Handheld Nav/Com Recommendations

[BigTex]

I considering treating myself to a new handheld Nav/Com transceiver for Christmas.  I'm leaning towards an Icom IC-A24 but before pulling the trigger, I'd be interested in what everyone else thought would be a good choice?

[N601RX]

I purchased the Yeasu FTA-720 during the Oshkosh sales this year. It's very well built with a mageniusm case instead of plastic. I think I started a thread about it when I purchased it.

I did it start the thread, but here is the thread. Scroll down close to the bottom and you can see a picture. Very small, includes headset adaptor and excellent Li battery life. It's also waterproof and includes the fm radio band.

http://mooneyspace.com/topic/10048-interesting-mystery/?hl=yaesu#entry115658

[larryb]

I have the yasu spirit which looks similar to the Yaesu FTA-720.

The icom is an older design and has an older ni-mh battery. Yasu is smaller and has a LiOn battery.

I haven't used it much but seems to work well.

[timpercarpio]

I got the one from Sporty's about eight years ago and have been happy with it.

[201er]

Here's my advice. Since you're never gonna use the darned thing except in an emergency, don't get anything fancy. The most important thing in my mind is the ability to take AA batteries. I have a Vertex handheld that goes unused for a year at a time. Then when I want it, turns out the rechargeable battery is dead. I had this happen where from disuse it killed the battery and it would not recharge any more. So when I bought a new rechargeable battery for it, I also bought a AA adapter. Now I keep those 10+ year Lithium AAs in that pack and I always have some kind of spare AAs around.

[Danb]

I have a sportys sp 400 which I'm happy with.

[Hank]

I have Sportys radio in my flight bag with the headset adapter plugged in. The batteries are AA NiMH, with regular Duracells in a second pack so I can replace the whole thing and not fumble with individual batteries (try that in IMC!). So far, the only time I needed it, it was in the hangar while I was on an IFR training flight. Now it lives in the plane.

[OR75]

I have an Icom.

 

The battery life is such that the radio is only useful in 2 instances

 

- Listening to ATC on the ground (ATIS) while being plugged to the wall

 

- emergency IF you have the right battery set with you. (I don't even know how long a fresh set battery of batteries will last since my radio have been reliable. 

[bdjohn4]

Sportys SP-400 Hand-held NAV/COM. Just for fun, I've flown a simulated ILS and the damn thing is really accurate (GS/LOC).

I have two AA battery packs (8 AAs/pack; same AA batteries that go into my lightspeed Sierras... so I have plenty AAs with me at all times... don't drop the packs... the little tabs are apt to break off).

I also got the push-to-talk and GA plug adapter.

Most importantly, I have a mount that can go on the windshield area steel roll cage down-tube in case I really need it for an ILS emergency. I sometimes have it set up and tracking on an ILS just in case I lose the ILS at a critical period (safety first).  FYI: my mag compass is down on the panel now, so that is out of the way.

[Mooneymite]

.

 

Living in a fly-in community, my handheld gets a fair amount of use.....on the ground.  On the occassion when I tried it from the Mooney cockpit, I was disappointed with the very limited transmission range.  If you're serious about a hand-held for back-up comm in flight, consider an external antenna splitter.  I don't have one, but I should!

 

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[N601RX]

Agree, I've used mine much more on the ground than in the air. Be careful with the spitter, you can blow the reciever out in the radio that is not transmitting. A carefully placed bnc connector or coax switch will work better.

[tony]

I have two BNC connectors in the cockpit, one goes to the radio, the other to the antenna.  During normal ops I fly with a jumper installed.  In the case of a power failure, I remove the jumper and connect the handle held to the external antenna.  works...

 

I have the ICOM A24

[rainman]

+1 on the Sporty's, note that range is limited unless you have a connection in your panel and a cable from the radio to connect to the external antenna. I did use it once in an emergency while flying and it did the trick. Always keep it in my flight bag. I do like the look of the Yasu.

[Oscar Avalle]

I have a Vertex and it works well to get the clearances and ATIS.

[Marauder]

I have a Vertex and it works well to get the clearances and ATIS.

+1 on the Vertex. I found a Chinese company that sells Vertex lithium battery packs cheap and loaded up on them.