Handheld Radio

motoboy

motoboy

Well-Known Member
Well I just had my birthday, and have some extra money to blow. Anybody have any suggestions on a handheld radio? Com only would be fine, can't see myself ever needing nav. So far I'm interested in the Icom IC-A14, but open to anything under $250, or in that ball park.

Thanx
 
I like the Icom A14 because of the LiIon battery. Otherwise they are all about the same in performance and features.
 
Buy used. There are basements across America positively teeming with transceivers someone bought, used for a month, and forgot about when they found another hobby.
 
If you can, get one with nav capbility. Murphy's law. You'll get the one with out it and end up needing it. I bought the I-com with nav. I have never needed it, but have tried it and it works well enough to save the bacon if it's needed.
 
mshunter said:
If you can, get one with nav capbility. Murphy's law. You'll get the one with out it and end up needing it. I bought the I-com with nav. I have never needed it, but have tried it and it works well enough to save the bacon if it's needed.
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I don't think anyone has actually ever needed it. GPS in your cellphone is a much better backup.

As Boris said, you can get a perfectly good one for about $50 used. We actually had trouble getting rid of them (icom) for 50 last year.
 
mshunter said:
If you can, get one with nav capbility. Murphy's law. You'll get the one with out it and end up needing it. I bought the I-com with nav. I have never needed it, but have tried it and it works well enough to save the bacon if it's needed.
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Yeah, you're right. Vertex actually has a model under $200 that's nav/com, I think I'm going to go with that. On another note, Sporty's shipping is highway robbery.
 
motoboy said:
Yeah, you're right. Vertex actually has a model under $200 that's nav/com, I think I'm going to go with that. On another note, Sporty's shipping is highway robbery.
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The vertex is much better anyway. Very popular with HAMs, they make sturdy stuff.

Icom is a little less rugged, but also very good. I would have no problem getting either used, keep your eyes open at the bulletin board at your local FBI
 
Sporty's anything is highway robbery. Note that Sporty's charges extra for all the accessories Vertex includes for free: headset adapter, desktop charger, belt clip, etc.

If you scout around on eBay, you should be able to find something for a decent price. I have the Vertex Standard VXA-300 Pilot III--it's built like a tank, totally bombproof. I highly recommend it.
 
aloft said:
Sporty's anything is highway robbery. Note that Sporty's charges extra for all the accessories Vertex includes for free: headset adapter, desktop charger, belt clip, etc.

If you scout around on eBay, you should be able to find something for a decent price. I have the Vertex Standard VXA-300 Pilot III--it's built like a tank, totally bombproof. I highly recommend it.
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Yeah that's the model I'll probably end up with. I haven't really seen any solid deals on ebay, all of the Icom's were the same price as Sporty's.
 
ebay, also craigslist, and of course the sainted "buy/sell" section of JC. Dropping $200 on a transceiver makes the baby Jesus cry. Don't do it.
 
aloft said:
If you scout around on eBay, you should be able to find something for a decent price. I have the Vertex Standard VXA-300 Pilot III--it's built like a tank, totally bombproof. I highly recommend it.
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This is the model I have. I am very happy with it except that the headset adapter doesn't work AT ALL. Our fleet is equipped with Vertex II's and I have tried the adapter with those as well and got the same results.
 
Stomp16 said:
This is the model I have. I am very happy with it except that the headset adapter doesn't work AT ALL. Our fleet is equipped with Vertex II's and I have tried the adapter with those as well and got the same results.
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Works great in a glider. Airplanes are too noisy. In a real emergency, you are not going to screw around with the headset
 
drunkenbeagle said:
Works great in a glider. Airplanes are too noisy. In a real emergency, you are not going to screw around with the headset
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Nope. Actually, when I was in Tampa last (fun bar night that was, thanks again :beer:) we had the stack die and had to use the transceiver. We turned it all the way up and pulled the engine back a bit to hear, but it did work.
 
Stomp16 said:
Nope. Actually, when I was in Tampa last (fun bar night that was, thanks again :beer:) we had the stack die and had to use the transceiver. We turned it all the way up and pulled the engine back a bit to hear, but it did work.
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That's what it is there for. Out in SFO til Friday, where you at these days?
 
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