Stuck between a used Rockwell Collins and a new Garmin for a 172 upgrade

Had to pick a nav/com for my boss's old 172 last month. One was a used Collins VHF-21B from a salvage shop in Tulsa for $400, the other was a fresh Garmin GTR 225 for $1,200. I went with the Garmin because the Collins had some corrosion on the pins and I didn't want to gamble on bench time. Has anyone else taken a chance on a salvaged Collins unit and had it work out okay?

3 comments

3 Comments

sam_thomas1mo agoTop Commenter

Man I've been down that exact road with a 172 panel. Picked up a used Collins from a salvage yard for a project plane a few years back. It worked fine for about six months then started having weird reception issues that the avionics guy couldn't even fully sort out without dumping more money into it than the unit was worth. Ended up swapping it for a Garmin like you did and haven't looked back. If the pins showed corrosion already that's a red flag in my book, you probably made the right call. Fresh gear is worth the peace of mind when you're flying.

jake6381mo ago

Peace of mind" is definitely a big deal but I gotta gently push back on something. @cora863 mentioned the VHF-21B, thats a solid unit actually but it sounds like the issue wasnt the radio itself, it was buying from a random guy on Craigslist. I've had good luck with salvaged gear from known shops that bench test stuff before selling it. The real problem with that Collins you found is that corrosion doesnt just stay on the pins, it travels down into the board over time. So even if you clean it now, you're basically flying a ticking time bomb. Glad you GTFO of that situation and went Garmin.

cora8631mo ago

Fresh gear is worth the peace of mind" is the understatement of the year. That corrosion on the pins wasn't a red flag, it was a full on flashing warning light. I tried a salvaged Collins VHF-21B from a guy on Craigslist once. Worked great for exactly two flights then starting cutting out every time I keyed the mic. Avionics shop quoted me more to troubleshoot it than a new Garmin would cost. Learned that lesson the hard way. You dodged a bullet skipping that rusty old Collins.