Agree with Cusco, a transceiver is much more use. I bought an Icom A6E and had it switched on whilst driving to work etc, listening to the chatter and trying to understand what they were saying and why, anticipating the response and how I would reply. It did help, nowadays I use it for ATIS and request start up clearances and the like so it's not a wasted expense.
Probably the best tip from my RT instructor was to adopt a form of shorthand and jot things on a blank piece of paper in the plane: might seem common sense to most of us here but I've flown with so many other pilots who, although they possess pen and paper, do not write things down but try to do it from memory - not good if you're at the Apron and the controller advises you to "taxi to Holding Point runway 24 via Taxiway Golf, Bravo, Alpha, A1 Hold Short Runway 33." Try writing that down. Before you've got "Holding Point" written completely, you're lost and nothing is guaranteed to annoy a controller quicker than hearing "say again" 3 times.
However if you were to just write
// R24 G B A A1 // R33
you could write that in time with the controller. Using my particular shorthand, those scribbles tells me to read back:
Taxi to Holding Point Runway 24 via Golf, Bravo Alpha Alpha 1, hold short Runway 33.
The same is true with clearances - for example, if I'm cleared for transit through the CTR not above 3000 feet, I'll write "T CTR 3000" and draw a line above the 3000, (or below, if the instruction is not below 3000) so that I know I'm clear to transit the CTR up to that height (or below, if I've drawn the line below).
Or joining a circuit,
R24 RH, F998 rRD
would tell me to read back
Runway 24 in use, right hand circuit, QFE 998 (or N1008 if the strip uses QNH), report Right Downwind.
There are so many little tips and tricks you can adopt for your shorthand, for example, when contacting a radar service, you know you'll be given the QNH and a Squawk which you need to read back - so just be prepared with the letters S and Q jotted on your notepad and write the requisite numbers afterwards.
At the end of the day, most of R/T is about repeating what the ATC has told you to do and if you can jot everything down shorthand style, anticipating what he'll say, you'll not have a problem repeating his instructions.
And don't worry, practice does make perfect.....
Last edited by Steve6443; 28th October 2013 at 17:18.