Ham radio in aircraft

As my .signature attests, I'm also a ham radio operator. I'd like to be able
to use a 2 meter/440 MHz dual-band radio in the aircraft. While, ideally,
that radio would be an Icom IC-2820H, like the one in my car, practically
speaking it'll be a handheld. An external antenna would seem to be a useful
thing, with the cable brought forward to some convenient spot so I can hook
the radio up to it.

What are other hams doing in their aircraft?
--
Jay Maynard, K5ZC http://www.conmicro.com
http://jmaynard.livejournal.com http://www.tronguy.net
http://www.hercules-390.org (Yes, that's me!)
Buy Hercules stuff at http://www.cafepress.com/hercules-390

It all depends on

a) if it is your aircraft and you can hang things permanently where you
want

and

b) how technically inclined you are.

Jim
WX6RST


What are other hams doing in their aircraft?

On 2008-01-09, RST Engineering wrote:
It all depends on a) if it is your aircraft and you can hang things
permanently where you want

Yes. I'm going to be buying an LSA some time this year.

and b) how technically inclined you are.

The ham radio part of this doesn't hold any mystery to me at all: I've been
a ham for 35 years, and do my own installation of stuff in cars and the
like. What I don't know is what's possible, good, or legal in an aircraft.
--
Jay Maynard, K5ZC http://www.conmicro.com
http://jmaynard.livejournal.com http://www.tronguy.net
http://www.hercules-390.org (Yes, that's me!)
Buy Hercules stuff at http://www.cafepress.com/hercules-390

"Jay Maynard" wrote in message
...
The ham radio part of this doesn't hold any mystery to me at all: I've been
a ham for 35 years, and do my own installation of stuff in cars and the
like. What I don't know is what's possible, good, or legal in an aircraft.

I don't believe that there are any laws against operating a ham radio in an
aircraft. Permanent installations are a whole 'nother kettle of fish, but that
is not what you seem to have in mind.

I have also been a ham for over 40 years. My feeling has always been that I
can do all of the hamming on the ground that I want, but my time aloft is too
precious (and potentially dangerous) to do anything else but aviate. I have
never had any interest in mixing ham radio and aviation but YMMV.

Vaughn WB4UHB

Jay Maynard wrote:
As my .signature attests, I'm also a ham radio operator. I'd like to be able
to use a 2 meter/440 MHz dual-band radio in the aircraft. While, ideally,
that radio would be an Icom IC-2820H, like the one in my car, practically
speaking it'll be a handheld. An external antenna would seem to be a useful
thing, with the cable brought forward to some convenient spot so I can hook
the radio up to it.

What are other hams doing in their aircraft?

I'm going to be trying APRS in my plane,
but that's at least a couple months off.

I put a Icom 706MKIIG With SGC 239 Tuner in aircraft all the time...

"Jay Maynard" wrote in message
...
As my .signature attests, I'm also a ham radio operator. I'd like to be
able
to use a 2 meter/440 MHz dual-band radio in the aircraft. While, ideally,
that radio would be an Icom IC-2820H, like the one in my car, practically
speaking it'll be a handheld. An external antenna would seem to be a
useful
thing, with the cable brought forward to some convenient spot so I can
hook
the radio up to it.

What are other hams doing in their aircraft?
--
Jay Maynard, K5ZC http://www.conmicro.com
http://jmaynard.livejournal.com http://www.tronguy.net
http://www.hercules-390.org (Yes, that's me!)
Buy Hercules stuff at http://www.cafepress.com/hercules-390

Some Photos of a Temp 172 Temp Antenna Install... Use Quality Wire When
Making an Antenna.

http://www.aircraftdelivery.net/me/HF1ANT.JPG
http://www.aircraftdelivery.net/me/HF2ANT.JPG
http://www.aircraftdelivery.net/me/HF3ANT.JPG
http://www.aircraftdelivery.net/me/HF4ANT.JPG




"Jay Maynard" wrote in message
...
As my .signature attests, I'm also a ham radio operator. I'd like to be
able
to use a 2 meter/440 MHz dual-band radio in the aircraft. While, ideally,
that radio would be an Icom IC-2820H, like the one in my car, practically
speaking it'll be a handheld. An external antenna would seem to be a
useful
thing, with the cable brought forward to some convenient spot so I can
hook
the radio up to it.

What are other hams doing in their aircraft?
--
Jay Maynard, K5ZC http://www.conmicro.com
http://jmaynard.livejournal.com http://www.tronguy.net
http://www.hercules-390.org (Yes, that's me!)
Buy Hercules stuff at http://www.cafepress.com/hercules-390

On Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:02:32 -0800, Jim Stewart wrote:
I'm going to be trying APRS in my plane, but that's at least a couple
months off.

Funny you should mention that, as I'm building an APRS tracker for
airborne use right now. Hope to have it online in a couple weeks. Will
be totally self contained, and based on an old Kenwood KT-78A HT, a N1VG
OpenTracker, Garmin 18 GPS, Maldol AX75 1/2 wave 2M vertical and an AGM
battery. Should be fun to plot the data using Google Earth.

-Doug (N2WOL)

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, ATP/CFI

http://www.dvatp.com
--------------------

Jay Maynard wrote:
On 2008-01-09, RST Engineering wrote:
It all depends on a) if it is your aircraft and you can hang things
permanently where you want

Yes. I'm going to be buying an LSA some time this year.

and b) how technically inclined you are.

The ham radio part of this doesn't hold any mystery to me at all: I've been
a ham for 35 years, and do my own installation of stuff in cars and the
like. What I don't know is what's possible, good, or legal in an aircraft.

First you have to get permission from the pilot/owner/operator; that part
should be easy....

Basically, anything permanently installed needs to be done, or at least
"supervised", and signed off by someone with the appropriate FAA holy
papers.

To keep it simple, don't permanently mount the radio and power it from
the cigarette lighter plug.

Install a second COM antenna, which will work good enoungh for 2M even
without filing off a little on the end when no one is looking, with a
cable run to a convenient place, which could also double as the antenna
for an air band hand held back up. This is the part that needs the FAA
paper.

Or, build the A/C yourself and do anything you want.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

Years ago I helped put a Drake 2mtr rig in a friend's 172. He had another
stainless rod antenna in place and I trimmed it to 146 Mhz.

Big issue was the Drake lacked sidetone so it was hard to know how you
were sounding over the engine noise.
--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433