Handheld radio

[Jim Meade]

Looking for opinions on a portable, handheld aviation radio for ground
support operations. No special features needed beyond the basic
transciever functions, as far as I know.
If there is a handheld that would be suitable for use in the glider
using an established external antenna, please comment on it, too.
Also, what accessories would be most useful in the glider? Boom mike
or headset? This will be for a tandem that is used for glider
training as well as pleasure.

[BT]

Our club members routinely use ICOM handhelds. The ICOM A-22 is no long
produced but serves well with replacement NiMH batteries, the original A-22
came with NiCD.

The newer smaller ICOM A-6 works great, comes standard with NiMH or Lithium
batteries.

I personally use in gliders not equipped with a radio, my ICOM A-22 with a
speaker mic and do not have any problems running down a NiMH 1500mA battery
over a weekend. I also remove the rubber ducky antenna and connect via
standard BNC connector to a magnet mount roof antenna on my truck when
chasing cross country pilots. I would think that this would also work in a
glider with an antenna already mounted. Where to mount the radio.

I have received reports that the speaker/mic combination used on the ICOM
A-6 wears the standard battery down very quickly, less than a day.

The speaker/mics plug into the top of the ICOMs and clip to your jacket or
seat belt, just like local security have on their communications. You do
have to be careful to get a compatible speaker/mic for your radio. The A-22
and A-6 speaker/mics are not cross compatible, and a standard Radio Shack
issue will not work.

BT

"Jim Meade" > wrote in message
...
> Looking for opinions on a portable, handheld aviation radio for ground
> support operations. No special features needed beyond the basic
> transciever functions, as far as I know.
> If there is a handheld that would be suitable for use in the glider
> using an established external antenna, please comment on it, too.
> Also, what accessories would be most useful in the glider? Boom mike
> or headset? This will be for a tandem that is used for glider
> training as well as pleasure.

[Vaughn Simon]

"Jim Meade" > wrote in message
...
> Looking for opinions on a portable, handheld aviation radio for ground
> support operations. No special features needed beyond the basic
> transciever functions, as far as I know.

Vertex & Icom are the "Honda & Toyota" of that market. You will find folks
that are passionately in love with either brand, but the fact is you are not
likely to go wrong with either. (That said, I love my little Vertex)

For glider training you want the smallest, lightest unit you can find. For
soaring, I wear mine around my neck on a breakaway lanyard. (I know you
specified ground operations, but in the cockpit you really don't want something
the size of an HT rolling around loose where it could jam your controls.) For
power flying, mine lives in my flight bag for backup use. In my experience, you
need no special accessories for soaring use. I don't even have an extra battery
pack, because the thing lasts me an entire day on a fresh charge.

For power flying, a headset adapter is a necessary item.

Vaughn

[Tony Verhulst]

> For glider training you want the smallest, lightest unit you can find. For

I agree to a point - I wouldn't want anything smaller than the A6. I
have the original Icom A20 that I bought over 20 years ago. Durn thing
is built like the proverbial tank and just won't quit - and it gets used
too. The problem for me was that it's the size of a brick and that's a
problem when you're climbing in and out of the back seat of a glider all
day. So, even though the A20 worked perfectly, I bought the A6 simply
because of its size. It's a great radio but I come to the field with 2
battery packs. The A20 batteries would last all day.

Tony V.

[[email protected]]

On Feb 23, 11:01*pm, Jim Meade > wrote:
> Looking for opinions on a portable, handheld aviation radio for ground
> support operations. *No special features needed beyond the basic
> transciever functions, as far as I know.
> If there is a handheld that would be suitable for use in the glider
> using an established external antenna, please comment on it, too.
> Also, what accessories would be most useful in the glider? *Boom mike
> or headset? *This will be for a tandem that is used for glider
> training as well as pleasure.

Whatever you get Jim, plan to have it secure in the glider. A loose
handheld in a glider is a common thing and a bad thing and not very
useful either. We like to make radio calls on the approach in a
glider and that "spare" hand should be on the airbrake lever.

It's easy to add a PTT and a boom mic. I use the tiny little
plantronics boom mic that clips to your glasses and a radio shack
momentary switch in the stick grip. Those plantronics have superior
sound quality and no matter where your head is the mic is right where
you need it. You don't need the little ear tube; the radio speaker
should be loud enough in most gliders. For a tandem trainer gooseneck
boom mics are really the way to go. Both seats should be equipped with
PTT and mics for training. It's fun figuring out the wiring for 2 PTT
switches. Kind of like the good old 3 way light switch. I did it
once but don't ask me to do it again!

MM