There's a good chance you've never heard of TKM Avionics. Or, if you have, you probably thought the company went out of business long ago. TKM is actually alive and well, under new ownership and with a new vision. And the revitalized company's first order of business is to "reintroduce" a line of budget-priced IFR certified replacement navcom radios.
TKM Avionics (formerly TKM Michel Avionics) sells the MX170 navcom radio, which replaces old King, Narco and Cessna radios and sells for a retail price of $2,650. The comm-only MX-11, meanwhile, sells for $1,450. That's not bad if you need to upgrade your old radios. I've flown with the radios and they work just fine.
TKM Avionics is now owned by former AmSafe CEO Ken Beckemeyer, who said at Sun 'n Fun that the company's navcoms fill a niche for owners who need a quick, easy and inexpensive upgrade from older radios that are no longer supported.
"TKM builds all-new IFR, TSO'd navcoms that replace legacy radios that are no longer supported," he said. "All TKM comm or navcom radios are built to slide in, to precisely fit legacy racks and connectors, virtually eliminating installation cost for most owners."
TKM has been around since 1965. In that time it has delivered more than 37,000 replacement navcoms. The message from the radio maker's new owner is that the company will be around for many more years to come, "with affordable, reliable, easy-to-install answers."
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