Airband Portable Transceiver Recommendations?

Started by RADIOMAN015, August 15, 2009, 11:49:05 PM

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RADIOMAN015

Right now I'm looking at purchasing an airband portable transceiver.  Initially looking at the Vertex VXA-220, anyone had experience with this transceiver, or any others under $200.00 that might be better?
RM   

SJFedor

Icom makes some good portables for airband. I've got one and i've been very happy with it.

Steven Fedor, NREMT-P
Master Ambulance Driver
Former Capt, MP, MCPE, MO, MS, GTL, and various other 3-and-4 letter combinations
NESA MAS Instructor, 2008-2010 (#479)

Short Field

ditto for ICOM.  They also have a AA battery pack you can buy.  Makes a great backup battery (which can be reloaded in the field with fresh batteries) to the NiCad battery.
SAR/DR MP, ARCHOP, AOBD, GTM1, GBD, LSC, FASC, LO, PIO, MSO(T), & IC2
Wilson #2640

Hawk200

Quote from: Short Field on August 16, 2009, 12:48:41 AM....They also have a AA battery pack you can buy.  Makes a great backup battery (which can be reloaded in the field with fresh batteries) to the NiCad battery.

Anyone know if there's a place that produce "AA" packs for other brands of radios? You can buy AAs just about anywhere, so it would be nice to have the option.

Short Field

SAR/DR MP, ARCHOP, AOBD, GTM1, GBD, LSC, FASC, LO, PIO, MSO(T), & IC2
Wilson #2640

Hawk200

Nice. Alternate power options were one of my concerns when getting a radio.

We may never have to, but I try to carry whatever I need for a three day mission that doesn't count on readily available power.

At our last SAREX, we had guys pulling up WMIRS using cells as modems. Power outlets were in short supply, so not everyone had the option of just plugging something in. Got to keep alternate power sources in mind.

Hawk200

Come to think of it, is there anything out there that could be programmed for CAP, is P25 compliant, and usable on airband? A single radio would be nice.

Probably a long shot, but it's not the end of the world if it doesn't exist.

SarDragon

Quote from: Hawk200 on August 16, 2009, 11:46:43 PM
Come to think of it, is there anything out there that could be programmed for CAP, is P25 compliant, and usable on airband? A single radio would be nice.

Probably a long shot, but it's not the end of the world if it doesn't exist.

Well, considering that the CAP frequencies are FM and air band is AM, not likely. It would also require an antenna that operates over a pretty wide frequency band.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

Major Lord

There are a few military SDR (software defined radios) that will do this, but they cost tens of thousands of dollars. Yaesu briefly built an airband handheld that you could do the VHF "CAP MOD" to, but could never ever be CAP-kosher. ( Its pretty hard to make an AM/FM transmitter!)

Major Lord
"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."

Al Sayre

Quote from: RADIOMAN015 on August 15, 2009, 11:49:05 PM
Right now I'm looking at purchasing an airband portable transceiver.  Initially looking at the Vertex VXA-220, anyone had experience with this transceiver, or any others under $200.00 that might be better?
RM   

Take a look at the one Sporty's markets under their own name(  http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/sp-200.cfm ).  I've got one and have been very happy with it.  It operates on AA batteries or can plug in to your 12/28 VDC outlet with the right accessories.  Also spare battery packs are reasonable.
Lt Col Al Sayre
MS Wing Staff Dude
Admiral, Great Navy of the State of Nebraska
GRW #2787

Airrace

I have both the Sporty's model and ICOM. Both are good radios.

Hawk200

Sounds like one of the MBITR types would do it, but that's not worth the hassle.

Then again, not like I really need one with such a spread to it. It was more of an idle question. I'm sure someone else that was wondering the same thing found the answers informative.