Handheld Tranceiver Recommendation

(snip)

What do you want to do with it? I'd humbly suggest there are quite some
things a student pilot might want to spend 250 $ on before getting a
handheld radio.

As a student pilot on my dual cross country, both radios in my
instructor's plane failed on approach to the Lewiston, Idaho airport. He
whipped out his handheld, dialed in the tower frequency, and we were back
in business.

I purchased a Yaesu VX 120 Pro II the following day. I used it as a
student to listen to the ground, tower and approach chatter, and get the
ATIS while driving to the airport. Finally, when I purchased an aircraft
with only one nav/com, I used it as a second radio in the cockpit to
listen to the ATIS while keeping my my radio on the communications
frequency.

Even after I upgraded to two radios in the plane, I never leave the ground
without it...remembering that one flight when everything went toast.

- - - - -
Al Gilson
1964 Skyhawk
Spokane, WA USA

--
Al Gilson
Spokane, WA USA
1970 VW Convertible
1964 Cessna Skyhawk

(Andrew Sarangan) wrote:

A transceiver might be useful as a backup if you
fly in Class B a lot, and for IFR. But I can't think
of any other reason why a student pilot would
need a transceiver. If you are interested in
listening to ATC communications, buy a scanner.

It can be a useful backup even if you aren't flying in Class B or IFR. And why
does a person have to *need* one for it to make sense to have one?? It's
helpful to be able to observe *and* listen when you're trying to learn the
radios, and you can do that at or near most airports with a handheld. You can
check the ATIS while you're at home (if you're within range). I love my Yaesu
and often bring it with me even when I'm not flying so I can listen. And having
experienced radio failure, I like knowing it's there, just in case. I don't
know why anyone would discourage a person from getting one.

Paul Tomblin wrote:
No, but I can categorically state that you must not, under any
circumstances, buy the Sporty's one. It's a horrible piece of crap. The
display is almost unreadable under most lighting conditions, it loses all
its memory when you change the batteries, and the range is laughable. Oh,
unless you want to buy mine used, in which case they're great.


I must respectfully disagree with Paul. I actually returned an
Icom A23 in favor of the Sporty's SP-200 for the following reasons:

- A23 would not transmit across my living room on alkaline batteries;
the SP-200 reaches the tower 5x5 out to 5-6 miles on alkalines, with
no external antenna (although my aircraft is composite, not metal).

- SP-200 displays a CDI for localizers, A23 does not (only VORs).

- Although the SP-200 display is more sensitive to viewing angle,
the CDI portion is much larger than that of the A23. I tried both
in the cockpit in flight, and I found the A23's tiny CDI display
very difficult to view while flying the aircraft.

- I actually prefer the SP-200's larger size, and the SP-200 with 8 photo
lithium AAs weighs about the same as the A23 with 6 alkalines.

Whatever your favorite, I highly recommend that you TRY before you BUY.
Find someone who owns the model you're considering and try it out.


Happy landings,
Ross Oliver

I have the ICOM A-22, I do not use alkaline batteries.. they only last one
day in glider operations.. I have had my A-22 for 6 years and only had to
replace the battery once, I went from the factory 1000mAhr NiCD to a
1500mAhr NiMH and that was four years ago.

I use the radio all day every weekend, I charge it after every second
weekend. I do carry the AA battery pack in my flight bag for when I forget
to charge, does not happen often. When I did have to use the AA pack, it
only lasted about 5 hours.

When on the ground, I find the A-22 able to reach aircraft about 9-10nm
distant. From the air, I have used the A-22 to talk with approach control
25nm away from a composite glider.

I always use the "rubber ducky" antenna, and I prefer the "at extra expense"
Speaker/Mic to clip to my parachute harness while flying.

I know other pilots who have abandoned the Sporty's model (failure), and
also had problems with the Yeasue (small radios, small battery packs) not
many options.

BT

"nospamPlease" wrote in message
...

I am thinking of purchasing a hand held radio (tranceiver).

Can anyone recommend one ? I am a student pilot.

Please reply to this newsgroup and not via email.

On Mon, 29 Mar 2004 17:33:39 -0500, Cub Driver
wrote:

I would buy a Vertex 5 watt radio with any nav feature. I

Arggh! Fingers turned to thumbs! That should be: WITHOUT any nav
feature. When I had it on my Sporty's, I used it once, to see if it
worked (it did). I think I would rather scud-run than bother with
that.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: -- put Cubdriver in subject line!

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

I can't think of any other reason why a student pilot
would need a transceiver.

Because he will be flying solo?

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: -- put Cubdriver in subject line!

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

Cub,

Because he will be flying solo?


That requires a handheld now? Hmm, must have missed that in the regs.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Cub Driver wrote in message . ..
I can't think of any other reason why a student pilot
would need a transceiver.

Because he will be flying solo?


Are you talking about an aircraft which has no radio? In that case you
are correct. Perhaps I misunderstood the original post.

Because he will be flying solo?


That requires a handheld now? Hmm, must have missed that in the regs.

You will find it in the same regulation that requires you to carry a
backup handheld as a certificated pilot, or indeed the regulation that
requires you to have a radio of any kind.

Control K!

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: -- put Cubdriver in subject line!

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

nospamPlease wrote in message ...
I am thinking of purchasing a hand held radio (tranceiver).

Can anyone recommend one ? I am a student pilot.

Please reply to this newsgroup and not via email.

I bought the Yaseu/Vertex VXA-700 (The company changed it's name).
It's got the LiON battery with a nice long battery life, it was the
only handheld with a LiON battery when I bought it roughly a year ago.
It's small enough and light enough that I don't hesitate to carry it
- which is the point in a back up radio.

It receives VOR and COMM frequencies, weather radio in the US, and FM
commercial band as well as VHF 2 meter band. (So, if you're in CAP,
it can get their freqs too.)

I bought it when the DC ADIZ was set up, and used it when on a student
cross country with radio problems. Neither comm would work. Pretty
much a serious situation here. I plugged my headset into the handheld
(with the adapter I'd bought with the radio for that purpose) and was
able to re-enter the ADIZ and get back to home base.

(With the wisdom of more hours now, I should have landed outside and
phoned home. But having the extra radio is a good thing these days in
any case.)

Note that any handheld won't work as effectively as the plane's radio
since the antenna's not as good. Altitude helps of course, as does a
relay. I've seen people with their own plane put in an extra antenna
that can be plugged into the handheld too. But, you need your own
plane first... grin

-Malcolm Teas