Home AirBand Transceiver Setup (help)

Archammer

Archammer

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FlyingSchmidt
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So I've decided that I want to run air band at the shop for several reasons. Although I was looking at some base stations, I think the handheld is still the best option for my mission.
That way I can just take the unit with me in the truck, or in the aircraft, etc. I've read through the 2 threads about antenna's and think I have a basic grasp of how to establish a decent signal. However, I have a few questions and wanted to pick your brains about it. The extent of my knowledge is cop chasing when I was a kid, but that was just a simple scanner.

1) Is there any true value in having a base station air band radio in my situation? Does the actual unit provide substantial signal amplification specifically for outbound transmission? Or will the handheld suffice with a good antenna? I've searched through http://www.theantennafarm.com/ quite a bit on y'alls recommendations in the other thread. If you were me, what would you buy?

2) My shop is a single story with some fauna and I'm about 10 miles away from the nearest ATC system. Would you recommend any specific equipment for my environment?

3) What recommendations do you have for a handheld or base station system. Yaesu and ICOM are the likely winners, but which one returns the best value for your dollars? I.e. 750L or 230, A6 or A24,etc.

Thanks for any help!
 
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1) Probably not. A few may have a better "front-end" if your shop is a particularly RF noisy environment for receive. "Specifcially for outbound calls" means you have a fixed location license for the radio? It's technically not legal to use it that way... but I don't care.

2) What would you be making "outbound calls" to ATC for? Are you asking because you want to monitor something specific?

3) Any handheld will work, generally, but all aren't designed to run 24/7 on "ships power", assuming you're going to plug this thing into a 12VDC power supply. Leaving it on the charger isn't a great idea.

Could you be a bit more specific on what you're actually trying to "do" with it?
 
All the ones I've seen appeared to be old units from aircraft mounted into some type of AC/DC converter with a speaker and hand held mic, normally on ctaf for flight schools and mechanics shops, or some random freq for the ones I've seen used for a office to talk to the jump pilots.
 
What would fauna have to do with anything or did you mean flora? And if you did mean flora, do you mean large trees?
 
Put an external antenna above the roofline of the shop. Run good quality coax with good workmanship techniques to the location you want the radio. The shorter the cable run, the better. Get an external power supply appropriate to your handheld radio. Connect. Bam. You are in business.

You can take the portable with you, with battery packs, when the fancy strikes you.

If you want to spend the money on a dedicated base station you can, but from a practical standpoint you wont need to.

I cannot envision any situation where you would need to talk to ATC from an off airport base station, so the ERP of the radio/antenna does not factor into my suggestions. Being able to HEAR ATC from your location will be a matter of antenna siting and elevation. You should be able to hear all air traffic within 30-40 miles without problem, the higher they are, the further out you can hear them. Line of sight rules apply. With regards to your reach with a SMALL ground based transceiver, the rule of thumb used to be 1 watt ERP equals 1 mile for a ground based antenna to a ground based antenna. Raise either one up in the air and you get more range. This was based on my experience in fire service communications, which in my instance at the time was in the 150 mhz band located near the 120-130 mhz air band.

I'm sure GrumpyJim/WeirdJim the resident avionics/radio engineering expert will correct any minor or major errors with any of my assumptions. If he weighs in.
 
I guess the legality of actually having to obtain a license for such is out of the question?
What communications are you going to use this for?
 
SkyDog58 said:
What would fauna have to do with anything or did you mean flora? And if you did mean flora, do you mean large trees?
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denverpilot said:
Maybe he has mice. Hehe.
Click to expand...

Sorry that was kind of an inside joke. The property has freaking squirrels everywhere, so I call all my trees squirrel mansions. Yes, I mean large trees... but covered in squirrels/furry tailed mice. :wink2:

denverpilot said:
..."Specifcially for outbound calls" means you have a fixed location license for the radio? It's technically not legal to use it that way... but I don't care.
What would you be making "outbound calls" to ATC for?
Could you be a bit more specific on what you're actually trying to "do" with it?
Click to expand...
flyingron said:
I guess the legality of actually having to obtain a license for such is out of the question?
What communications are you going to use this for?
Click to expand...

This is for an Aeronautical Multicom & Flight Test Station


I didn't quote everyone else, but thanks for all the information on my questions so far!
 
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For a true fixed location station is just get a panel mount radio and make a nice box for it with a small RF quiet switching power supply, a nice big speaker, and a good quality hand or desk mic, and call it a day.

Messing with a handheld hooked to an external antenna and/or a speaker mic, and making sure not to cook the battery, and all of that, would not be worth it to me for anything other than a temporary installation. Cables everywhere, inconvenient, etc.
 
flyingron said:
Requires a station license.
Click to expand...

We already carry the license for Aeronautical Multicom & Flight Test Station which is why I answered you above about usage. Is there something else I'm missing?
 
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Archammer said:
We already carry the license for Aeronautical Multicom & Flight Test Station which is why I answered you above about usage already. Is there something else I'm missing?
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I understood by the fact that you used the correct terminology you were already there.

Seriously, there's cheap and there's "just works". Install a mobile and a good loser supply and spend no time worrying about it after that. Handhelds hooked to outside antennas aren't good base units. They're fine in a pinch.

You'll get a least a decade of service out of a properly installed mobile and outside antenna or more. Unless you're planning on moving...
 
denverpilot said:
For a true fixed location station is just get a panel mount radio and make a nice box for it with a small RF quiet switching power supply, a nice big speaker, and a good quality hand or desk mic, and call it a day.

Messing with a handheld hooked to an external antenna and/or a speaker mic, and making sure not to cook the battery, and all of that, would not be worth it to me for anything other than a temporary installation. Cables everywhere, inconvenient, etc.
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I really like that idea. I should be able to find me an old used panel radio somewhere on the field and i'll just slap the antenna on the roof somewhere.

Thanks!
 
Whether you use a handheld or a converted base station, you probably want real antenna (the latter requires it and the rubber-coated dummy load on the hand held is suboptimal).

Fairly easy to construct or you can buy one.
 
flyingron said:
Whether you use a handheld or a converted base station, you probably want real antenna (the latter requires it and the rubber-coated dummy load on the hand held is suboptimal).

Fairly easy to construct or you can buy one.
Click to expand...

Yes, that seems to be the Achilles heel to all of this. Hopefully I can get something either built or bought without too much trouble.
 
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