For comms: Does a handheld-on-the-panel work okay?

[vigilant104]

My VAL Com 760 radio has been dieing for months despite a cash infusion for repairs. My choice now is to find a used one to go in its place under my panel, buy a new under-panel radio (I like the VAL 2000 --it's about $900), or cheap out and get a $200 Yaesu or ICOM handheld and strap it to my panel (I have a spot for it). It would plug into the aircraft power and use my headset, mic, and external antenna. The features on the handheld radios are pretty impressive (memory settings, availability of a VOR CDI, ability to communicate even in case of DC power loss), the "cons" are the lower power in transmit mode, non-optimum ergonomics (volume knob on top, squelch on the side, etc), and, well, it just doesn't look as good.

Anybody use a handheld with external antenna as their primary radio? Satisfied?

[kmacht]

The cub I trained in had a handheld installed to an external antenna and intercom. It worked just fine. It is the same setup I have in my sonex. I'm not flying quite yet but don't see why it won't work just as well.

Keith

[onex28]

For my first build I used a Yaesu with the rubber antenna it came with and a push to talk from ACS with never a communication issue.

[daleandee]

Anybody use a handheld with external antenna as their primary radio? Satisfied?

Hi Mark,

In my Aerovee Sonex I used the same radio equipment that came out of my ultralight. This consisted of an Icom A-22 radio with the Lynx interface and headsets. I had a homemade antenna on the belly of the plane. Had a 65 mile conversation with a friend in the pattern at 52J while I was in the pattern at 6J2. Icom doesn't make the A-22 anymore but they are excellent radios and can sometimes be found on Ebay:

http://tinyurl.com/m4y3dzd

Dunno if this helps much ...

Dale Williams
N319WF