Hello everyone,

I need a handheld. The Champ is getting close to being done and it has no electrical system, so I will need to use a handheld as my primary radio. I keep seeing Sporty's push the SP400. I watched the video and it looks pretty cool. The VOR function is nice to have in the Champ, and a back up or second VOR might be handy in other aircraft I fly.
Any thoughts on this one? I want whatever I get to be pretty useable and long lasting. I will also have it on quite a bit at home and in the hangar. It's handy to have around at home to be able to solicit rides from my buddy with the Lake amphib since he flys over all the time and I live 2 blocks from the river.

D.

DavidB. wrote:Hello everyone,

I need a handheld. The Champ is getting close to being done and it has no electrical system, so I will need to use a handheld as my primary radio. I keep seeing Sporty's push the SP400. I watched the video and it looks pretty cool. The VOR function is nice to have in the Champ, and a back up or second VOR might be handy in other aircraft I fly.
Any thoughts on this one? I want whatever I get to be pretty useable and long lasting. I will also have it on quite a bit at home and in the hangar. It's handy to have around at home to be able to solicit rides from my buddy with the Lake amphib since he flys over all the time and I live 2 blocks from the river.

D.

Good Handheld (Icom A-14 ) or old Terra Com 720m will do the Communications duties , A Garmin 296 GPS or Ipad for navigation . Get a external antenna for both. Even without Generator / Alternator get a PC-680 battery and mount somewhere you can get aux power . That's what in our Champ .

I have owned a Sporty's hand held since 2006 it is still going strong. The price was right too.

Good day

I read a review of all the popular handhelds a few months ago, wish I could remember what mag...but anyway the Sporty's SP400 got the top rating.

I have an SP400 and it works well. I've actually flown practice ILS with it in my Cirrus compared to regular instruments I'm pretty sure one could get down with forgiving ceilings. Overall qualtiy is good, but not as good as ICOM.... looks a little "Chinese" in its construction. I do like that it runs on AA batteries which is more usefull for a backup that sits. It is very easy to use and intuitive. I had to get the blasted book out to use the ICOM A4 I had just about every time....not friendly. I'd give it a B+, but would be an A+ with the same build qualtiy or feel as the ICOM.

Not familiar with the SP400 model, but I had a similar choice of VOR/ non-VOR when I bought an iCom for my T-Craft. I went with the VOR-equipped model for the same reasons it sounds like you are considering.

In 300-400 hours in that plane, I never once used the VOR capability on that handheld. Used a Garmin 196 exclusively. Maybe that's just me, but I've also heard that the receiving ability is very underpowered in those units compared to a panel-mount with a proper antenna.

I wound up inheriting a non-VOR iCom, and found that one preferable due to its less-cramped display with larger readout, and simpler functionality.

Incidentally, the 196 was a nice GPS option in a non-electric plane as the batteries lasted at least four times longer than the batteries in the color 296.

Just watched the SP400 video, and concluded that I don't know squat about the state of handhelds any longer. Looks like Sporty's addressed the issue of the cramped, confusing display though.

I'm with boothkc on the Icom A4. I had one but sold it on VAF because I used it so infrequently that I could never figure it out and didn't want to carry the book everywhere I went. The Sporty's is intuitive but doesn't look or feel nearly as cool as an Icom...but....

Does anyone know what the battery life on the SP-400 is like?

Looks like a pretty handy little unit.

I have one. Bought 6 months ago and run it of std alkaline into no electric j3c. I'd say I get about 8 hours of flying on a set of batteries but it all depends on amount of transmit and receive time. Transmit uses a lot of juice.

I have to say though I'm thinking of going with mgl v10 transceiver. I hate all the wires and having the thing flop around on me. 4 watts and weighs 1/2 lb it looks awesome. Thinking of goin while hot with a trig mode s xponder w adsb out and a new ack 406 elt all linked with a garmin 396.

What method of approval are you going to use to install the v10? I think it looks great but being not TSOd might cause some trouble.

I spoke with a guy at the Boise fsdo about installing a radio without a TSO and he said since my luscombe was certified under 4a that a TSO wasn't required for the radio. Trouble I had was that no IA I talked with was willing to install one without a 337...like that is going to happen.

Radios don't need to be tso'd

A&p should install a bracket and power wiring. The rest is up to you. At least in my cub this is no different than a bracket for a handheld sp400

soyAnarchisto wrote:Radios don't need to be tso'd

Because of the certification basis for the cub or what? I honestly looked at this pretty hard when I wanted to install a icom a210. That's when I called the Boise fsdo but I still couldn't find an IA that was willing to I stall a radio without a TSO

The a&p isn't installing the radio. they install a bracket and some wiring and the really should not care what for. Or it can be rigged with wing nuts and argued a temp install. No different that installing a non tso mobile gps in a panel for a garmin 396 like air gizmo.

It is crazy to argue I need a tso radio for a 1946 cub without an electrical system. I have a hard time thinking a champ is any different.

I'd buy a tso radio if they made one that was 1/2 pound like the mgl. It weighs less than my sp400.

BTW, they can file a 337. It wouldn't need a field approval so nobody at the fsdo or ok city (should) is going to care. This is a very minor mod to an aircraft that was certified in the 30's.

The VOR function is nice to have in the Champ, and a back up or second VOR might be handy in other aircraft I fly.

Maybe all you guys horny for a VOR receiver should rethink the expense for something about to be phased out. VOR is going the way of LFR and Loran. If you don't like all your eggs in one basket get an iPhone - receives Russian and US GPS signals so you've got backup.

FAA Announces Plan for Reduction in VOR http://www.uasc.com/sales/newsletters/2Q12_UniversalFlyer.pdf

Try to find an ADF approach in the USA.

The ILS function is a rather neat gimmick, I just would hope to not be in the situation to have to use it. If you want to make a semi permanent mount the handhelds are only 3 watts less than the Icom A210. They all work quite well with an external antenna. In a pinch I have a section of coax, and a suction cup windshield mount for a 1/8 wave bottom loaded antenna. Gives rather exceptional range. I have an old Icom IC A22, been working for something over a decade now. It has a NiMih pack and a AA pack. They also make a headset/PTT adaptor the HS-20. The older ones are actually very easy to use. Lots of different aftermarket battery pack options still available for those, as they use the same packs as their amateur FM handy talkies.

Another thing to note - not that I have a hard-on for VOR technology - but with the SP400 - you can't use the nav and com at the same time. So you need to choose whether you will navigate or communicate with it while you are aviating. I like the SP400 as a backup either com or nav. But I'm a little frustrated with using it as a primary com - not because of the radio - just because it's a portable handheld. YMMV.