C

conlimon

Well Known Member
Hey all -

I was thinking about getting a handheld radio, and wondered if anyone had any experience with the different models out there. I'm attracted to the Vertex standard, but I've read that some people have had problems with them. The Icom stuff looks ok, but less sexy. I'm also interested in nav capabilities. Anyone have a favorite, or any compelling reason to buy one over the other?

thanks in advance for any info!

cj
 
CJ,

A good friend has a Vertex Standard, with the NAV capability, and he was telling me today he really likes it. Good battery life, good clarity. Nice compact package too, from the looks of it. His experience has been good.

One data point anyway.

Cheers,
Bob
 
I used this radio.... http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/jrctrans.php ... to replace a failing KX170B in my Piper Warrior. It was connected to an exterior antenna and did quite well. Once you enter a freq. with push buttons, it is hard to go back to twisting knobs.

A great feature of this unit is the 12v adapter replaces the battery and makes the entire radio only 4 inches tall.. Many features for a small price........
 
You should also look at getting a suction cup antenna mount as well as a headset adapter. They both set up very quickly in the event of lost power or comm (I've had this happen 3X in IMC over the years). In addition, a panel plug-in can also be installed to allow use of your aircraft antenna. This will give you improved reception over the rubber ducky. Most of the handhelds today offer duplex capability. This is great to have, especially if you fly instruments. With practice, you should be able to shoot a VOR approach using only the hand-held. Remember to keep the unit fully charged and/or replace batteries on a scheduled basis.
Terry
 
The Sporty SP200 has great range if connected to a good antenna. It is also the only one I know of that can use a localizer.

The only problem with it is that it will pickup any and I do mean any noise signals within 50 ft of it.
 
Excellent backup

I've always used a ICOM handheld with Nav and plugged in to a external antenna as my backup. Using the headset connector and a ptt switch, its as good as a panel mount radio. Icom's business is primarily ham radios and there stuff although expensive is pretty much bulletproof.
 
Gary Bricker

I have the Vertex pilot lll. It works great and has lots of features, but it takes some learning to use.
 
Brantel said:
The Sporty SP200 has great range if connected to a good antenna. It is also the only one I know of that can use a localizer.

The only problem with it is that it will pickup any and I do mean any noise signals within 50 ft of it.
Click to expand...

Agreed - but with the caveat that an external antenna is almost a requirement. The little flexible antenna that came with the radio is about worthless (my opinion, my experience).
 
icom

i have an icom a-6 that i have had for almost three years and used to listen to tower all day from my office as i got my ppl, and use as a back up com now. Been very happy. Ant is a little weak on the mount as i bent it up pretty good, and the battery is now only good for 1-2 hrs but after all the use thats pretty fair.
$200 cant go wrong IMHO.
 
RickWoodall said:
i have an icom a-6.
Click to expand...
Same here. I've had the A6 for 2 years now. It's a solid product (except for the antenna, it's a bit too easy to bend).

Reception and transmission is clear and most of the time, it was better than the old king radios in the C172s I rented for my PPL.

If you need NAV, ICOM makes the A24. It's the same radio as the A6 but with NAV.
Get the NI-MH battery, you'll get at least 4-5h. Mine came with the old style battery, I get 2-3hours tops.
 
Icom A14

I have an Icom A14 with the lithium-ion battery pack (and AA backup). I get about 14 hrs of continuous use on the lithium. As an example, I used it 2-3 hrs a day for five days at Oshkosh on a single charge.

Good transmission range and reception on the ground (given the rubber ducky antenna).

I agree with the other comments regarding onboard use:
Get an adapter to allow connection to the aircraft antenna. The metal airframe blocks some of the signal.

Get the headset and PTT adapter-cockpit noise is too high for the radio speaker.

Mike
 
Thanks to everyone for all the input...

I really appreciated all the info, and I purchased the Vertex VXA 710 Spirit. I was really close to going with the Icom because so many had good luck with them, but in the end, the weatherproof-ness and small-ness of the 710 won out. I received it yesterday, and so far I like it. It's tiny, and gets pretty fair reception. I live right under LAX airspace, so there's plenty to listen to! Seems a bit complicated at first, and you'll be frustrated if you're like me and try to poke your way through your first couple uses. I can't comment on battery life, but for my use, I'll have the alkaline battery pack available.

thanks again,

cj
 
Battery Options

I have a GPS and a handheld radio each of with came with a rechargeable battery pack. To replace the battery packs would have cost about $75 and $40 respectively. Do yourself a favor and purchase the AA battery adapters and rechargeable AA batteries for them! (My total for both was less than for the GPS pack alone.) No more wondering if you'll be able to find a battery pack for your equipment - just put some freshly recharged AA's in them and go. Plus the batteries will be useable in other equipment around your house such as remotes, thermostats, digital cameras, etc.

SIMPLIFY! ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.