed.
Intercom Modes (8)
Pushing the “ICS” button cycles through the
three intercom modes, All, Crew (Crw), and
ISO.
In addition, when the audio panel is in the Split
Mode, the Mute button controls the crew intercom activation.
In All mode, everybody hears everything, including radios, intercom
and music. The crew will hear Music 1, and the passengers will hear
Music source 1 or 2, depending on the Alternate Distribution method
Jan 2010 PMA5000EX Pilot Guide
202-550-0100 Page 7
selected. This music source will be muted, depending on the selected
music muting mode.
In the Crew mode, only the pilot and copilot positions hear the aircraft radios, both the selected receivers and the unswitched audio
sources. They hear music #1. The passengers can talk to each other,
and do not hear the aircraft radios. They will hear Music #2.
In pilot Isolate mode (Iso), the pilot is all alone with the aircraft radios, and does not hear any intercom conversation. The copilot and
two passengers can speak to each other, and are not bothered by radio
traffic. They will hear Music 1.
You have the option of putting music into the pilot headset, by pressing the ICS mode button for more than one second, while already in
the ISO mode. The music in ISO mode is indicated by a slow blink of
the intercom mode indicator.
Utility Jack
The 2.5 millimeter (3/32”) jack on the front of the
PMA5000EX has three distinct functions:
• Cell phone input
• Music input
• Advisory audio input
Cellular phone
You can connect most cellular and satellite telephones to the utility
jack using a 2.5 mm to 2.5 mm adapter cable (PS Part Number 425006-7026). This will plug into the jack on your phone and into the
audio panel. Then, when you press the TEL button, the phone audio
will pass through the audio panel. The cell phone becomes like another person on the intercom, so the ICS mode button controls who
hear the conversation. Some cell phones need special adapters and
cables. Since the market for these devices is so dynamic, we recommend that you visit the support section at www.ps-engineering.com
for the latest information.
When the TEL mode is off, the
telephone ringer audio will be
heard if it is present on the telephone’s output (ringer may be
muted by radio and intercom).
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Audio Advisory Input
You can use the utility
jack as an input for your
portable traffic advisory
or terrain avoidance unit.
Unless you have music playing in Music 1 through the rear connector,
we recommend that you turn music muting off, with the “Mute” button, so this audio is not interrupted.
We’ve built some intelligence into the PMA5000EX, too. If you do
have music 1 playing, the PMA5000EX will then interpret the jack
input as a priority audio, and not mute it.
The front jack is no substitute for the required installation of alerts
such as the GPS waypoint or autopilot tones. These still must be hard
wired into the back by your installer.
Crew
NOTE
Music Input
When you plug an iPod or similar portable music device into the front
jack, it is treated as Music #1, and will be muted in accordance with
your control option. You can control the music volume from your
device, or, set it at the loudest setting, and then use the front panel
controls on the PMA5000EX to adjust the music.
Alternate Music Distribution
This mode allows you to configure your music to be either independent of the intercom mode, or to make Music 2 dependent on the inter-
com mode.
An external switch (or installation strap) must be installed to use the
Alternate Music Distribution mode. In the Alternate Distribution
mode, Music 2 will be active only when the intercom is in the CREW
mode, and only the passengers will hear it. This distribution is similar
to other brands of audio panels, and allows the passengers to have
their music source come on only when they are not hearing the crew.
When the music is independent (the standard distribution method),
Music 1 will always go to the pilot and copilot positions, and is never
heard by the passengers. Music 2 is always heard by the passengers,
and never by the pilot and copilot.
Jan 2010 PMA5000EX Pilot Guide
202-550-0100 Page 9
This mode is useful if your passengers have a different interest in entertainment or are watching a DVD, but do not want to be excluded
from the intercom conversations.
Music Muting
There is a separate SoftMute ® muting circuit for each music input
(#1 and #2).
The front panel "Mute" button has four modes, and only controls the
Mute function for music 1. Music 2 muting is controlled by an external switch, and has two modes.
The SoftMute™ circuit will cut the music out whenever there is conversation on the radio, the intercom, or both, depending on the
“Mute” mode selected. When that conversation stops, the music returns to the previous level comfortably, over a second or so.
The mute mode functions are controlled through sequential pushes of
the Mute button, and include LED indication of the mode selected.
MUTE ON — music will mute with either intercom or radio – MUTE ON LED
is lit.
RADIO MUTE — Intercom will not
mute music, radio will mute music. RAD
LED indicator is on
INTERCOM MUTE — Radio will not mute music, intercom
will mute music - ICS LED is ON.
MUTE OFF — “Karaoke” mode - music will not mute except
during outgoing transmissions. - All Indicators off.
The passenger’s intercom also has a SoftMute™ circuit. If the
passengers hear the radio, or talk on the intercom, the music will
mute. If the audio panel is in CREW mode, then the radio reception will not affect the passenger music.
Music 1 Volume
In general, we recommend adjusting the entertainment volume at the
sources, and only using this as a master gain control. However, the
Music 1 volume can be adjusted from the front panel, if desired, by
pressing Music volume up, and music volume down buttons.
The music can be turned completely off, so if you are not hearing
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what you expect, try increasing the volume as described above. It will
take about 10 seconds to go from minimum to maximum volume.
Warranty & Service
In order for the factory warranty to be valid, the installations must be accomplished by an FAA(or other ICAO agency) certified avionics shop and authorized PS Engineering dealer. If the
unit is being installed by a non-certified individual, a factory-made intercom harness must be
used for the warranty to be valid.
PS Engineering, Inc. warrants this product to be free from defect in material and
workmanship for a period of one (1) years from the date of retail sale
Engineering dealer. During the warranty period, PS Engineering, Inc., at its option, will send a
replacement unit at our expense if the unit should be determined to be defective after consultation with a factory technician.
All transportation charges for returning the defective units are the responsibility of the purchaser. All domestic transportation charges for returning the exchange or repaired unit to the
purchaser will be borne by PS Engineering, Inc. The risk of loss or damage to the product is
borne by the party making the shipment, unless the purchaser requests a specific method of
shipment. In this case, the purchaser assumes the risk of loss.
This warranty is not transferable. Any implied warranties expire at the expiration date of this
warranty. PS Engineering SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. This warranty does not cover a defect that has resulted from improper handling, storage or preservation, or unreasonable use or maintenance as determined by us. This
warranty is void if there is any attempt to dissemble this product without factory authorization.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights, which may
vary from state to state. Some states do not allow the exclusion of limitation of incidental or
consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusions may not apply to you.
All items repaired or replaced under this warranty are warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period. PS Engineering, Inc. reserves the rights to make modifications or improvements to the product without obligation to perform like modifications or improvements to previously manufactured products.
by authorized PS
Factory Service
The units are covered by a one-year limited warranty. See warranty information. Call PS Engineering, Inc. at (865) 988-9800 before you return any unit. This will allow the service technician
to provide any other suggestions for identifying the problem and recommend possible solutions.
After discussing the problem with the technician and you obtain a Return Authorization Number, ship product to:
PS Engineering, Inc.
Attn: Service Department
9800 Martel Rd.
Lenoir City, TN 37772
(865) 988-9800 FAX (865) 988-6619
Email: contact@ps-engineering.com
Units that arrive without an RMA number, or telephone number for a responsible contact, will be returned un-repaired. PS Engineering is not responsible for
items sent via US Mail.
Jan 2010 PMA5000EX Pilot Guide
202-550-0100 Page 11
RECORD
PMA5000EX Serial Number: ___________________
Date of Purchase: ____________________________
Installed by:_________________________________
PS Engineering, Inc. 2010 ©
Copyright Notice
Copyrighted information in this manual is subject to change without notice. PS Engineering reserves the right to improve or change the products or
contents of this manual, without notification of any person or age ncy. The contents of this pilot’s guide may be downloaded, stored and reprinted for
personal use provided that this co pyright information is included. Commercial use is strictly prohibited. For further information contact the Publicat ions
Manager at PS Engineering, Inc., 9800 Martel Road, Lenoir City, TN 37772. Phone (865) 988-9800
Page 12 202-550-0100 PMA5000EX Pilot Guide
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