Hand helds

[Dave Wilson]

Anyone recommend a basic hand held transceiver? Just for those 'radio gone dead' moments? Not interested in bells and whistles, just two way comms.

[BobD]

Google Icom IC-A6
We bought one recently for our syndicate, but haven't had a chance to use it yet.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I use an Icom A6 as GA backup, and microlight primary.

Spend a bit more to get the interface cable and PTT for your headset, but it works very well indeed.

G

[Jan Olieslagers]

A6 as primary and backup in my microlight (yes yes, I carry two of them). Works ok, but it seems I have to look into the antenna and its ground plane. Do NOT rely on the rubber thingy supplied as the standard antenna.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Vertex are well known in the radio game outside aviation and they produce high quality kit at good prices.

I have a Vertex Pilot 111 and it's quite excellent. I see from the link to it (below) that there's an updated model available, which has a BNC aerial connection so you can use an external aerial.

Standard-Vertex VXA-300 Pilot III Avionic Transceivers at £199.94 | Ham Radio

[Dave Wilson]

Thank you chaps.

[Desert185]

+1 on the Icom/iCom/ICOM. Whatever...works good...lasts a long time.

[Jan Olieslagers]

Standard-Vertex VXA-300 Pilot III Avionic Transceivers at £199.94 | Ham Radio

looks good, but alas:

**NOW OBSOLETE, PLEASE CLICK LINK FOR LATEST REPLACEMENT YAESU'S SUPERB FTA-310

Still that Yaesu seems a good bargain at 230 quid. No idea of the quality and ease of use, though.

[Flyingmac]

I've got one. Around £160 including postage. Nice bit of kit.
Yaesu FTA-310 Airband Transceiver Radio air aircraft helicopter pilot w/ Display | eBay?

You will need an in-line PTT to use it with a headset.

[Maoraigh1]

As a backup I use an Icon IC-A20 which is still on the original battery pack - bought early 1990 I think - certainly not later than January1991. I find the rubber aerial give enough range.

[m.Berger]

The trouble is that the yaesu only receives on 8.33. It does not transmit on the new grid and therefore will become useless in the medium term.

[A and C]

To buy anything without 8.33 is an unwise investment !

[Jan Olieslagers]

A&C, I know the argument has been done to death, but I am not convinced. All official sources I have consulted confirm that, for the next five years or so, 8,33 will only be required in upper airspace, above FL150 or so, where I won't come anyway with my non-turbo engine and insufficient payload capacity to carry oxygen bottles.

As more upscale pilots switch to 8,33, I see a plethora of 25 KHz equipment coming available secondhand and I do hope to find a nice panelmount transceiver in that bunch.

Regarding the Yaesu: I wonder a lot what could be the use of being able to receive 8,33 specific frequencies while unable to transmit there - is the developer completely nuts or did I miss something?

[x933]

I've got a Vertex. Works a treat. Got it used from AFORS for £100 as the radio in the glider is cr*p.

For £100 I can afford to throw it away when it becomes obsolete in a few years.

[Mickey Kaye]

"The trouble is that the yaesu only receives on 8.33. It does not transmit on the new grid and therefore will become useless in the medium term. "

They have a new version of the Vertex 220 which recives and transmits on 8.33 spacing. I think its called the 230. Have a check on ebay there was a few on there last time I checked.

[Lone_Ranger]

Yes new version is FT-230, the VXA - 220 is also a great handheld, rock solid piece of kit, I have 2 of them, but with the limitation allready mentioned.
Dave, don't get the -300 that someone mentioned earlier, they have well known problems including picking up TV broadcasts