Handheld Radios - Icom A5 or A6?

Thanks for all of your replies - I have heard that the NAV function is
fairly useless.

I hope to never be in a situation where my sectional reading, dead
reckoning, situational awareness AND gps go out on me!

In Jonathan Sorger
wrote:
This new pilot was rather freaked out after losing one of my two
radios on my first 'real' long trip. Making me an even firmer
believer in redundancy, it is time to get a handheld backup.

I was all set on the Icom A5 Sport (alkaline battery) as this would be
used as a backup. Now I see the A6 Sport has arrived.

Can anyone familiar with these models recommend if the A6 is worth the
extra $40 or so? It's hard for me (an inexperienced handheld user) to
spot the differences online.

Thanks,

Not if you connect it to a NAV antenna.
Horizontal polarization vice vertical polarization for a COM antenna.

Jonathan Sorger wrote:
Thanks for all of your replies - I have heard that the NAV function is
fairly useless.

I'd go with the A6.

I have an A5 Sport and am satisfied with it, but for a few bucks
more, why not get the latest whiz-bang features? Nothing is
ever cheap about aviation.

One thing others have not mentioned about the A5: it was designed
for use with a battery pack that outputs a higher voltage than is
obtained by using six AA's in the Sport pack. This means that even
when using fully-charged NiMH cells or brand-new alkalines, the low
battery indicator is always on. Does this cut down on the range?
I don't know. I have contacted Icom about this and they confirm that
there's nothing unusual about my radio. That's just how it is when
using AA cells, standard alkaline or recharable.

As others have noted, the nav features are useless when all you have
is a rubber ducky antenna. However, not all handhelds are equal. I
was amazed to find that, though a Yaesu could not detect an VOR until
I could hit it by throwing the silly little thing at it, a Sporty's
worked almost as well as the panel-mount. I did have an Icom along
for this experiment, but it was a COM-only so it could not play in
the NAV section. Tests were done with rubber duckies on the radio
and with one taped horizontally along the top of the windshield.

For COM performance, my tests were not sensitive enough to find any
difference.

And to the rental company, I'm really sorry about the duct tape residiue
on the window. I did try to get it off, but someone was waiting for
the airplane.

I have a A 23 Sport here and I don't have the battery indicator on.
But only after changing from 1 Euro a pack alkalines to high quality
ones. A pack for 6.99 Euro.


"doc" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
I'd go with the A6.

I have an A5 Sport and am satisfied with it, but for a few bucks
more, why not get the latest whiz-bang features? Nothing is
ever cheap about aviation.

One thing others have not mentioned about the A5: it was designed
for use with a battery pack that outputs a higher voltage than is
obtained by using six AA's in the Sport pack. This means that even
when using fully-charged NiMH cells or brand-new alkalines, the low
battery indicator is always on. Does this cut down on the range?
I don't know. I have contacted Icom about this and they confirm that
there's nothing unusual about my radio. That's just how it is when
using AA cells, standard alkaline or recharable.

As others have noted, the nav features are useless when all you have
is a rubber ducky antenna. However, not all handhelds are equal. I
was amazed to find that, though a Yaesu could not detect an VOR until
I could hit it by throwing the silly little thing at it, a Sporty's
worked almost as well as the panel-mount. I did have an Icom along
for this experiment, but it was a COM-only so it could not play in
the NAV section. Tests were done with rubber duckies on the radio
and with one taped horizontally along the top of the windshield.

For COM performance, my tests were not sensitive enough to find any
difference.

And to the rental company, I'm really sorry about the duct tape residiue
on the window. I did try to get it off, but someone was waiting for
the airplane.

On Wed, 2 Feb 2005 16:11:02 +0000 (UTC), Jonathan Sorger
wrote:

Thanks for all of your replies - I have heard that the NAV function is
fairly useless.

I would agree with that assessment.

For one thing, you won't be using the unit often enough to be familiar
with the far-out features. The simpler your radio is, the better.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

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