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Bell206

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Bell206
Have elderly friend off grid in AK looking for basic VHF handheld to monitor local aircraft traffic. Had ancient Motorola that finally let the smoke out. Any recommendations?
 
Yaesu. I have a couple Sportys radios and a Yaesu, the Yaesu is a much better radio, especially the output audio quality.
 
Dixiebluesky said:
Yaesu. I have a couple Sportys radios and a Yaesu, the Yaesu is a much better radio, especially the output audio quality.
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I got a Yaesu radio. Fantastic piece of equipment, I'm sure, but I didn't have the time to take the college course necessary to operate the darned thing.
 
AvNavCom said:
I got a Yaesu radio. Fantastic piece of equipment, I'm sure, but I didn't have the time to take the college course necessary to operate the darned thing.
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The Sporty you can just punch the frequency on the keypad and go if all else fails.
 
So these are the models being discussed? The basic differences I see are the PJ2+ is simpler to use but the 250L has a rechargeable battery. Would there be any other notable difference? And to answer a previous question, he does need a transceiver vs scanner.
Yaesu FTA-250L
Sporty's PJ2+
 
I have a Yaesu and it's a good radio. I agree with the above comment, it's a bit complicated.

I just thought you should know, I didn't buy the one with a rechargeable battery and that was a mistake.

Mine goes through batteries like it's Fruit Stripe Gum!
 
I was very happy with my older Yaesu until the NiCad battery pack stopped holding a charge. It did come with an AA battery tray, which I lost at some point. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.
 
I have a Yaesu and it’s fine, though the menus are complicated. For the use case you described, he won’t need the features and complexity of the Yaesu, so I’d suggest the Sporty’s radio. There have been some quality complaints about it, though.
 
lmars said:
I have a Yaesu and it's a good radio. I agree with the above comment, it's a bit complicated.

I just thought you should know, I didn't buy the one with a rechargeable battery and that was a mistake.

Mine goes through batteries like it's Fruit Stripe Gum!
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Try these.
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I am currently using a 20-year-old ICOM handheld. It sat idle for 10 years - between airplanes. However, it is still going strong and the original battery seems to hold a charge forever. Today's price for a slightly newer model (A-16) is nearly three times what I paid back then. If this one dies before I do, I will not hesitate to buy its ICOM replacement.
 
Bell206 said:
Have elderly friend off grid in AK looking for basic VHF handheld to monitor local aircraft traffic. Had ancient Motorola that finally let the smoke out. Any recommendations?
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Will said friend be listening while it's sitting on a desk? Or will they be standing in a field with radio in hand?
 
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asicer said:
Will said friend be listening while it's sitting on a desk? Or will they be standing in a field with radio in hand?
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In typical use, when he hears an airplane in the "pattern" he'll key up to see if there's anything on the plane for him to save a trip up to the air strip. Whether thats sitting at home or anywhere else depends on if he's expecting something and keeps the radio with him.
 
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I have a sportys pj2+ and a yaesu 250l ,like them both but prefer the sportys for in cockpit back up
 
frfly172 said:
I have a sportys pj2+ and a yaesu 250l ,like them both but prefer the sportys for in cockpit back up
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Whats your experience with battery life on the PJ2+ since its not capable of recharge? For example, if you left it on for half a day once or twice a week to monitor traffic? He won't be transmitting much, mainly monitoring.
 
NICADs are bad ideas for emergency use. Some of the newer rechargeable technology will have a longer shelf life. Don't make me regale you of the time I NORDO'd into IAD with a dying handheld.
 
Bell206 said:
In typical use, when he hears an airplane in the "pattern" he'll key up to see if there's anything on the plane for him to save a trip up to the air strip. Whether thats sitting at home or anywhere else depends on if he's expecting something and keeps the radio with him.
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He only ever needs one frequency? Sounds like complexity isn't going to be a big issue if all he's going to do is turn it on/off and adjust the volume.

If so, an airband software defined radio could be used for monitoring. If he hears something that compels him to transmit then he fires up a handheld that's been sitting in a desk cradle, which he can take with him if the conversation prompts a trip to the airstrip.

github.com

GitHub - rtl-airband/RTLSDR-Airband: Multichannel AM/NFM demodulator

Multichannel AM/NFM demodulator. Contribute to rtl-airband/RTLSDR-Airband development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com github.com

A Stratux is an ADSB-SDR, therefore an airband-SDR is a Stratux loaded with different software. Maybe you can get one free/cheap from someone that's recently upgraded to a GTX345.

BTW, how off the grid is "off grid"? I take it that he's probably got a generator and/or solar array to keep batteries charged?
 
Bell206 said:
In typical use, when he hears an airplane in the "pattern" he'll key up to see if there's anything on the plane for him to save a trip up to the air strip. Whether thats sitting at home or anywhere else depends on if he's expecting something and keeps the radio with him.
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Will he be able to transmit inside!
External antenna would be needed.
Had one on the chimney for listening only.
Plugged into a ICOM hand held.
 
About 1 to 1.5 days drains the energizer batteries in my pj2. This always happens when I forget to check if the radio is on after getting back. It is extremely easy to have it turn on unintentionally in a flight bag or when moving stuff around. The knob sticks up on the top obviously and it just needs a gentle bump to turn on. Of course the volume is all of the way down so you won't be catching it by hearing something on the speaker.

It works for what it is I just much prefer the audio quality of the Yaesu along with its sturdy feel and a power button you have to intentionally turn on.
 
asicer said:
He only ever needs one frequency?
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He needs 2 or 3 channels top. And yes, he uses a small generator for power but mostly during the daytime hours. However, we need to keep it as an old-school package, ie., a radio. He's analog minded; even when he flew the bush for 40+ years. So going the SDR route is really not an option for him personally.

bonefishpete said:
Will he be able to transmit inside!
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We had an external antenna set for the old Motorola but he hardly used it. Mostly he'd stick his head out the door and key up.

Dixiebluesky said:
About 1 to 1.5 days drains the energizer batteries in my pj2.
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Thanks. I think this and the fact they don't recommend rechargeable AAs for the PJ2+ gives the 250L an edge at this moment. But he'll be the one to decide.
 
Bell206 said:
Have elderly friend off grid in AK looking for basic VHF handheld to monitor local aircraft traffic. Had ancient Motorola that finally let the smoke out. Any recommendations?
Click to expand...
Does he need to transmit or just listen?

If he doesn't need to transmit on the air band these receive aviation frequencies pretty good and can also scan other analog AM/FM frequencies or talk on VHF and UHF FM. And they're CHEAP!
 
BTW, does he need a ground station license to transmit? Just curious, I know some things are a bit different in Alaska.
 
Bell206 said:
Whats your experience with battery life on the PJ2+ since it’s not capable of recharge? For example, if you left it on for half a day once or twice a week to monitor traffic? He won't be transmitting much, mainly monitoring.
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I change the batteries when they go below half charge ,it’s a true backup so I leave it off unless needed.sso I really can’t give you a good answer.
 
Half Fast said:
BTW, does he need a ground station license to transmit? Just curious, I know some things are a bit different in Alaska.
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No clue. But from the usage of handheld aviation and marine VHF radios I've seen in the limited areas I hang out, if there is no Alaska exemption for their use the FCC could probably cut the federal debt in half from the fines and penalties alone.
 
Dixiebluesky said:
It is extremely easy to have it turn on unintentionally in a flight bag or when moving stuff around. The knob sticks up on the top obviously and it just needs a gentle bump to turn on. Of course the volume is all of the way down so you won't be catching it by hearing something on the speaker.
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This! I’ve flatlined so many batteries due to the PJ2 turning on after some imperceptible bump to the rotary switch that I’ve been forced to keep the battery pack detached. Kinda negates much of the ‘convenience factor’ they tout.
 
Half Fast said:
BTW, does he need a ground station license to transmit? Just curious, I know some things are a bit different in Alaska.
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Technically yes, a ground station license is required. I don't think it's enforced anywhere, though, unless somebody's causing a problem.

Another option is an old com radio from a plane and an old car battery.
 
I have a Yaesu, and just punch in the frequency I need. So far, I haven’t had a need to use anything else on it.
 
Dana said:
Another option is an old com radio from a plane and an old car battery.
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True, but you'll also have to add a speaker and a microphone and a charger for the battery. Ultimately, it's probably cheaper and simpler to get a handheld.

BTW, @Bell206 , your friend can always put up an outdoor antenna and run a coax into his home so he doesn't have to go outside to talk to a plane. Almost any decent VHF antenna will work better than the little rubber duck on the handheld. I've used a Diamond VHF/UHF antenna, mounted on a pole in the backyard, with my Yaesu ham handheld and worked repeaters more than 75 miles distant.
 
Half Fast said:
your friend can always put up an outdoor antenna and run a coax into his home so he doesn't have to go outside to talk to a plane.
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We had already done that for his Motorola as I mentioned above, however, he rarely used that connection option.
 
I have the least expensive Icom, and I like it a lot. At the time it was lithium rechargeable where most others were nimh. Lithium is better. But if he doesn't have 110V he could use lithium single use AA's in a radio that has an optional AA pack. I don't know how they work in aviation radios, but they work great in ham HT's. A little expensive, though.
 
Albany Tom said:
I have the least expensive Icom, and I like it a lot. At the time it was lithium rechargeable where most others were nimh. Lithium is better. But if he doesn't have 110V he could use lithium single use AA's in a radio that has an optional AA pack. I don't know how they work in aviation radios, but they work great in ham HT's. A little expensive, though.
Click to expand...

They work great in my Yaesu, and I don’t have to worry about them leaking and damaging the radio if they’re installed for a long time.
 
Half Fast said:
They work great in my Yaesu, and I don’t have to worry about them leaking and damaging the radio if they’re installed for a long time.
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From a usage standpoint, how much longer do you find the lithium AAs last vs alkaline AAs?
 
AvNavCom said:
I got a Yaesu radio. Fantastic piece of equipment, I'm sure, but I didn't have the time to take the college course necessary to operate the darned thing.
Click to expand...
Disregard what I posted here, as I was misremembering. The radio that required the college course was the Uniden BCD436HP which is currently sitting in my hangar. I have a Yaesu FTA-750 sitting on my shelf. Great little radio and easy to use. The only annoying thing is that it requires a screw-in adaptor to switch between regular radio and GA plugs, which made it less useful to me as a back-up radio. I replaced it with the PJ2+, which lets me use it on speaker to check ATIS (and function-check the radio) but can quickly be used with my headset in flight if it becomes necessary.
 
Bell206 said:
From a usage standpoint, how much longer do you find the lithium AAs last vs alkaline AAs?
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I don't use the radio enough to answer for it, but in one of my cameras the lithium batteries do about 4x to 5x the alkalines.
 
Looks like the PJ can be powered by a USB C cord. Won't recharge the batteries, but it can pull external power while sitting on the desk or car.
 
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The PJ2+ does have an integrated speaker and mic, and can be used without a headset.
 
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I know the PJ2 calls for non rechargable batteries, but that is probably just because non rechargeable batteries have a much longer shelf life to hold a charge. Your friend could certainly put in rechargeable AA's if he wanted.

Keep the PJ2 on the UCB C power as much as possible, when he needs to be portable just the batteries, and once a week or so swap the rechargeables. OR just get a nice size battery bank to feed UCB C power and vencro it to the radio, something similar to a Stratux.
 
Beachy said:
I am currently using a 20-year-old ICOM handheld. It sat idle for 10 years - between airplanes. However, it is still going strong and the original battery seems to hold a charge forever. Today's price for a slightly newer model (A-16) is nearly three times what I paid back then. If this one dies before I do, I will not hesitate to buy its ICOM replacement.
Click to expand...

I believe you are referring to the older A-22 ICOM. I have one of those and it is a great radio that will run on ships power without a battery pack attached. The original rechargeable battery is no longer good and the replacement I bought (made in China) is about worthless when received. I'd like to find a good USA battery maker for a replacement CM-166 ...
 
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