I've grown to prefer professional HTs for monitoring for all the usual reasons: greater sensitivity, fewer channels in a scan list making it easier to use while cycling or driving, louder audio, rugged package, etc. So I sprung for a Yaesu FTA-450. It's plenty rugged, but it is really noisy. I can't tighten up the squelch indoors without hearing objectionable noise on many channels, probably generated by electrical appliances or wiring inside. And outside there's much more intermod and noise than I expected. It's reasonably sensitive when far away from everything, and I've tried a number of different antennas tuned to the band.
But it doesn't really work for the purpose I bought it for, which was to monitor a relatively small number of channels (example: nationwide airband allocations) without having to lock out or scan past noise all the time, especially on the road or on wheels when you can't safely play with menus. I don't have to touch my Motorolas while driving, and I'd love an airband unit that worked as well.
Aircraft folks, any thoughts?
But it doesn't really work for the purpose I bought it for, which was to monitor a relatively small number of channels (example: nationwide airband allocations) without having to lock out or scan past noise all the time, especially on the road or on wheels when you can't safely play with menus. I don't have to touch my Motorolas while driving, and I'd love an airband unit that worked as well.
Aircraft folks, any thoughts?
I certainly miss the Sporty's JD-100's. So the Icom A25C works good? I wonder if it's due to the fact that it uses batteries rather than a battery pack? Have you actually used the PJ2 or Icom A25C xms3200 and iMonitor?
