I also use my handheld radio (Yaesu FTA750) in this way, if I need to get start up or any kind of coms with the airplane not powered up yet, it is a great way to do it. Also this particular one has a neat database in it, with all the frequencies of all airfields pre-programmed.
denopa wrote:
I had the COM2 antenna wired to a port on the panel, so I can plug the handheld into it.
Yes, that works fine. We also have it like this, we can plug the radio into the com antenna. If we do, it works fine, pretty much like a normal COM. It’s got 5W transmitting power, so so far I have not had complaints.
UdoR wrote:
But who would really fly an ILS based on this?
Let’s say you get a total electrical on an IFR flight in IMC. Most of your Aspen e.t.c may work on backup for a while, but your Navcoms and ILS would stop working. In this case, it is a darn sight better than nothing.
I certainly would not choose a handheld on the basis whether it can do VOR and ILS, but if it does, I won’t mind. The Yaesu I have has GPS as well, so basically it has everything: 8.33 COM, full NAV inkl ILS and GPS. Together with my Dynon D1 that is a pretty neat backup if you need it.
Oh yea, and I recall in the days when I did my AN2 training in BG my then trusty King handheld (also with VOR) was a darn sight better than the inbuilt radios that airplane had. So we only used that with the inbuilt rubber antenna. Never had an issue with it, we could comunicate just fine.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
Also this particular one has a neat database in it, with all the frequencies of all airfields pre-programmed.
Was this preprogrammed from factory? this is a nice feature I think…
Many of the classic F-Ps I fly have a hand held radio which fits into a Heath Robinson slot and is connected to an external antenna. 2 sets of headsets can be connected and I have not noticed much difference in the reception and transmission. Most of these aircraft have little in the way of electrical power so a fixed radio would be OTT. Instead the radio’s internal batteries or battery packs are used.
YAESU has a database manager you use to programme the frequencies you want
etn wrote:
Was this preprogrammed from factory? this is a nice feature I think…
No, it’s done by the dealer who sells them here. You can also take it there for updates. It’s a real nice feature, yes.
And you can use the database manager to update yourself if you want.
The VOR/COM does not make sense. I think either go for the very basic (I carry a minuscule Yeasu 250, which is cheap, light, technically quite good, but the UI is terrible), or a COM/ILS (I used to have an SPA-400, worked fine but only one reciever so no COM when using the ILS).
As part of my recent panel update, I had an extra VHF antenna installed on the bottom of the fuselage, to replace one of the two on top. The unused no. 2 on top now has a connector in the cabin for the handheld, which has improved the range of the handheld considerably. But I still need to find the headset adapter.
Update from my side – and my opinion on NAV/GPS (promised in my 1st post)
I decided to buy the Icom A25CE i.e. COM only. Like many here I am of the opinion that NAV/GPS is a gimmick on a handheld radio, for my VFR-only use. Besides, I have an ipad permanently in the cockpit + my cell phone as a backup + paper charts as a backup of backup (or should I say, primary navigation method!)
From what I could read from reviews and owners’ experience, the Icom has better receiver/transmitter than others. Its construction also seems more rugged than the Sporty’s PJ2+, and I like the fact that it has a rechargeable battery. Let’s see how it performs when I receive it.
the Icom has better receiver/transmitter than others.
I concur.
I, too, have/would only go for the Communication model.
Leave GPS etc. to SkyDemon et al.
Their latest model has Bluetooth which I would have thought was an asset and I certainly would have bought it if it was available.
Annoyingly, they released this model 10 days after I had purchased their latest ‘non-Bluetooth’ one!
Peter_G wrote:
Their latest model has Bluetooth which I would have thought was an asset and I certainly would have bought it if it was available.
Annoyingly, they released this model 10 days after I had purchased their latest ‘non-Bluetooth’ one!
In my understanding only the NAV/GPS model, i.e. A25NE, has bluetooth. The A25CE (which I ordered) does not.
Now that I placed an order for one, you can be sure that Icom will introduce a new model with USB-C charging within the coming 3 months :D
The A25 unit comes with a cigarette lighter charger cable, enabling in-flight / in-car charging, but still I’d prefer if it were USB-C. I am in the process of consolidating/upgrading all my small electronics to USB-C plugs.
Put it another way, these functions (with the exception of gps) are just software and the cost of including the functionality in the radios is minimal. Would you want to remove it?
In a primitive aircraft with no electrical system and limited space for multiple devices, it’s my backup.
