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-   -   Handheld com as primary inflight (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=80984)

Doug 01-08-2012 07:17 PM

Transmit power is unlikely to be a problem.

Difficulties are more likely to be seen in the receiver performance - in particular the receiver selectivity or the ability to reject out of band rf energy. Typical interference will be from radar sites, cell towers, hf transmission stations etc, and if the security services are in town the spectrum spreading tranceivers. (this is certainly the case for my own handheld)

Effects will be noise or deafness of the receiver.

The small packages of the handheld are often not sufficient to house the filtering necessary - but the modern micro devices are making better receivers smaller.

Also, check to see that the handhleld will work with your headset if you plan a direct connection. Microphone powering For electret mic inserts is sometimes not sufficiently versatile to work wth some headsets.

Doug Gray

mculver 01-08-2012 07:32 PM

We do this all the time in Luscombes.

For range, you'll want an external antenna, and there are adapters that allow you to plug a normal headset into the handheld.

Icoms seem to work the best, and you need to be aware that Vertex radios don't do well with an external antenna, due to the antenna overloading the RF sections. Vertex radios on their factory rubber duck antennas work well; albeit without the range that an external antenna provides.

Main issue that I have seen with handhelds is being able to read the frequency from wherever you mount it. Sit in the plane and experiment with this attribute.

bhassel 01-08-2012 08:16 PM

Anyone with experice with the Dynon handheld that they'd care to share? I looking at a similar thing for an ultralight

Bob

blueflyer 01-09-2012 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mculver (Post 615066)
.......Main issue that I have seen with handhelds is being able to read the frequency from wherever you mount it. Sit in the plane and experiment with this attribute.

I had this issue all the time in a bubble canopy airplane I flew with a handheld. It was a real PITA. I ended up just laying the radio in my lap which wasnt ideal.

Flybuddy2 01-09-2012 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueflyer (Post 615204)
I had this issue all the time in a bubble canopy airplane I flew with a handheld. It was a real PITA. I ended up just laying the radio in my lap which wasnt ideal.

I mounted on the right side angled toward the pilot, able to see the screen. SP400 has fairly large screen.

[IMG][/IMG]

pazmanyflyer 01-09-2012 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydroguy2 (Post 614581)
we used a Icom A6 as the only comm in a Rans S-6. When hooked to an external antenna it worked great. 25mile+ range. It also had the battery eliminator pak so it ran off ships power.

Dad and I did the same thing with our Pazmany. Used both Icom A23 and my A6 connected to external ant. and we picked up ATIS 20+ miles out with both loud and clear.

Ron Lee 01-09-2012 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pazmanyflyer (Post 615310)
Used both Icom A23 and my A6 connected to external ant. and we picked up ATIS 20+ miles out with both loud and clear.

At my cruising altitudes (over 10,000' MSL) , I pick up many ATIS broadcasts at over 80 nm with my GNS 430.


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