Recommendations for a cheap hand held VHF?

[NT5224]

Hi folks,

 

With aircraft regularly swinging around and doing low level passes over my strip, I need to invest in a basic hand held transceiver to be able to communicate. I’m on a budget and have narrowed things down to the trusty icon A16E, or the Yaesu FTA 450.

 

I’m slightly inclined towards the latter. I like the big screen and interface.

 

What do you folks recommend? Have I missed something in the sub $500 price range? Which of the two above do your prefer? Anybody here already own one or the other?

 

Cheers

 

Alan

[Blueadventures]

Hi folks,

 

With aircraft regularly swinging around and doing low level passes over my strip, I need to invest in a basic hand held transceiver to be able to communicate. I’m on a budget and have narrowed things down to the trusty icon A16E, or the Yaesu FTA 450.

 

I’m slightly inclined towards the latter. I like the big screen and interface.

 

What do you folks recommend? Have I missed something in the sub $500 price range? Which of the two above do your prefer? Anybody here already own one or the other?

 

Cheers

 

Alan

I bought an icom A16E from the forums pilot shop last week so should get it this week. Good price at under $400 with postage. Cheers

[tillmanr]

I have an Icom A16E and find it nice and clear. I don’t know what the range is transmitting. I have only used it on the ground.

[Yenn]

I bought an Icom A16E and it is OK but I use an old Yaesu in preference, because I cannot run the Icom on 12V ships power.

I had an old Icom A 22E which had a 12V input port. I actually ordered the 15 not the 16, but it had been superceded and I got the 16 for the same price as the 15.

I just haven't got around to trying to find a way of connecting it up.

[jackc]

The Yaesu 450 will do the job fine, the reason I chose the Yaesu 750 was only because of extra NAV features and it has 800mW audio output and I got the optional speaker microphone for it. The latest ICOM A16 and A25 have over 1000mW audio output, but not sure of distortion etc.

[spacesailor]

What voltage does the A16 use, Or is it not having a 12v input, that's the problem.

spacesailor

[waraton]

ICOM VHF AIR BAND TRANSCEIVER IC-A15 | Other Electronics & Computers | Gumtree Australia Bundaberg City - Bundaberg North | 1246369750 This is on Gumtree. $190

[Downunder]

[jackc]

For a basic radio it looks good, would rather a Lithium battery pack too. The dry cell battery holder types generally have less transmitter output power? Audio output only 350mW be OK for headsets but too low for speaker output.

But, the price is good:-)

[Flightrite]

ICOM VHF AIR BAND TRANSCEIVER IC-A15 | Other Electronics & Computers | Gumtree Australia Bundaberg City - Bundaberg North | 1246369750 This is on Gumtree. $190

 

I've got one of these with a PTT adaptor, very handy and works well?This is cheap?

[Yenn]

Icom A 16E specifies 7.2V and an adaptor cable is available for use with 12V from a cigarette lighter to the charger but you are warned that the radio must be off when charging. The instruction booklet details several extras, but is vague as to which charger is supplied as standard.

[mikeavison]

I have an Icon A6E, only a Yaesu model was cheaper when I bought it. I have no problem with range, performance is great. I find programming the stations in is quite painful. The whole user interface not very intuitive but manageable. I don't know if the Yaesu is better in that respect. Good Luck

[Sam the Swiss]

From the situation you give it seems to me that you will mainly use one frequency. If this is the case you won't even use the screen at all, because you will enter the frequency and that's it. I have bought the Yaesu FTA 250L as a backup. Same technique, smaller screen, cheaper price. I was also going for the Yaesu FTA 450 for the screen, but thinking about the way I will use it (in case of failure of the mounted device take the handheld, enter the frequency via the digits and that's it) the FTA 250L is sufficient.

The only downside I found so far is that the keys are rather small, but with my fingers this is ok.

 

I don't know whether you are on 8.33 MHz in Australia or on 25 MHz. PJ2 is on 25 MHz as far as I know.

[Old Koreelah]

Alan I've had a dozen years' good service from my Vertex-VX 150.

 

https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=1324