Should I buy a scanner or transceiver?
 

Hi everyone,

I'm a student pilot learning at Bankstown Airport, NSW AUS. I live fairly close to the airport, and was thinking about buying a scanner to listen to the various transmissions (ground, tower, Sydney radar, 121.5 etc...), and familiarise myself with radio calls.
It then occurred to me that spending about $200 more, I could be buying a transceiver. I was wondering how many pilots actually own hand-held transceivers as a radio failure backup, and if this would be a wise purchase to be able to Tx down the track (no pun intended). Thanks

Bought a VXA-300. I have a scanner at home but as backup for flying I like to have a handheld transceiver.
I had never had a radio failure. The reason for me is more if erverything gets south and I find myself ditching or got stuck anywhere still alive, usually the biggest problem in remote areas is to direct help to you. To be able to transmitt on 121.5 is worth the 200 bucks IMHO.

Transceiver every time if you can spare the dosh.

Not only useful in the (rare) circumstance of total radio failure (but make sure you've got a compatible headset adapter: you'll hear nowt over engine noise otherwise)), but also useful to get departure ATIS without cranking up your a/c avionics till you're ready.

For (relatively) small extra sum you can even get VOR frequencies as a NAV back up.

Depends really on the type of flying you're planning.

Cusco

If your primary objective is to familiarize yourself with R/T procedures at a busy airport, seriously consider buying a receiver only.

That way you cannot screw up and transmit accidentally.

FBW

ive had a scanner for many years and now i am learning to fly have found my listening to have helped a great deal.

I think I too will probably get some kind of handheld transciever though in the future. As a back up. Do waterproof cases exist for them?

I am also surprised how easy you can buy one, should be imo that you need to produce proof of a pilots licence first.

Radio
 

VXA-220 is waterproof. Also comes with a twin-jack adapter so you can plug in your aviation headset if you have a radio failure.

sounds perfect is the vxa300 higher spec?

The only time you will ever have radio failure is when you have forgotten to pack your tranceiver.
DO.

Buy a transciever. Be sure to have a headset adapter. It'll give you peace of mind.
I've used one several times after radio failure. I've managed to use one (with difficulty) without the headset - throttled back to talk to ATC, and explain the problem.

Thanks everyone for the great tips.
So in terms of which transceiver; I spoke to the Icom Australia Product Manager, he had recommended either the AC-15 as a budget model or the AC-24 as a 'bells & whistles' fully featured model.
So now it's a choice between the vertex and icom, entry or fully featured models.

Small portable receiver
 

I believe the use of a small portable air band receiver is a good idea. It’s what I did. Initially I borrowed a large general purpose scanner that included the air bands from a friend and tried to record some samples. I then got my own small air band that I took around with me to local airfields. I found this very helpful along with airfields that make their radio available as an audio feed on the internet. This was several years ago. I passed my radio and finished my licence and now fly an old Cessna F172H around the UK – mostly East Anglia.
I still use the air band receiver to build up an awareness of what’s going on at my home airfield as I drive towards it. When travelling outside the UK I take it with me to listen to ATIS on the way to airport, and if I have time to spare I sit and listen in to the airport frequencies to build up experience of radio procedures at major airports both in and out of the UK.

Icom have a lithium battery option.
Vertex a Ni-Mh.
If it is for an infrequent use in an emergency wouldn't the Lithium battery option be better - tends not to self discharge over time?

You can listen to ATC online at Listen to Live Air Traffic Control Communications | LiveATC.net

I don't think there are any U.K. feeds though.

I bought an Icom A22 transceiver same day I got a radio failure during a pre-PPL solo. Always carry it, and got a connector fitted in the panel (a loop in the COM2 antenna feed actually) into which I can connect the transceiver's RF cable; that way one gets a range comparable to a panel mount radio.

Stupid laws!

re rjtjrt's comment I think you'll find modern NiMH cells have significantly lower self-discharge than earlier units.

Lithium will tend to be lighter/smaller for same capacity however. The downside it that they may be harder to come by in later years if they're a special for that specific radio. Many NiMH batteries are made up of relatively standard cells so you can often break them open and replace them when the pack ages. If you could get a unit that used just standard 'AA' cells I'd definately go for that - it's great if your radio/GPS/camera can all share the same batteries, that way it's easy to carry spares and to swap around if the need arises.

Vertex (Yaesu) and Icom are both good manufacturers of long standing, in general either should give you a good run so I'd be inclined to make the choice on features/cost/personal preference (shape or colour I guess if you're female :}........:ouch:). Definately a transceiver tho'!

FP.

I bought an Icom in February 1991. I hadn't recharged it or used it since January 2008, when in June 2008 it took me 3.5 hours flying, from inside the Leeming MATZ to Fife to Inverness, following radio failure.
I regularly discharge it completely, then recharge it.
We now have a cig lighter socket in the plane, which Icom supply an adaptor for.

Thanks for all the good tips!

I'd wait a while until Icom release an 8.33 channel spaced version. My old A6 is a bit limiting as many frequencies in Europe are now 8.33 frequencies.

8.33Khz? Sporty's SP200
 

If you think Oz is going the 8.33Khz route, then the Sporty’s SP200 transceiver may be suitable. It will probably be the cheapest approach to the new frequency spacing. That assumes someone imports it, or you can get it shipped.

I’d agree with the posters above, it’s worth getting a transceiver as opposed to a scanner. I’d just ask that you keep it away from children / drunken mates, who might want to talk to the aeroplanes…

Safe Flying,
Richard W.