Invest in a Handheld?

J

jpwamt

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Apr 6, 2008
Messages
8
Location
Omro/Oshkosh, Wi
Display Name
Display name:
Jay
Hi well last night i did my first night flight and it was almost scrubbed due to the radios. My friend/ instructor has a 56 172 that he trains me in, which has been going awesome. but the radios are outdated. He wants to upgraded it do a newer nav/comm radio, Just hasent done it yet. ok back on topic.

I fly out of a uncontrolled airport and we had trouble keying the mic to turn the runway lights on. the lights didn't work tell we got right next to some anntenna. Once we got them to come on we just did one trip around the pattern to see how well it worked in the air in which is worked ok, but when we left the area a little like maybe a mile or 2, the lights wouldn't come on.

So Im wondering if a handheld would be a wise investment, im sure if we had one of them we wouldnt have a problem.
 
I bought an Icom A-6 after I had one electrical failure. I've had one other since. So, it's a handy device to have if you need to get back, especially to a towered field. But, keep it simple. Unless you have external antennas, the navigation side of handheld nav/coms are not really worth the extra expense.

I used to sell them but got out of it with the competition at the time. The cheapest and most reliable resource I've seen online is Spinner's Pilot Shop.
 
I have the sportys model and mostly use it for getting the AWOS and clearances.
 
I have an older ICOM A-22, use it all the time for gliders, flight and ground operations monitoring. I find it very handy for my powered flying too. Pick up the ATIS before engine start. Coordinate an IFR clearance if there is a chance of a "gate hold" or departure delay. Hate to start engines, call for clearance and then be told there is a 30 min departure delay. Save the fuel and engine time and sit there on the hand held.

Also used it once when I had a total electical failure on short final. I landed, cleared the runway.. and then called tower on the handheld and explained the issue and got my taxi clearance.

I would not use the handheld in place of bad radios on the C172. If the installed radios are bad.. it's a no go. Fix em. The hand held is the back up, not the primary.
Granted.. depending on where departing from and arriveing at.. radios may not be required.
 
Absolutely useful, you never can tell when your electrical system or radios may go out. I fly out of controlled airspace, never leave home without, and have used it on more occasions than I can count. I second Kenny's comment, unless you have the external antenna jack the nav functions won't be all that useful. Also, you can listen to the CTAF at fly-ins.
 
Another second of all the previous endorsements.

I've had a Sporty's since Student Pilot days.

I've used it when I lost all electric in a C152 (VFR, still a student, VVS to LNS), and in a -35 Bonanza (IFR in marginal VFR conditions), monitored student solos, to listen to AWOS, get taxi clearance at big, busy Class Bs, etc.

Strongly recommended.
 
jpwamt said:
im sure if we had one of them we wouldnt have a problem.
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I'm not sure at all. Tell me why you think the equipment on the field is in good working order. This stuff isn't fixed/upgraded until it breaks. Have you asked the airport manager/owner if he has gotten other complaints on it?

Also tell me why a handheld without the benefit of an external (plane-mounted) antenna will do the job. Remember, if you are just using the handheld installed "rubber duckie" antenna, you are transmitting with a sub-optimal antenna inside a metal cage.

In fact, your handheld might work well. You need to borrow a handheld and see if it works to your satisfaction. It may not.

-Skip
 
BillTIZ said:
The hand held is the back up, not the primary.
Click to expand...

I flew a '45 Champ for over 20 years using a handheld as the "primary" radio. I flew in and out of Class B/C/D airspace regularly. Using an external antenna, transmit distances on high power would read 40 nm above 3500 ft.
 
I've had to use the handheld twice in IMC. First time worked fine, second time the fully charged rechargeable NiCad went flat in about 5 min.
Moral of the story? Get the handheld, but use regular alkaline batteries and carry a bunch of extra's.
 
I've used mine twice. Once in my old Cherokee when my only working Com decided to stop transmitting in the middle of NYC Class B. The second time I had a total electrical failure in the Tiger. So, yes they do come in handy. There also useful at the Wings FlyBQ to direct the contests. :D
 
Chip Sylverne said:
I've had to use the handheld twice in IMC. First time worked fine, second time the fully charged rechargeable NiCad went flat in about 5 min.
Moral of the story? Get the handheld, but use regular alkaline batteries and carry a bunch of extra's.
Click to expand...

My NiCD died after two years.. replaced it with NiMH. Been working great for 5 years now. It gets recharged about every two weeks. It is on and operational at least 5 hours every Saturday for glider flying. If not longer.

I carry the AA battery pack as a back up battery. It dies in about 5 hours of heavy usage at the glider club.

As to the Champ driver.. roger on the handheld as primary. You had no electrical system in the Champ... same with our gliders.
 
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Skip Miller said:
I'm not sure at all. Tell me why you think the equipment on the field is in good working order. This stuff isn't fixed/upgraded until it breaks. Have you asked the airport manager/owner if he has gotten other complaints on it?

Also tell me why a handheld without the benefit of an external (plane-mounted) antenna will do the job. Remember, if you are just using the handheld installed "rubber duckie" antenna, you are transmitting with a sub-optimal antenna inside a metal cage.

In fact, your handheld might work well. You need to borrow a handheld and see if it works to your satisfaction. It may not.

-Skip
Click to expand...

its my friend own personal plane, i thinks he only teachs one other person at the moment which is also one of his friend, and he knows his radios need update/checking over. which its sounds like his going to do when he puts a transponder in the plane, he has a transponder waiting to be put in just waiting for a quote to put it in.
 
jpwamt said:
So Im wondering if a handheld would be a wise investment, im sure if we had one of them we wouldnt have a problem.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. A hand-held radio is a terrific investment, on a number of levels.

In my 14 years and 1400 hours, I've experience two complete electrical failures (in rental birds) and a complete com failure (when the audio panel malfunctioned) in planes I've owned. One of the first two was in an Aztec arriving at Minneapolis at night, while the comm failure was while leading seven other planes into Oshkosh this year! (The third failure was in a non-critical situation.)

On both occasions my trusty ICOM saved the day. Two things you need to make sure of:

1. You have the headphone-to-handheld interface cord. A handheld is damned-near useless in a noisy GA plane otherwise.

2. You have a box full of alkaline AA batteries. Do NOT rely on the stupid rechargeable battery packs -- you WILL forget to charge them, and they WON'T hold a charge long enough to be useful in flight.

A handheld is also a great asset at big fly-ins (like Oshkosh or Sun N Fun), where half the fun is watching (and listening to) arrivals and departures.
 
Well thanks, il got one coming i found a Sporty A300 for a 100 which i think has the regular headset plug, but im not sure. Anyone know for sure or do i still nead a headset adapter?
 
I departed a towered airport at night to take a buddy to pick up his plane after the annual. No sooner did we pass the threshold and the lights went out accompanied by some smoke. My buddy said I got it, I rooted around in back for my Sportys handheld called the tower and said we're coming back with no lights.

The handheld made this a non event.

It turned out that my buddy caused a short by hitting some wires with his Knee. (the plane was new to me and this was corrected immediately:ihih:)

I now make sure that my handheld is in a place where I can reach it if I'm alone. (It is also handy for critiquing your pals landing at a flyin;))

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
KSDM
 
pmanton said:
I now make sure that my handheld is in a place where I can reach it if I'm alone. (It is also handy for critiquing your pals landing at a flyin;))
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While awaiting my pax, I was on the ramp by my plane at Midway in June of 1986. I had my handheld out and was monitoring tower frequency, watching the comings and goings. Aircraft were landing to the southeast. A Cessna 210 was inbound on the downwind on the north side of the airport. A Learjet was inbound on a long final from the northwest. As the 210 turns base, the Lear is still inbound. I am watching them both. It's looking close, so I key the mic and announce, "Two aircraft inbound for the same runway." That got the tower's attention and the 210 was quickly given some new instructions. None of the pilots nor the tower controllers was paying attention to what was happening.
 
john smith said:
While awaiting my pax, I was on the ramp by my plane at Midway in June of 1986. I had my handheld out and was monitoring tower frequency, watching the comings and goings. Aircraft were landing to the southeast. A Cessna 210 was inbound on the downwind on the north side of the airport. A Learjet was inbound on a long final from the northwest. As the 210 turns base, the Lear is still inbound. I am watching them both. It's looking close, so I key the mic and announce, "Two aircraft inbound for the same runway." That got the tower's attention and the 210 was quickly given some new instructions. None of the pilots nor the tower controllers was paying attention to what was happening.
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That was an unauthorized radio use, sir. I hope you filed an ASRS form. :nono::rolleyes:
 
"Tail number of last transmission please contact tower now."

silence followed by sound of keyed mike and uproarious laughter

so
mikea said:
That was an unauthorized radio use, sir. I hope you filed an ASRS form. :nono::rolleyes:
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nope im talking about sportys A300, I cant find it be listed forsale anyware new, i bought it used of of ebay. this is the manual for it, its a pdf file.

in that manual is shows a diagram of all the functions of the radio, and up by the volume and squelch knobs it show to large circles for a headset to plug into, im just wondering if i can plug a head directly into it, or do i need that adapter.

http://www.sportys.com/pdf/a300.pdf
 
Try it and see, esp. transmit mode. I think my old Icom adapter has a PTT button, but it's in the plane.
jpwamt said:
i dont care if mcdonalds makes it as long as it works
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well i am, as soon as it gets here. well we already have a ptt, some i wondering if i can just use thier as the primary radio for now, sense, the comm in the plane is not that great. So will see.
 
john smith said:
I believe JRC was the manufacturer.
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Gosh, I hope not. I picked up five of those from the distributor since there was a bulk discount only the name had been changed to Rexon and the model number was RHP-520. Wholesale on those at the time were $170 while the Icom was still $195. The receivers sucked something awful. I finally sold the fifth one but not for like six months. I did so at cost just to be rid of them but I felt guilty of even that.

When I placed the Rexon outside and the Icom inside the house... the Icom's reception was great for the airport ten miles away. The Rexon was weak as ever. Who knows how bad the transmitter is?

I'm just hoping it's not the same manufacturer.

http://www.edmo.com/index.php?module=products&func=display&prod_id=26391&cat_id=998
 
A handheld is pretty much a piece of equipment that you should always have with you. I can listen to the ATIS from both Montgomery Field and Gillespie Field from my house, It's on a hill, that is a goodly distance from both airports.

I lost my radios (alternator) after run up at Gillespie Field a few years back, no problem, my handheld worked just fine to get us back to the tie down. I keep my handheld with my headset bag.

They are just handy things to have, a great investment.

John
 
I'm stocking up and fine-tuning my survival gear after my forced landing. These might seem like stupid questions to some of you, if so, flame away.

In regards to the alkaline battery pack for a handheld, can anyone tell me

1. If alkaline/lithium batteries keep their charge long-term if they are in the battery pack and attached to the handheld? (This is assuming the handheld is not left on during the storage, of course...:)

2. Do lithium batteries store better than alkaline or provide longer battery life in a handheld?

I ordered myself a replaceable battery pack for my Icom and want to be reasonably sure it will work when I really need it and turn it on after relatively long periods of inactivity.
 
CrashAxe said:
1. If alkaline/lithium batteries keep their charge long-term if they are in the battery pack and attached to the handheld? (This is assuming the handheld is not left on during the storage, of course...:)

2. Do lithium batteries store better than alkaline or provide longer battery life in a handheld?
Click to expand...

1. Li batteries have longer shelf life than alkaline. Shelf life is affected by temperature and humidity.

2. Store your batteries in the blister pack they came in. Do not store batteries in the radio pack. If they leak in the battery pack, they will damage the contacts. If they leak in the blister pack, you have a messy battery pack that you can throw away.
 
At roughly five times the cost, I don't see lithium batteries all that worth it. You can buy a large, multi-pack of Energizer alkaline batteries pretty inexpensive at Home Depot. My last was a 36-pack for $13. That provides all I need for a reasonable price.

While I use them mostly for my headset and flashlights, you can keep an Icom alkaline battery case filled and draw from it for other purposes then refill after each flight as needed.

On the handheld's battery (NiCd or NiMH Only), be sure you run the battery down completely on a monthly basis then recharge. That will extend its life.

Edit: I specified which batteries recharging above applies to. The lithium batteries can be discharged to full use but not to the point they are no longer providing power, i.e., dead. But, they aren't entirely without a memory, per se.

Here's a great read to learn more about batteries:
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/index.htm
 
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john smith said:
1. Li batteries have longer shelf life than alkaline. Shelf life is affected by temperature and humidity.

2. Store your batteries in the blister pack they came in. Do not store batteries in the radio pack. If they leak in the battery pack, they will damage the contacts. If they leak in the blister pack, you have a messy battery pack that you can throw away.
Click to expand...
Well, you shouldn't "throw it away":nono:, but you can see that it's recycled or at least disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner!:yes:

http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php said:
[FONT=arial, Arial, Helvetica]Dry cell batteries contribute about 88 percent of the total mercury and 50 percent of the cadmium in the municipal solid waste stream[/FONT]
Click to expand...

[No, I don't live in California!:)]
 
KennyFlys said:
On the handheld's battery, be sure you run the battery down completely on a monthly basis then recharge. That will extend its life.
Click to expand...

It sounded like he was talking about using non-rechargeable batteries for the handheld - The Sporty's radio, for instance, has a pack that splits open and you put 8 ordinary AA's into it.

If there's a rechargeable battery on your handheld, Kenny is right ONLY if it's a NiCad battery. DO NOT run down Lithium batteries - They can be damaged, and when truly run down they will not recharge.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
If there's a rechargeable battery on your handheld, Kenny is right ONLY if it's a NiCad battery. DO NOT run down Lithium batteries - They can be damaged, and when truly run down they will not recharge.
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Generally any electronic device that was built with a Lithium Ion battery shuts down before the battery can be damaged. Most often this circuit is in the electronic device *and* battery. You couldn't run any decent Lithium-Ion battery down to a damaging point if you wanted to.

That said, Lithium Ion does not suffer from much of a memory effect and there is not that much of a point in trying to run them to their 'shutdown' state. NiMH has a slight memory effect but it can generally be reversed. NiCAD has the worst memory effect of the three.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
It sounded like he was talking about using non-rechargeable batteries for the handheld - The Sporty's radio, for instance, has a pack that splits open and you put 8 ordinary AA's into it.
Click to expand...

Aye, Matey. Thats what I was talking about. I was trying to find out whether I should use Li disposables or Alkaline Disposables for best shelf life and useful life. I was also trying to find out if I could store them in the pack on the radio or not. (I am hoping to store them in the pack on the radio so when I have comm failure the next time or end up on the ground unexpectedly, I can just pull out the radio and talk.

Thanks for all the answers so far.
 
Since reading this thread I dessided this would be a good investment.
So anyone have a recommendation for a good low cost unit? I know I want a headphone-to-handheld interface cord. Keep in mind this will sit in my bag and hopfully never get used.
Well maybe a little use at flyinns.
 
Don't buy a JRC JHP520 (also known as a Rexel RHP520). It looks cool and is feature packed, but I am on my third one and it needs replacing again. They just stop working.
 
ron22 said:
So anyone have a recommendation for a good low cost unit? I know I want a headphone-to-handheld interface cord. Keep in mind this will sit in my bag and hopfully never get used.
Click to expand...
Get either an Icom or a Yaesu. They're good, solid radios that will last you forever. The Icoms (at least the IC-A6 and the IC-A24; I dunno about the IC-A14) come with the headset interface standard, too.
 
http://www.dansdata.com/gz011.htm


jesse said:
Generally any electronic device that was built with a Lithium Ion battery shuts down before the battery can be damaged. Most often this circuit is in the electronic device *and* battery. You couldn't run any decent Lithium-Ion battery down to a damaging point if you wanted to.

That said, Lithium Ion does not suffer from much of a memory effect and there is not that much of a point in trying to run them to their 'shutdown' state. NiMH has a slight memory effect but it can generally be reversed. NiCAD has the worst memory effect of the three.
Click to expand...
 
My earlier post was referring to the disposable lithium batteries not being worth the cost. I'd stick with alkaline.

Spike, are you having to replace the radio or just the battery on that 520? A few years ago, I sold a few of those and felt guilty about it since they were such an inferior radio.
 
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