Handheld radio - New purchase & Licence application

[Ian Law]

I'd like to buy a new 8.33 handheld radio for my project, which is progressing now, in the hope I may qualify for the CAA/EU(!) discount, if there is any money left in the kitty.

I don't yet have a registration for the aircraft and assume I must, therefore, apply for a £15 Radio Licence for a handheld. Or can I apply without quoting a registration mark; I'd be happy to pay the £20 for this? I've already queried this with the CAA, but am still a bit confused by their reply.

Can anyone advise me how to proceed?

Ian

[Clive Richards]

Ian I don't think you qualify I think the subsidy is for those having to replace an existing radio.
Clive

[JimCrawford]

Not so, I bought a Yaesu handheld for my Nipper and got the refund (first tranch). The kit is regarded as a handheld, or transportable, radio, all you need is the handheld version of the licence, no aircraft registration is required as the unit could be transferred between aircraft or used on the ground.
I'm seriously thinking of getting another in the third and last application period.
You will need a proper receipt to show money has been paid. The CAA are very insistent on this and won't accept order numbers or delivery notes or whatever. I used the payment notice from Paypal and that was fine.

Jim

[Ian Law]

Many thanks Clive and Jim.

I originally assumed that I wouldn't be eligible ( hence my delay in applying ), but then I have lost the choice of buying a used old radio and will have to go for a new one, so am hoping that Jim is right and that I'll qualify as suggested.

I'll give it a try!

Ian

[Clive Richards]

Ian give it a try do you know anyone with a transportable licence who is not buying one and could get one for you and get subsidy.
A licence bought now will be for a 8.33 radio but you will need one anyway.

[Ian Law]

Many thanks for the suggestion Clive and I'm veering towards buying a Yaesu at present.

Jim, has your Yaesu radio met your expectations? Do you use just the internal batteries or a separate 12v supply? (I'm assuming a 12 volt supply is OK. I read somewhere that this may need an adapter to drop the voltage a bit. I think there is a thread on the forum relating to this, but I haven't yet had chance to look for it.)

Thanks again. Ian

[JimCrawford]

After reading the fairly extensive discussion on the Flyer forum re 8.33 handhelds, and in particular the ICOM/Yaesu debate, I bought the Yaesu. The one with VOR and Lithium battery. I have only ground tested it so far but with both the supplied antenna and the aircraft whip I had excellent transmission reports and reception was clear. You get quite a lot of kit with the unit. There is a break out from the 3.5mm audio connector to allow direct headset plug in using the usual 'two jacks' that you get on a headset. This still requires you to use the side mounted transmit button. There are several reports of successful use of a readily available accessory which intercepts the cable and provides a remote PTT.
I am making an aircraft installed loom to handle headset and PTT.
The Yaesu, and I believe the ICOM, do not run off 12 volts. The pack includes a 12 volt converter but this is a motor car cigarette lighter socket type, probably best used to keep the rechargeable pack topped up. I am going to use a purpose built adaptor, again wired in to the aircraft loom.

Good luck!

Jim

[Ian Law]

Many thanks Jim and I am most grateful for the information and advice.

Ian

[mcfadyeanda]

Any external supply for the Yaesu handheld needs to be 9v, the same as the battery pack that it is substituting. I used one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-4V-38V-to- ... Swo6lWI2Do
which has worked without interference and has had enough power.

The radio is easy to lash up in to an intercom with external PTT. However, the multipole jack on the RH side can be a little flakey, meaning that the jack has to be pushed and held all the way in. That might sound obvious, but there is little margin for it to move and still retain connection. The as-supplied connector has retention screws which achieve this, but any alternate jack may need some ingenuity to hold it rigidy in place.

Still delighted that this only cost £149 (a couple of years ago)!

Duncan McF.

[Ian Law]

Much appreciated Duncan and the regulator looks perfect. Thought I'd seen references to 9 volts somewhere and a discussion about how to make a simple voltage reducer, but this is a better solution to that issue.
I'll follow your advice regarding the PTT. Looks as though all the problems can be overcome!

Thanks again.

Ian

[JimCrawford]

A smidge more information which may prove useful when using this sort of power adaptor:

The Yaesu supplied car adaptor is marked as 9.5 volts. Power converters like the one suggested typically require 2 volts across them to operate properly so your aircraft supply should be a minimum of 11.5 volts. If the aircraft has an alternator then the bus will be just shy of 14 volts so happiness reigns. I come from the gliding world where we rely on pure battery power and this configuration can cause problems as the voltage droops at the end of the day and the converter operation becomes erratic.
I assume, but don't know for certain, that if the external supply is too low, then the radio will simply operate on it's internal battery. This may require the external power plug to be pulled out to go to internals.

Jim

PS I have used similar converters to provide USB (5 volt) sockets in a glider with great success but I cannot imagine how they are produced at such a price!

[mcfadyeanda]

If the standard radio battery pack is left in place, then operation will default seamlessly to that battery when external power is lost. Which also means that if external power is used, one has to remember to turn off the radio (rather than just the Master switch) after use, or else the battery will drain before next flight.
I'm not sure that the internal battery charges when external power is connected, but the manual says not to do this (with rechargeables inserted in the AA-size radio battery tray).

BTW, the 9v voltage requirement is nominal and the radio will operate on less than this (as the standard cells go flat), but I don't know at what limiting voltage (7v maybe?).

Duncan McF

[Ian Law]

Many thanks again Duncan and Jim. I'm beginning to get my head around all this, thanks to your advice and hope to go ahead shortly. A friend also has a Yaesu, but hasn't had chance to use it in anger yet.

No alternator in my biplane project, I'm afraid!

Ian