I just sold my panel VHF. It was not going to be a good fit for a KR1 panel.
Probably will go with a handheld and external antenna. The specs are 7watts
carrier with the Icom I just sold, and 5 watts PEP for a handheld I checked
with a 1.5 watt carrier. So the apples to apples compare is 7 vs 1.5 watts. I
wonder what in real world that difference makes. From reading reviews, I have
seen many good reports of sufficient range with a handheld.
One disadvantage is that most if not all handhelds cannot transmit when plugged
in, too much current. I believe I read that a few wont run at all while
charging. That would be very bad if the battery is low in the middle of a
flight. Of course there is always the spare (fully charged) battery option.
In a planned single seat plane, with no need for an intercom and a small
panel/cocpit, a handheld seems the better choice just dont know about the
transmit range issue (receive should work equally well).
It would be great to also get a small panel Mode C transponder but they are way
big bucks and not usually showing up used. maybe just keep my KT76A and mount
it sideways on the sidewall.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays KR listers!
Regards,Chris
