Hand Held Radios (Com + Nav)and GPS...Help?

[[email protected]]

Hi All!

OK.. we are tricking out our new (to us) 172...

Looking at/comparing the ICOM IC-A23, and the Vertex Standard
VXA-210.

ICOM is more $, but a known quantity/quality.

Completely unfamiliar with Vertex quality/service..

Any experiences you would share with us?

And....

GPS....

The GARMIN 196 seems to be a fav, but we are attracted to the
features/screen size of the Lowrance Airmap 1000.

Short of "holding out" for a Colour 196 we are asking for
advice here as well..

Any owner/user comparisons/recommendations?

Thanks in advance....

Dave

[Jay Honeck]

> Looking at/comparing the ICOM IC-A23, and the Vertex Standard
> VXA-210.

I've got the ICOM. I've owned ICOMs since the early '90s. They are simple,
bullet-proof devices -- which is what I want in a back-up radio.

Jim Weir will tell you that the Vertex radios do some astoundingly cool
things, though.

> Short of "holding out" for a Colour 196 we are asking for
> advice here as well..
>
> Any owner/user comparisons/recommendations?

I spent DAYS testing all of the GPS's at OSH '03. (Well, the Lowrance
Airmap 1000 was just "vaporware" at that stage -- but I ruled Lowrance out
for other reasons.) It was hell, but someone had to do it... ;-)

The best GPS on the market, hand's down, is the AvMap. It's a few more
bucks, but it's TWICE the GPS of any competitor. We've been very happy
with ours, and can honestly say it has changed the way we fly the plane.

See an on-line demo at http://www.avmap.it/index.php?sec=1&sub=45&lang=en
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[JJS]

I'm going through the same process of elimination. I had my ICOM A22
and Lowrance Airmap 100 stolen from my airplane two weeks ago. I am
looking at the same replacements as you are considering for your
airplane. Here's some random thoughts I've had... I liked the Airmap
100 because I'm a vfr pilot and it had the obstruction database. It
was a good unit that I used for 6 years without trouble. I'll
probably purchase the Airmap 500 or 1000 unless someone that owns one
of these units and doesn't like it changes my mind . It seems they
are the best bang for the buck for the vfr pilot.

I liked the IC-A22 as well, but I also had the alkaline battery pack
for it. I didn't like the hassle of keeping the NiCad charged. Do I
need an alkaline pack if I get the A23? Are they even available? I
believe the A23 has a nickel metal hydride battery pack while the
Vertex has the NiCad. Is NiMH a hassle to keep charged? I have
little experience with it? I may go with the Icom A5 and save a $100,
as in my experience, the nav feature on the IC-A22 has limited range
and usefulness, (at least with the supplied antenna).

> wrote in message
...
> Hi All!
>
> OK.. we are tricking out our new (to us) 172...
>
> Looking at/comparing the ICOM IC-A23, and the Vertex Standard
> VXA-210.
>
> ICOM is more $, but a known quantity/quality.
>
> Completely unfamiliar with Vertex quality/service..
>
> Any experiences you would share with us?
>
> And....
>
> GPS....
>
> The GARMIN 196 seems to be a fav, but we are attracted to the
> features/screen size of the Lowrance Airmap 1000.
>
> Short of "holding out" for a Colour 196 we are asking for
> advice here as well..
>
> Any owner/user comparisons/recommendations?
>
> Thanks in advance....
>
> Dave

[Jack Allison]

I own a VXA-210 and love it. Haven't had any problems with it and use most
every time I fly as I like to monitor CTAF as I preflight or check AWOS. My
only nit is that the antenna is an SMA connector and not BNC...which means
you have to buy a special adapter should you want to plug into an external
antenna. Best price I found on the VXA-210 was here:
http://www.radios.org/index.htm

No experience with ICOM but folks I know that have them love them too.

Something to consider when comparing is to add up any extras that may come
with the radio. When I bought my VXA-210, I was comparing with a Sporty's
model (glad I went the route I did) and when considering the extras that
were part of my VXA-210 package (headphone adapter, nicad battery), the cost
difference wasn't all that significant.

Wish I could help on the GPS front...but haven't ventured into that arena
yet as I'm fortunate to rent planes that have built in GPS.

--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

[Cub Driver]

On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 01:55:50 GMT, wrote:

> Completely unfamiliar with Vertex quality/service..

It was formerly sold under the brand name Yaseu.

After a couple years I got fed up with my Sporty's nav-com and
replaced it with a Yaseu radio. It looks the same as the current
Vertex but had 3.5 watts transmitting power instead of the current 5
watts.

It's a splendid piece of gear. I use it as my only radio. I know
nothing about service, because I haven't had any service requirements.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (requires authentication)

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

[Stealth Pilot]

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 21:02:29 -0600, "JJS" <jschneider@REMOVE
SOCKSpldi.net> wrote:


>I liked the IC-A22 as well, but I also had the alkaline battery pack
>for it. I didn't like the hassle of keeping the NiCad charged. Do I
>need an alkaline pack if I get the A23? Are they even available? I
>believe the A23 has a nickel metal hydride battery pack while the
>Vertex has the NiCad. Is NiMH a hassle to keep charged? I have
>little experience with it?

if you charge up a nicad it will retain the charge for quite some
time.
a NiMh battery by comparison will self discharge in about a week.
they charge quicker but need to be fully charged just prior to use for
the best effect.

(from my experiences with laptops)
Stealth Pilot
Australia

[john smith]

JJS wrote:
> I liked the IC-A22 as well, but I also had the alkaline battery pack
> for it. I didn't like the hassle of keeping the NiCad charged. Do I
> need an alkaline pack if I get the A23? Are they even available? I
> believe the A23 has a nickel metal hydride battery pack while the
> Vertex has the NiCad. Is NiMH a hassle to keep charged? I have
> little experience with it? I may go with the Icom A5 and save a $100,
> as in my experience, the nav feature on the IC-A22 has limited range
> and usefulness, (at least with the supplied antenna).


If you are going to purchase a new handheld with rechargeable battery
pack, also purchase the drop in charger. It is easy and quick, usually
recharging the battery pack in an hour.
NiMH have a self-discharge rate of 3-5% per day. If you are going on
extended trips, purchase an alkaline battery pack.

[Paul Folbrecht]

> OK.. we are tricking out our new (to us) 172...

"Tricking out"? I love it! Are you an ex-motocrosser or something?
Didn't think that euphamism was used in these here environs....

> Looking at/comparing the ICOM IC-A23, and the Vertex Standard
> VXA-210.

Well, I'll throw out that my JRC JHP-500 works great and is a good bit
cheaper than the ICOMs. I have no complaints.

[Thomas Borchert]

> ICOM is more $, but a known quantity/quality.
>
> Completely unfamiliar with Vertex quality/service..
>

That's just you. Vertex has been around for years now - and they are
getting rave reviews. Check out Aviation Consumer or Avionics West, for
example.

Same for the Lowrance.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Thomas Borchert]

Jay,

> It's a few more
> bucks,
>

Ahem! But I see that your self-rationalizing-mechanism works really
well.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Jim Weir]

That's an interesting heresy. Care to share where you got this information?
Most of us have switched to NiMH because of the nicad's notorious self-discharge
effects. That's why they were invented.

Jim


Stealth Pilot >
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

-
->
->if you charge up a nicad it will retain the charge for quite some
->time.
->a NiMh battery by comparison will self discharge in about a week.
->they charge quicker but need to be fully charged just prior to use for
->the best effect.



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

[Peter]

Jim Weir wrote:

> That's an interesting heresy. Care to share where you got this information?
> Most of us have switched to NiMH because of the nicad's notorious self-discharge
> effects. That's why they were invented.

It's not a heresy, just overstated. It's well-known that NiMH cells suffer
from much more self-discharge than alkaline and somewhat more than NiCd
cells. (But they have much more capacity and are better environmentally so
overall they are far superior to NiCd.)

Here's Eveready's list of NiMH characteristics:
Most cost-effective, economical power source over the life of the battery

Recharges up to a thousand times

Best suited for frequent usage and heavy-drain devices, such as digital
cameras

Good low temperature performance

Interchangeable with non-rechargeable batteries in the same size

Limited shelf-life—loses 1% of deliverable energy per day when stored at
room temperature

If StealthPilot's cells are discharging substantially in a week then
there's something seriously wrong with them and they should be replaced.

> Stealth Pilot >
> shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:
>
> -
> ->
> ->if you charge up a nicad it will retain the charge for quite some
> ->time.
> ->a NiMh battery by comparison will self discharge in about a week.
> ->they charge quicker but need to be fully charged just prior to use for
> ->the best effect.
>
>
>
> Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
> VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
> http://www.rst-engr.com

[Robert Moore]

Peter > wrote
>
> It's not a heresy, just overstated. It's well-known that NiMH cells
> suffer from much more self-discharge than alkaline

That's why I have switched back to the RAYOVAC Rechargeable Alkaline
(used to be called "Renewable Alkaline")for my seldom used applications
such as my YAESU Aviator Pro II. Yes, they make an optional back that
will hold six of any AA cells. These cells have a shelf-life like any
other Alkaline, but provided that they are not discharged too far, I
have recharged some of them probably a hundred times. Kinda hard to find
but I tracked them down in Walgreen Drug Stores.

Bob Moore

[john smith]

Robert Moore wrote:
> That's why I have switched back to the RAYOVAC Rechargeable Alkaline
> (used to be called "Renewable Alkaline")for my seldom used applications
> such as my YAESU Aviator Pro II. Yes, they make an optional back that
> will hold six of any AA cells. These cells have a shelf-life like any
> other Alkaline, but provided that they are not discharged too far, I
> have recharged some of them probably a hundred times. Kinda hard to find
> but I tracked them down in Walgreen Drug Stores.

WARNING!!!
Do not leave RAYOVAC rechargeables in any device for an extended period.
They will leak and corrode your device.
They degrade with each recharge (this from a RAYOVAC tech).
NiMH, while they have a faster self-discharge rate, have more recharge
cycles and will not leak.

[Jay Honeck]

> > It's a few more
> > bucks,
>
> Ahem! But I see that your self-rationalizing-mechanism works really
> well.

Well, Thomas, I'll admit that the AvMap *was* a hard financial pill to
swallow, at over $1700.

However, when I saw what it could do, and realized that the cruddy little
(relatively speaking, of course) Garmin 295 was going to run me around
$1300, the $400 difference paled into insignificance.

I've now flown with the AvMap for over 100 hours. That extra four bucks an
hour (and dropping by the day) has been well worth it...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Ardna]

I have to agree about the JRC JHP-500 , works great, easy to use and came
with a headset adapter. Used it for several years and I can't complain.

Ardna


"Paul Folbrecht" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> > OK.. we are tricking out our new (to us) 172...
>
> "Tricking out"? I love it! Are you an ex-motocrosser or something?
> Didn't think that euphamism was used in these here environs....
>
> > Looking at/comparing the ICOM IC-A23, and the Vertex Standard
> > VXA-210.
>
> Well, I'll throw out that my JRC JHP-500 works great and is a good bit
> cheaper than the ICOMs. I have no complaints.

[Tom Nery]

I too was saddled with this question recently and bought the ICOM IC-A23
Sport. I figured it had a very good reputation and since I was planning to
use it as a backup, it was easier to carry a couple of sets of spare
alkaline batteries with me than worry about the last time I charged it. By
buying the sport, the price was quite reasonable. I also got (at the time a
rebate like offer) the headset adapter.

Other than testing it at my FBO and using it to listen to weather on the way
to the airport, I haven't had a need for it as of yet but feel very
comfortable having it within reach at all times.

As for a GPS, I have a Garmin 196 and find it totally adequate. Color while
nice, I don't think is worth the premium. Also the size is good and fits
nicely in my Cherokee with bow-tie yokes. I will note that the yoke mount
that Garmin ships would not work directly in the 172R's I trained in because
of the yoke shape. I'm not sure if this is a problem with all yokes, but it
required me to keep it on the passenger seat. Just as well, since I was
training at the time I really only used it to verify my checkpoints.

Hope this was of some help,

Tom


> wrote in message
...
> Hi All!
>
> OK.. we are tricking out our new (to us) 172...
>
> Looking at/comparing the ICOM IC-A23, and the Vertex Standard
> VXA-210.
>
> ICOM is more $, but a known quantity/quality.
>
> Completely unfamiliar with Vertex quality/service..
>
> Any experiences you would share with us?
>
> And....
>
> GPS....
>
> The GARMIN 196 seems to be a fav, but we are attracted to the
> features/screen size of the Lowrance Airmap 1000.
>
> Short of "holding out" for a Colour 196 we are asking for
> advice here as well..
>
> Any owner/user comparisons/recommendations?
>
> Thanks in advance....
>
> Dave

[[email protected]]

Hi Jay...

Ok....tried it... (the AV demo..

But... only one dealer (in all North America !) listed... and
the link does not work.

Where did you get yours and how much?

And for what other reasons did you rule out the Lowrance?

Dave


On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 02:33:46 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
> wrote:

>> Looking at/comparing the ICOM IC-A23, and the Vertex Standard
>> VXA-210.
>
>I've got the ICOM. I've owned ICOMs since the early '90s. They are simple,
>bullet-proof devices -- which is what I want in a back-up radio.
>
>Jim Weir will tell you that the Vertex radios do some astoundingly cool
>things, though.
>
>> Short of "holding out" for a Colour 196 we are asking for
>> advice here as well..
>>
>> Any owner/user comparisons/recommendations?
>
>I spent DAYS testing all of the GPS's at OSH '03. (Well, the Lowrance
>Airmap 1000 was just "vaporware" at that stage -- but I ruled Lowrance out
>for other reasons.) It was hell, but someone had to do it... ;-)
>
>The best GPS on the market, hand's down, is the AvMap. It's a few more
>bucks, but it's TWICE the GPS of any competitor. We've been very happy
>with ours, and can honestly say it has changed the way we fly the plane.
>
>See an on-line demo at http://www.avmap.it/index.php?sec=1&sub=45&lang=en

[BigNick73]

well ill throw in my $.02 even though im still technically a student. i
bought a Airmap 500 ($400 ebay) and am impressed w/ it. great on vfr flights
for double checking my checkpoints. think my cfi is debating on getting one
now. pretty easy to use too. although i need to get some tint for the screen
as its too bright at night. its well worth the money being $500 retail. the
HSI feature is great! and comes w/ all kinds of accesories in the box (yoke
mount dc adapter external antenna and mount map making software etc etc).
anyway i thought it was the best for the $500 price range after looking at
the few that are that inexpensive. may upgrade in the future once i get my
commercial certificate but for vfr its great. -Nick
"JJS" <jschneider@REMOVE SOCKSpldi.net> wrote in message
...
> probably purchase the Airmap 500 or 1000 unless someone that owns one
> of these units and doesn't like it changes my mind . It seems they

[Morgans]

> NiMH have a self-discharge rate of 3-5% per day. If you are going on
> extended trips, purchase an alkaline battery pack.

You need to google about that to see for yourself. They self discharge at
slightly over 1% per day. Given the fact that they have a higher capacity
than alkaline, they will still have more capacity left over, even
considering self discharge, than alkalines for at least two or three weeks.

- I am the type of person to prepare by charging things often, so it is
ablsolutely no problem for me. If you do prepare for a long trip by
charging, you have around two times the capacity than alkaline, so where is
the down side? Add to that a charger to run off of ship's power, and you
can go long, indefinitely.
--
Jim in NC



---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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[Peter]

Morgans wrote:

>>NiMH have a self-discharge rate of 3-5% per day. If you are going on
>>extended trips, purchase an alkaline battery pack.
>
>
> You need to google about that to see for yourself. They self discharge at
> slightly over 1% per day.

Agreed, but the self-discharge rate can increase as the cells age.

> Given the fact that they have a higher capacity
> than alkaline, they will still have more capacity left over, even
> considering self discharge, than alkalines for at least two or three weeks.

The relative capacity of alkalines and NiMH cells depends on how large the
current draw is. For AA cells, alkalines are typically rated to have a
capacity of about 2800 mA-hr which is higher than the rating for today's
NiMH of about 2200 mA-hr. However, the 2800 rating for alkalines is tested
at a very low discharge rate of 20 mA and at higher current draws the
effective capacity drops substantially. At a current draw of 1 A (1000
mA), the capacity of alkalines drops to about 750 mA-hr while NiMH cells
are much less affected and still deliver almost their rated capacity. So
for low-power devices the alkaline cells still outlive a single charge of
the NiMH cells, but for higher-power devices the NiMH cells last much longer.

In the case of a communications radio it depends on how it's used - if only
used to receive I'd expect the alkalines to do better but if frequently
used to transmit (i.e. higher power) then the NiMH cells will last longer.

Even if the alkalines might last longer than a single charge of the NiMH,
I'd usually still use the rechargeable NiMH for the lower long-term cost.
But a spare set of alkalines (or even better Li) cells is good for backup
since they have such good storage characteristics.

[Gerald Sylvester]

> I may go with the Icom A5 and save a $100,
> as in my experience, the nav feature on the IC-A22 has limited range
> and usefulness, (at least with the supplied antenna).

I've been considering buying a handheld radio. A couple of weeks
ago in absolutely perfect weather, the radios in the FBO's plane
were being intermittant. Although no emergency, it helped me
decide I want a radio especially since I've started my IFR
training.

After some research, it was a toss up between the Vertex
with a few more gizmos and NiCd cells or the ICOM A5
with NiMH cells. Both were withing $30 or so from
various places since ICOM was offering a few
headset adapter for the A5 that was included with the Vertex.
Well I found LC Flight (www.lcflight.com) had the same
price as most other discount shops and was offering
a FREE alkaline battery pack for the A5. It came to $280
with the headset adapter from ICOM and the alkaline battery
case from LCFlight + 6 S/H. I haven't gotten it yet but it
will probably get here on Monday.

I ordered from them once before and they were quite on
par with Sportys. I ended up dealing with them more than
I wanted to as the DC 10-60's they sent to me had a very
short cable between the two ear cups so they couldn't
be extended far enough. I ended up sending it back for a refund
minus the shipping and was minimal hassle.

(and no, I do not have any affiliation with them).

Gerald

[RM]

I used to have the top of the line Yaesu with all the accessories.

It disappeared a year or so ago and I replaced it with an Icom, a
simpler com only that only has a AA battery pack, though rechargable
cells are avaiable for it. It cost about half as much as I originally
paid for the Yaesu. I don't think it has much transmission range from
inside the cockpit with just its little rubber duckie antenna, but it
receives well and picks up NOAA broadcasts too.

My experience with the Yaesu Nav functions were that they were 100%
worthless. I could pick up the VOR with my naked eye before the stupid
little thing would find it. The NiCd cell in the Yaesu would auto-discharge
in about two weeks, making it impractical to leave in a flight bag.

I've also tried navigating with a Sporty's. It worked MUCH better than the
Yaesu. Even with the little rubber ducky antenna, sitting on a Cessna
glare shield it worked almost as well as the panel mount VORs. It's not
as slick a package as either the newest Yaesu or Icom, but performance was
excellent. I do believe I could navigate VOR to VOR and maybe, in an
emergency, even shoot a localizer with just the Sporty's. I've been intending
to try that, but have not so far.

[john smith]

Morgans wrote:
>>NiMH have a self-discharge rate of 3-5% per day. If you are going on
>>extended trips, purchase an alkaline battery pack.
>
>
> You need to google about that to see for yourself. They self discharge at
> slightly over 1% per day. Given the fact that they have a higher capacity
> than alkaline, they will still have more capacity left over, even
> considering self discharge, than alkalines for at least two or three weeks.

I have gone to different sites and read different values, so I use the
highest.

[Jim Weir]

That's not the cleverest plan in the world, is it? Some of the data is ten
years old, and some was done last week.

Ten years ago, it WAS 3% a day. Five years ago, it got down to 2, and now it is
1 and still dropping.

Instead of using the highest, why not use the current data?

Jim



john smith >
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

->
->I have gone to different sites and read different values, so I use the
->highest.

Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

[john smith]

Jim Weir wrote:
> Instead of using the highest, why not use the current data?

So I can more easily figure out if I need to recharge. ;-))

[Cub Driver]

The rechargable was a major reason for switching from a Sporty's to
the Yaseu (aka Vertex) for me.

My handheld is my only radio, so buying AA batts was a real drain for
me. By the same token, I know that if I'm going to be flying for a
couple of hours, I probably should charge up the radio.

For a backup radio, it would be a more difficult call. Why not
recharge on the first day of every month?

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 00:34:24 -0500, "Morgans"
> wrote:

>
>
>> NiMH have a self-discharge rate of 3-5% per day. If you are going on
>> extended trips, purchase an alkaline battery pack.
>
>You need to google about that to see for yourself. They self discharge at
>slightly over 1% per day. Given the fact that they have a higher capacity
>than alkaline, they will still have more capacity left over, even
>considering self discharge, than alkalines for at least two or three weeks.
>
>- I am the type of person to prepare by charging things often, so it is
>ablsolutely no problem for me. If you do prepare for a long trip by
>charging, you have around two times the capacity than alkaline, so where is
>the down side? Add to that a charger to run off of ship's power, and you
>can go long, indefinitely.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (requires authentication)

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

[Jay Honeck]

> Ok....tried it... (the AV demo..
> But... only one dealer (in all North America !) listed... and
> the link does not work.

Huh??? The AvMap is available through all the big avionics houses.
Pacific Coast Avionics, Gulf Coast Avionics, J.A. Avionics, Sarasota
Avionics -- they all handle the AvMap. They've had a banner year,
according to the folks I've spoken with at AvMap. This only makes sense --
it's twice the unit for only a few hundred dollars more.

> Where did you get yours and how much?

I bought mine at OSH '03. We had three avionics places competing for our
buck. Sarasota Avionics won the battle. The price was right around $1700
INCLUDING tax, which is a good deal.

> And for what other reasons did you rule out the Lowrance?

Lowrance *had* my business -- I own(ed) an Airmap 300. They lost my future
business when the unit failed after just four years (it stopped recognizing
the airport database card), and they were "no longer" able to repair it.
They were more than "willing" to sell me an Airmap 100 --- with a dinky
screen -- or the 500, which isn't much better.

And the 1000 wasn't available yet.

So, I declined their kind offer, and took my business to AvMap. It's an
awesome unit.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Thomas Borchert]

Jay,

> the $400 difference paled into insignificance.
>

It's still not "a few bucks", but rather a cool 25 percent more.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Jay Honeck]

> It's still not "a few bucks", but rather a cool 25 percent more.

Right. For a 50% larger (and brighter) color screen, and all the instrument
approaches.

And -- more importantly to me -- the obstruction database that Garmin
stupidly omits.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[David Reinhart]

I personally own Vertex (Yaesu) aviation handheld, an ICOM ham handheld and a
Kenwood base HF-VHF-UFH radio (again for ham work). They're all good. The
Vertex was a better deal (comm only) than the ICOM and I like it a lot.

Dave Reinhart


Jay Honeck wrote:

> > Looking at/comparing the ICOM IC-A23, and the Vertex Standard
> > VXA-210.
>
> I've got the ICOM. I've owned ICOMs since the early '90s. They are simple,
> bullet-proof devices -- which is what I want in a back-up radio.
>
> Jim Weir will tell you that the Vertex radios do some astoundingly cool
> things, though.
>
> > Short of "holding out" for a Colour 196 we are asking for
> > advice here as well..
> >
> > Any owner/user comparisons/recommendations?
>
> I spent DAYS testing all of the GPS's at OSH '03. (Well, the Lowrance
> Airmap 1000 was just "vaporware" at that stage -- but I ruled Lowrance out
> for other reasons.) It was hell, but someone had to do it... ;-)
>
> The best GPS on the market, hand's down, is the AvMap. It's a few more
> bucks, but it's TWICE the GPS of any competitor. We've been very happy
> with ours, and can honestly say it has changed the way we fly the plane.
>
> See an on-line demo at http://www.avmap.it/index.php?sec=1&sub=45&lang=en
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"