gordon_dunn Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Myself and a few collegues are considering upgrading from 2m band to Airband- after getting the required licence. What type of equipment would generally be recomended? I feel that the ICOM A6 is a bit too large.... are there any alternatives? What type of Comms headset would be required? Would appreciate any advice offered. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 The only legit handhelds are old second hand Icom A3E or A22/23E. The E part is the approval required. Icom have not bothered to get any of their current range approved and neither has any other manufacturer. Consequently old E Icoms go for a small fortune on ebay, etc regardless of condition. Even if you get one of these you would then need an approved installation which is not possible to do in the UK as our footlaunch aircraft are not registered. So in essence there is no way for us to be legit on airband comms in the UK. After all that... I recommend the Vertex Standard VXA 220 or 300. Way better than Icom IMO and a fraction of the price brand new on ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Some more info pasted from a PM reply to Gordon... The VXA 300 is the same as the 220 however it has the VOR function which actually works quite well unlike the one on the Icom A24. The battery is the main improvement over the Icom range. The downside is that the headset connections are single pin rather than the 2 pin as used on headsets. I think the VXA 220 takes a standard LA44 headset adapter (about a fiver on ebay) however the 300 needs a special one which Eddie Cartwright can knock up for you. These adapters make a standard 2 pin headset work with Vertex standard radios. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_P Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 I have a Yaesu multiband, a VX2 and two ICOM airband sets, an A6 and an A24, and I'd have to disagree about quality on the Yaesu being better. The ICOM's build quality is superb, much more robust feeling than the Yaesu, and the audio quality on both receive and transmit is better on the ICOM. I imported all of my radios direct from the USA, and even with VAT and shipping added (should you be unlucky enough to attract customs and excise attention) were a bargain compared to UK prices. I would heartily suggest this as an option. Some vendors may be creative on customs declarations so I understand. While the size of the ICOM may be an issue, it will fit into a chest holster with ease, although this does make reading the display, or pressing the buttons tough. The larger size of the ICOM set is actually a bonus here, because as you are more likely to need to change frequencies on an airband set to speak to different agencies, the small size of the Yaesu controls makes this more problematic. I have done a simple mod to an 'ASA' brand pilots headset that has allowed me to fit it to my helmet, the mod being do-able on most headsets of the standard 'David Clarke' pattern. I have just ordered an adapter to allow me to use standard aviation jack plugs to connect to the Yaesu. I have also fitted an active noise reduction system to the headset, the effect of which has to be heard to be believed. I will be flying with both sets, the Yaesu for comms. between flying companions, and the ICOM for speaking to ATC for zone penetrations etc. If you were interested, I might be persuaded to part with the A6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 ...but the VX2 is not a dedicated airband set. I used to run a hacked VX7R until I discovered that at the lower end of the airband spectrum it was only working at 2.5W rather than the full 5W used by the Vertex Standard and Icoms. The Yaesu VX2 is not comparable to the proper airband Vertex Standard units that are 35% of the price of the Icom when bought off ebay. If you compare dedicated airband radios with dedicated airband radios then the Vertex Standard is hard to beat. If you compare a airband Icom with a ham radio Yaesu you are trying to compare a sports car with a jack of all trades MPV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_P Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Fair comment, I figured that build quality at least would be comparable across the vertex range. However, to a reasonable extent, I am also a believer that you get what you pay for, and if the vertex sets are only 35% of the price, I tend to suspect that it's not only hype and advertising that has resulted in the differential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 Phil, give one a try. I have owned Vertex Standard airband, Icom airband and Yaesu ham radios and the build quality is best on the Vertex followed by the Icom followed by the Yaesu! The Vertex Standard units are even submersible! If you offered me an Icom A24 for the same price as a VXA300 with a headset lead I personally would take the VXA300. In reality the best buy is probably the VXA220 as most people have no need for the VOR function and the headset adapter lead is available off ebay (rather than having to get Eddie Cartwright to make up one specifically) for a couple of quid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_b Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 So I am thinking of changing my icom ic t90 and getting a new radio Which one??(or two would you recomend now) Air band? 2 meter?? Pete b Phil, give one a try. I have owned Vertex Standard airband, Icom airband and Yaesu ham radios and the build quality is best on the Vertex followed by the Icom followed by the Yaesu! The Vertex Standard units are even submersible! If you offered me an Icom A24 for the same price as a VXA300 with a headset lead I personally would take the VXA300. In reality the best buy is probably the VXA220 as most people have no need for the VOR function and the headset adapter lead is available off ebay (rather than having to get Eddie Cartwright to make up one specifically) for a couple of quid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 (edited) Gents, I have asked Andy/Simon to create a dedicated area for us to chat about these issues as you will see from a 'View posts since last visit'. I have an iCom A24 and a Vertex Standard that I am spending a bit of time with to try and get the comms quality that I am after. The other pathway is very much under scrutiny but I will look hard at the less expensive portable route first. I have never been happy with p1ss poor comms have you? For routing flying good comms are essential, for training they are VITAL. Another issue that the 'Avionics Working Group' are looking at are transponders. I think the reaction to NATS proposals from some quarters has been a little hysterical, there are enormous safety benefits potentially available from the carriage of the right unit and we (imho) ought to be involved in both the debate and the process. Your thoughts gents? Edited August 31, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 I have also fitted an active noise reduction system to the headset, the effect of which has to be heard to be believed. These days most of us are using active noise canceling headsets at work. Even on an airliners flight deck the noise levels are significant and fatiguing over a working day. Pete, is your solution a dedicated headset or a module that you introduce to give you ANR? Given the noisy nature of our flying machines I can see the great benefits that you report and.... want one! Photos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_P Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 I have also fitted an active noise reduction system to the headset, the effect of which has to be heard to be believed. These days most of us are using active noise cancelling headsets at work. Even on an airliners flight deck the noise levels are significant and fatiguing over a working day. [edit] Phil [/edit], is your solution a dedicated headset or a module that you introduce to give you ANR? Given the noisy nature of our flying machines I can see the great benefits that you report and.... want one! Photos? The kit I got was from headsets.inc and consisted of two modules that you replace the standard speakers in your headset shell with, a battery pack, and I paid a few $ extra for a replacement lead for the headset that incorporated the power plug. A couple of hours saw it fitted. I'll fit them for others if they want. Only problem I had was that the set-up didn't support the PTT button in my headset shell, but I found a work around. My headset is a GA one that I've modified to fit onto my ICARO helmet. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 would lobve to respond to Norman's aside re: transponders but dont want to hijack this valuable thread. GRRRRRRRR. re Icom A6...Ian there was an Icom A6E on ebay this week????? surely that means that it is EASA approved and therefore usuable legally? Confused...... there was a photo of the manual which stated A6E / A24E. the difference between the sets appearing to be the NAV functions added on the A24? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 Francis start another post about transponders, I for one enjoy the subject. SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 ...re Icom A6...Ian there was an Icom A6E on ebay this week????? surely that means that it is EASA approved and therefore usuable legally? Confused......there was a photo of the manual which stated A6E / A24E. the difference between the sets appearing to be the NAV functions added on the A24? The info about the E suffix came from a letter I saw about 9 months ago (although much older than that) on the internet from Icom themself. I have been trying to find it again but can't do so. I find it very interesting that the actual manual states E as that goes completely against the letter I saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_P Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 As I mentioned in another thread, the ICOM website still states that the A6/A24 still have no type approval for airborne use. This was reinforced by the ICOM UK MD who told me in as many words that ICOM had no intention of seeking type approval for airborne use on current or future sets unless the agency responsible change the requirements, which were made more stringent in the not too distant past. ICOM currently do not see the expenditure required as economically viable given the small market involved. http://www.icomuk.co.uk/categoryRender. ... &cCID=6771 I suspect that the 'E' suffix may represent Euro spec units as opposed to the US spec ones that include the NOAH weather channels. Unless ICOM were making changes to the specification in order to meet type approval, then I would expect all sets of a particular type to be granted 'grandfather rights' to approval, and an additional suffix would not be required. The ONLY difference between the A6 and the A24 is the VOR function on the A24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 E cannot mean CAA or EASA approval as the A6/24 does not appear in the pproved apparatus data bases of these a organisations sent to me by the radio licensing office last week. These documents are impossibly constructed for the digital age and require manual searching. A similar vintage technology to "airband" itself, so quaintly charming. bless them. Ehem (2metre) cough cough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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