KY 197-style COM

A classic COM radio in the style of the Bendix/King KY 197A, with orange gas-discharge digits: USE (active), T while transmitting, and STBY. CHAN recalls nine stored channels. Comes as COM 1 or COM 2.

Modeled on: Bendix/King KY 197A-style COM
Category: Radios and panels
Size: 2 × 1 cells
Version: 1.0 · 2026-10-19
Plan: Pro
Simulators: MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12

Variants

COM 1v1.0

Tunes and shows COM 1

Picker: RADIO > COM 1

COM 2v1.0

Tunes and shows COM 2

Picker: RADIO > COM 2

Features

Glowing orange gas-discharge digits: USE and STBY
T while transmitting on this COM
CHAN: a stored channel's frequency in the STBY place with its number (dashes for an empty channel), back to normal after 5 s untouched
Up to 9 stored channels (kept while the app runs)
Digits dimmed (not tinted) at night and dark without avionics power; faceplate under the red flood light

On the iPad

Drag the dual knob: outer MHz, inner channel; with CHAN shown it picks the channel (1-9)
Tap the white transfer key to swap USE and STBY; with CHAN shown it loads that channel into the standby
Tap CHAN to show the channels (again to leave)
Hold CHAN to store the standby in the channel shown (or the next free one)

Settings

Which radio: COM 1 or COM 2 (picker variant)

Keys and controllers

Map any of these to a key, a game controller's button or axis, or a MIDI knob (how):

COM 1 MHz +
COM 1 MHz -
COM 1 channel +
COM 1 channel -
COM 1 swap

Simulator data

What the Hub reads from the simulator for this instrument, and what the instrument sends back. Names are the simulators' own: MSFS SimVars and events, X-Plane datarefs and commands.

Reads

Value	MSFS	X-Plane
COM1 active frequency (kHz)	`COM ACTIVE FREQUENCY:1 (MHz)`	`sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/com1_frequency_hz_833`
COM1 standby frequency (kHz)	`COM STANDBY FREQUENCY:1 (MHz)`	`sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/com1_standby_frequency_hz_833`
COM2 active frequency (kHz)	`COM ACTIVE FREQUENCY:2 (MHz)`	`sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/com2_frequency_hz_833`
COM2 standby frequency (kHz)	`COM STANDBY FREQUENCY:2 (MHz)`	`sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/com2_standby_frequency_hz_833`
COM transmitting: 1, 2, 0 none (enum)	`COM TRANSMIT:1 (bool)COM TRANSMIT:2 (bool)`	`sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/audio_com_selection`

Sends

When you…	MSFS	X-Plane
Dual knob (MHz / channel), transfer key (com1 + 2), channel loaded into the standby as knob steps; com2 on COM 2	`COM_STBY_RADIO_SET_HZCOM_STBY_RADIO_SWAP`	`sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/com1_standby_frequency_hz_833sim/radios/com1_standy_flip`

Add-on aircraft with their own systems may use other variables; the Hub reads the standard ones.