Hand held radios

[Dude~]

I am looking into flying a non radio aircraft and so am interested in purchasing a transceiver for going places. Where might i be able to get one cheaper than the £350 asking price in Transair?

Also, is it a requirement to have a license, and if so what does this entail, and how much would the CAA intend to squeeze out of me for such a privilage?!

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Dude.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Firstly make sure you can patch radio, intercom and headsets together - this is sometimes less straightforward than you'd think. If you haven't already got headsets and an intercom for the aeroplane, your best bet is to buy a complete microlight / homebuilt package from somebody like Communica or Lynx. Standard light aircraft headsets aren't always very good in a noisy homebuilt or microlight cockpit.

The prices are pretty standard, but they don't as a rule wear out so look around for second hand units. Some companies (such as Harry Mendellson) can save you a few quid compared to the standard Transair price.

You obviously need an RT Operators license, which most people get with their PPL, if not ask at your local club about courses. You also need an installation license (in-fact a transportable radio license) which costs about £30 and simply requires you to fill in a form from the Radio Communications Agency.

G

[Lemoncake]

Genghis,

Please could you check your email.

Cheers

[LowNSlow]

I'm with Genghis. Harry's A40 headsets and intercom work fine in a Cub, even with the door open. I use an Icom A3E connected to a roof arial and I get 30 miles plus. Batteries are expensive (£60) but it's worth having 2. The intercom uses a 9v square torch battery which last for ever. A good point is that the headsets have the PTT button mounted on one of the earpieces which works brilliantly.

The fee for a handheld has been reduced to £20 cos us primatives can't afford real radios.....

[A and C]

Hand helds work very well as low n slow pointed out but you MUST have a proper com aerial to get the TX range without one the range can be as low as 10 miles with one i have seen more than 35 miles at 2000ft using the same radio.

[Dude~]

Thanks for the info so far.
Why are normal headsets not good enough for open cockpit flying? Do the other ones you mentioned have special microphones?

[Genghis the Engineer]

The better light aircraft headsets have good quality sensitive microphones that pick up too much background noise. The ones used in headsets for noisy environments are a bit less sensitive.

Headsets designed for open cockpit tend to be slightly less comfortable but with better noise attenuation. If you need it, they usually fit under a helmet better. They're usually a bit more rugged too.

G

[Negative 'G']

Lownslow,
Is that £20 an annual fee ?

[Todge]

Changing the subject slightly....

Is it me or does Transair seem expensive?
Im looking to buy a Peltor 8006.
Transair want to charge about £55 more than anywhere else.

Question is .... How, Why?

Just a bit of a whinge.

Bye

[Negative 'G']

Cos they can & people still pay it :rolleyes: