Handheld Radio Inflight

itsjames2011

itsjames2011

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Jul 21, 2014
Messages
165
Location
Chicopee MA
Display Name
Display name:
James
Hello everybody,

While Jim and I are trying to troubleshoot the problem with my comm radio, I decided to order an Icom IC-A14 hand held air band radio. Will this do the trick for getting into the local class D airports until my problems are resolved? Also, will I need to hook it to an external antenna for this purpose?


James

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
If you got a headset adapter it'll work "okay". Without one, enjoy trying to hear what they say.

External antenna connection highly recommended but usually more of a problem on the ground than in the air.

Most common cause of needing light gun signals will be dead batteries. Transmitting uses a LOT more power than receiving, so don't be too surprised when it turns off at the beginning of a transmission. Don't be windy and save the battery. Get a second pack whether it's one of the kind that hold AA alkaline or a second rechargeable for that " oh crap it died" moment and practice changing it one handed.

Or just fix the panel radio. Haha. :)
 
denverpilot said:
If you got a headset adapter it'll work "okay". Without one, enjoy trying to hear what they say.

External antenna connection highly recommended but usually more of a problem on the ground than in the air.

Most common cause of needing light gun signals will be dead batteries. Transmitting uses a LOT more power than receiving, so don't be too surprised when it turns off at the beginning of a transmission. Don't be windy and save the battery. Get a second pack whether it's one of the kind that hold AA alkaline or a second rechargeable for that " oh crap it died" moment and practice changing it one handed.

Or just fix the panel radio. Haha. :)
Click to expand...
Been working on the panel radio for weeks and it has lots of people baffled. This is a very temporary plan :)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
I used a handheld radio to get into Class D when I had radio problems, even flew into Oshkosh with it. I used a headset adapter with a PTT switch.

I now have a terminal on the panel to connect to an external antenna. It worked fine with the headset adapter for shorter range use.
 
That's what all us Cub and Champ drivers use. Follow the advice from previous comments too, especially don't use long War and Peace transmissions or you'll use all your battery power up. Learn how to be clear and concise in your transmissions, get your message across in as few words as possible.
 
I haven't had good luck with my ICOM in the 150, with or without external antenna. HOWEVER, there is a very good possibility that the external antenna itself is bad, so it may not be the ICOM's fault.

A couple issues with ICOM. I have the A6. Internet reviews abound with complaints about the clunky, confusing interface. I completely agree. None of it makes sense.

The NIMH battery pack is useless. It's 2015, where's my LIPO battery pack?

There is a AA battery pack available, so you get all the advantages of alkaline. Go that route and just pitch the NIMH. Grab a 50-pack of branded AA off Amazon for half the cost of what you'd expect batteries to cost.

IMHO, stay completely away from rechargeable batteries for the portable, unless you can find LIPO.
 
denverpilot said:
If you got a headset adapter it'll work "okay". Without one, enjoy trying to hear what they say.

External antenna connection highly recommended but usually more of a problem on the ground than in the air.

Most common cause of needing light gun signals will be dead batteries. Transmitting uses a LOT more power than receiving, so don't be too surprised when it turns off at the beginning of a transmission. Don't be windy and save the battery. Get a second pack whether it's one of the kind that hold AA alkaline or a second rechargeable for that " oh crap it died" moment and practice changing it one handed.

Or just fix the panel radio. Haha. :)
Click to expand...

Concur. Handhelds don't have much range but they can be used - best with the headset adapter and remotable antenna. I have both of those strapped in with my radio's case. It doesn't fit well but it's available. I change batteries in the thing every year. Getting a spare battery pack is a good idea that I haven't done, although I do have spare batteries in my bag.

Sporty's has remote antenna cables with the usual BNC connectors and suction cups. I'd probably suction it onto whichever window seems to be giving me the best results.
 
Hi.
A good investment. Some are better, range wise, than others. Get one that uses regular, AA, AAA batteries, and keep a spare set with you within reach. TV
 
They "work"

Just not very well.
 
jimmyjack said:
The NIMH battery pack is useless. It's 2015, where's my LIPO battery pack?

There is a AA battery pack available, so you get all the advantages of alkaline. Go that route and just pitch the NIMH. Grab a 50-pack of branded AA off Amazon for half the cost of what you'd expect batteries to cost.

IMHO, stay completely away from rechargeable batteries for the portable, unless you can find LIPO.
Click to expand...


http://store.batteriesamerica.com/bp-211n74v2200mahli-ionpackforicom.aspx

That plus a dedicated charger for them fixes that problem.
 
I have an A14; Li-Ion battery last a long time. It came with the headset adaptor which has a 3.5mm plug for a ptt switch. I tried it with my Zulu headset and it makes a loud squeal sound when I push the transmit unless I bundle the in/out plugs to the A14 antenna with a rubber band. I don't remember if it transmits in that configuration through the installed mic since I don't have the ptt switch which I presume would activate the headset mic. Otherwise it's a great little radio. I'd talk to someone who knows how the thing works before buying one if you plan to use it in flight.
 
As others have said, you need a headset adapter, and a alkaline battery pack, and spare batteries. My ICOM saved my butt in New York Class B when I lost my abiltiy to transmit in my old Cherokee. It didn't have the range to get ATC, but an airline pilot heard me and relayed my predicament to them. Yes I was squaking 7600. It made the entire issue a non event.
 
I panel-mounted an Icom ICA5. Works great; folks appear to understand me and I can hear transmissions ~75 miles away.
rad_finished.jpg


I used a "battery eliminator" to connect it directly to the aircraft's electrical system, and it uses the aircraft's built-in antenna.

Ron Wanttaja
 
Is it possible to run a splitter so that you can use a external antennas in an emergency? Then just leave a BNC connector in the panel that you can connect your handheld to when your electrical system goes TU?
 
I flew with it for year and it worked great. I had it wired into my headset with a PTT on the flight stick.
 
I use a hand helt radio mounted on the instrument panel with the antenna sticking above the level of the engine, and all the extra wires on the top of the instrument panel. I hear AWOS from 20 miles out and other pilots report hearing me just fine.

When tuned to a CTAF I can hear calls from all over, as Ron says, from 70 miles.
 
petrolero said:
Is it possible to run a splitter so that you can use a external antennas in an emergency? Then just leave a BNC connector in the panel that you can connect your handheld to when your electrical system goes TU?
Click to expand...


"Splitter" is not recommended but there are ways to make a disconnect that will allow insertion of another radio like a handheld. Our airplane has a strange mechanical one from Bendix-King that requires an even stranger RF plug to actuate it.

Most folks just have a BNC female to female adapter installed in line to the antenna for Comm 2 and disconnect one side and pop it into their handheld, if they're practical about it.

I've seen that setup a number of times anyway. No clue on the legalities, nor did anyone I ever ran into ever seem to care.

Usually on Comm 2 so Comm 1 had no adapters or other possible sources of problems in line.
 
petrolero said:
Is it possible to run a splitter so that you can use a external antennas in an emergency? Then just leave a BNC connector in the panel that you can connect your handheld to when your electrical system goes TU?
Click to expand...

Not sure about the splitter, but I've seen planes with a extra comm antenna on the belly with a connector on or under the panel.

My plane has this setup. Both main comm antennas on the top, small comm antenna on the bottom, though it was used for a marine handheld, still a comm antenna though.
 
In my experience you'll need to connect to an external antenna plus a headset adapter is pretty near essential.
 
petrolero said:
Is it possible to run a splitter so that you can use a external antennas in an emergency? Then just leave a BNC connector in the panel that you can connect your handheld to when your electrical system goes TU?
Click to expand...

The best device that I've seen is an Icom Antenna Switch box (https://www.gulfcoastavionics.com/products/16-ant-sb-antenna-switchbox-for-all-icom.aspx). It is mounted in the panel inline with one of the VHF antenna leads (usually Com2). There is a 3.5 mm jack showing through the panel. When nothing is plugged into that jack the panel mounted Com radio signal passes straight through the box to its external antenna. When you plug in the supplied cable with its 3.5 mm plug into the jack it disconnects the connection to the panel mounted radio and connects the handheld out to the the external antenna. The other end of the supplied cable has a BNC connector to connect it to the handheld's antenna mount.

The only caution is that the panel mounted radio will damage itself if it tries to transmit when the external cable is plugged in (because the panel mounted radio output has no load on it). So I turn off the panel mounted radio before plugging in the external cable.

In my one test my handheld was readable 20 miles out from the airport. I didn't bother to test further out.
 
denverpilot said:
I've seen that setup a number of times anyway. No clue on the legalities, nor did anyone I ever ran into ever seem to care.
Click to expand...

"Someone I know" once did some unauthorized and undocumented repairs on the DF antenna cabling of a CAP airplane. ;)
 
Anthony said:
As others have said, you need a headset adapter, and a alkaline battery pack, and spare batteries. My ICOM saved my butt in New York Class B when I lost my abiltiy to transmit in my old Cherokee. It didn't have the range to get ATC, but an airline pilot heard me and relayed my predicament to them. Yes I was squaking 7600. It made the entire issue a non event.
Click to expand...

All this^, you need the extra stuff. I once came back from Baja with a handheld. TUS class C and all. Turn it off in the quiet parts. Lasted almost all the way home with FF.
 
denverpilot said:
"Splitter" is not recommended but there are ways to make a disconnect that will allow insertion of another radio like a handheld. Our airplane has a strange mechanical one from Bendix-King that requires an even stranger RF plug to actuate it.

Most folks just have a BNC female to female adapter installed in line to the antenna for Comm 2 and disconnect one side and pop it into their handheld, if they're practical about it.

I've seen that setup a number of times anyway. No clue on the legalities, nor did anyone I ever ran into ever seem to care.

Usually on Comm 2 so Comm 1 had no adapters or other possible sources of problems in line.
Click to expand...

Had mine installed by a shop. No questions about legality. Or maybe they didn't care. External antenna is a must. Headset adpt is very nice. I had a splice in comm2. Since there were other splices I didn't worry much. We did eliminate some on splices to clean things up. I could easily reach with a patch cord to the hh.
 
I haven't tried it myself, but...

A buddy had to grab his ICOM when the panel radio in his Citabria died. He either didn't have, or couldn't find, his headset adapter. He said he used the built in PTT and mic to TX, then pressed the handheld up against his headset earcup to listen. He said it worked surprisingly well. The hard plastic transmitted the sound through the earcup.
 
Matthew said:
I haven't tried it myself, but...

A buddy had to grab his ICOM when the panel radio in his Citabria died. He either didn't have, or couldn't find, his headset adapter. He said he used the built in PTT and mic to TX, then pressed the handheld up against his headset earcup to listen. He said it worked surprisingly well. The hard plastic transmitted the sound through the earcup.
Click to expand...

Another technique is to hold the radio speaker up to your headset mike. I tried that recently to listen to the ATIS in a Skycatcher while in contact with ATC, because the plane only has one radio. It seemed to work OK.
 
The portables work well with a headset adapter and a push to talk,they are especially good if you have an antennae installed,under the belly.
 
bkspero said:
The best device that I've seen is an Icom Antenna Switch box (https://www.gulfcoastavionics.com/products/16-ant-sb-antenna-switchbox-for-all-icom.aspx). It is mounted in the panel inline with one of the VHF antenna leads (usually Com2). There is a 3.5 mm jack showing through the panel. When nothing is plugged into that jack the panel mounted Com radio signal passes straight through the box to its external antenna. When you plug in the supplied cable with its 3.5 mm plug into the jack it disconnects the connection to the panel mounted radio and connects the handheld out to the the external antenna. The other end of the supplied cable has a BNC connector to connect it to the handheld's antenna mount.

The only caution is that the panel mounted radio will damage itself if it tries to transmit when the external cable is plugged in (because the panel mounted radio output has no load on it). So I turn off the panel mounted radio before plugging in the external cable.

In my one test my handheld was readable 20 miles out from the airport. I didn't bother to test further out.
Click to expand...

Great info! This would be a perfect solution to the handheld problem if it works with a radio other than iCom (BNC is BNC AFAIK & the electrons don't know what brand of radio they came from so it should be fine). Still the 3.5mm jack is puzzling - why not use BNC to BNC? Because this allows them to use smaller gauge cabling?
 
Palmpilot said:
Another technique is to hold the radio speaker up to your headset mike. I tried that recently to listen to the ATIS in a Skycatcher while in contact with ATC, because the plane only has one radio. It seemed to work OK.
Click to expand...


This works as long as the reason you're NORDO isn't a compete power loss. Once the power goes, so does the audio panel and intercom, and the mic isn't going to be "sidetoned" back into your ear anymore via the intercom.

Just something to keep in mind since total loss of power is one of the reasons to carry a handheld.*

*Edit: Or a precautionary shut down of power for smoke in the cockpit.
 
denverpilot said:
This works as long as the reason you're NORDO isn't a compete power loss. Once the power goes, so does the audio panel and intercom, and the mic isn't going to be "sidetoned" back into your ear anymore via the intercom.

Just something to keep in mind since total loss of power is one of the reasons to carry a handheld.*

*Edit: Or a precautionary shut down of power for smoke in the cockpit.
Click to expand...

Good point.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top