Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 14
User avatar
By cotterpot
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1403329
I am not saying don't get one if that's your preferrence but you do need to have it ready and available for use.

If it is any help in the time I have been flying I have never had a radio fail that was working (ish) when I took off. (I am sure others on here have). I have flown with no radio quite a few times - because they just didn't work and I was happy to do that, and with a handheld once when I knew the radio(s) weren't working but needed one to get into where I was going.
User avatar
By timjenner
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1403331
I've not experienced radio failure myself (yet) but I'm aware of two separate occasions in the club aircraft where the PTT switch has fallen apart in-flight. Having COM1 and COM2 isn't much use then!

Cheers,
Tim
By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1403332
I've had a couple after a recurring problem with a new Funkwerk model. However we have an ancient com2 so wasn't an issue!

My first plan, although I do have a handheld, is to turn on Bluetooth on my headset, then fly low enough to phone ATC...

And from the post above, it has been known for headset cables to be stretched across to the P2 side after a PTT issue. I do know of one PTT issue which left the PTT pressed, so they blocked the frequency for a while before turning off their radio.
User avatar
By cotterpot
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1403333
timjenner wrote:I've not experienced radio failure myself (yet) but I'm aware of two separate occasions in the club aircraft where the PTT switch has fallen apart in-flight. Having COM1 and COM2 isn't much use then!

Cheers,
Tim


You can always plug into the P2 side - I've done that as well but you have to remember to press the correct ptt :oops:
User avatar
By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1403343
Having made reasonably use of my Vertex over the years with the built in rubber antenna, I can say that it sort of works at 20-25nm, but you have to have the aeroplane pointed the right way and the antenna aligned in just the right position. Of course you can align it when receiving but you have no way of keeping it aligned during transmitting so they can hear you.

Getting it out of the flight bag and plugging in the frequencies is no big deal if you're used to the unit and if you're in the cruise. You don't want to be doing it in the circuit. I have struggled both on approach and during formation flying where you need one hand on the stick and the other on the throttle...so with which hand do you hold the radio and press the PTT? :D Hence why, if you're planning to use it not just for emergencies that an external PTT switch which you can strap to the yoke/stick may be a good idea.
User avatar
By Sooty25
#1403349
Sooty25 wrote:I know I offered to do the forumites a deal if anyone wanted one, it is offered in the same way I would offer it to the other chaps at our strip, people I know (sort of)! I'm not looking to be the next transair!


Just to follow up on what I said the other day, I've had a couple of PM's regarding a deal on this range of radio's. Having checked the trade price list and compared the pricing to http://www.hamradio.co.uk also mentioned in this thread. Hamradio have a profit margin of £4 on each of the 550 series radios and about £10 on the 750L. And probably making a couple of quid on their shipping charges. But that is all before credit card charges are taken out!

I had heard that Martin Lynch & Sons (hamradio.co.uk owners), sold main products at cost relying on the bigger profit margins available in accessories. I think this confirms it.

I'm sure you chaps realise that there isn't any point in me trying to do a better deal than that!
User avatar
By matthew_w100
#1404028
riverrock wrote:550 also includes glideslope / localiser. Unfortunately, the last flight I was on had a relatively low cloud base, and the active runway wasn't the one with the ILS so I haven't tried using it.

The difference is the 750 includes a WAAS GPS, allowing you to record your track, does direct to GPS waypoints, shows ground speed, moves the compass rose around like an HSI based on GPS track (I presume). You can download the manual from here: http://www.yaesu.com/airband/indexVS.cf ... rodID=1775


I'm awfully glad i actually read the manual before purchasing. The 550 has localiser but not glideslope. Unless i was reading the wrong manual.

Image, on Flickr

It's a shame the 750 doesn't use the gps to provide a pseudo-dme on the ils screen.
By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1404100
agree with the pseudo-dme, although I suppose there is a risk in there somewhere if you input the wrong GPS coordinates.

I'm not happy that glideslope isn't included. It was the one thing I hadn't been able to try / get working since buying it - I had wondered why it hadn't appeared (presumed that I had been outside of the glideslope when testing - which I had been).
The description says "and ILS navigation features " on all websites, which has caused the confusion. The definition of ILS is "a precision runway approach aid based on two radio beams which together provide pilots with both vertical and horizontal guidance during an approach to land". If it doesn't include glideslope, it doesn't include "ILS navigations features".

I'm sending mine back due to the incorrect description. Will decide then whether to buy the 750 which clearly does include it.
:evil:
User avatar
By alexbrett2
#1404125
Thanks for the heads up, fortunately although I'd placed an order they were waiting on stock so I've been able to change it to the 750...
By znww5
#1405189
I wonder if anybody can answer a couple of questions before I order a '550 - the manual seems ambiguous.

Given that the display frequency and operating frequency are different when operating in 8.33kHz mode, what happens when you press the 121.5 button? Furthermore, what happens if you manually enter 128.475 when in 8.33 mode?

Do you get the 8.33 'version' of the frequency displayed ie 121.505 and 128.480, or is the radio smart enough to recognise a 25kHz spaced frequency when it sees one?


Conversely, what happens when you are in 25kHz mode and you try to enter a 8.33 frequency?
By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1405218
This works the same as all 8.33 capable radios.
All the change in the option menu does, between 8.33 and 25, is change which channels you can select. It doesn't affect operation of the receiver or transmitter.
If you then select a designated 25kHz channel, it is set to receive across the 25kHz frequency. If you then select a designated 8.33kHz channel, it automatically is set to receive across a 8.33 spacing.
This is how the 8.33 system works, and it is compatible.
By znww5
#1405269
Thanks for that RR, I was hoping that would be the answer! I was wondering because most of the 'multi-step' ham and commercial radios I have dealt with over the years are quite dumb in that respect. Ta muchly for the reply.
User avatar
By foxmoth
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1405271
For those that have never had a radio failure, I have not had that directly, what I DID have was an alternator failure, yes I should have picked it up on instrument checks, as it was there was myself and another pilot in the front seats, neither of us picked it up and the first thing we noticed was we were not getting replies from our RT calls, of course the Nav aids also packed in with this so something like this would have been extremely usefull!
User avatar
By foxmoth
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1411365
Does anyone know if you could use this as a feed for the VOR/ILS display on a Dynon?
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 14