Very Cheap airband radio, is it any good?

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tommie1shunt
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Very Cheap airband radio, is it any good?

Post by tommie1shunt »

T&L001M stuck in google will bring up an image and very little info. For sale thru flea bay for around £17 inc P&P from China/Hong Kong. Says it is passive but has a tuning dial. Listen thru earphones only. Anyone used one? Any good? Maybe a cheaper version of Black Box.
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Admiral
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Re: Very Cheap airband radio, is it any good?

Post by Admiral »

It's a cheap and nasty analogue set, probably about the size of a matchbox and probably not even true AM.
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tommie1shunt
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Re: Very Cheap airband radio, is it any good?

Post by tommie1shunt »

Am not defending it, but why would it not be AM? It is only one band. I can guess where your coming from, cheap multi band radios that just extend their normal fm range and claim it is airband,but it is still in fm mode.
But you could be right it could be nasty and horrible, but at £17 might take a punt on it.
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Admiral
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Re: Very Cheap airband radio, is it any good?

Post by Admiral »

Well it will probably use the same chip as the little FM broadcast sets, they'll just narrow down the bandwidth, and one millimeter on the tuning dial will be about 1Mhz, and I'm guessing the earphone lead will act as the antenna.

By all means give it a go, it would be great for a Nephew that keeps twiddling with your serious kit, but I wouldn't get too excited if I were thee.
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paulears
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Re: Very Cheap airband radio, is it any good?

Post by paulears »

I'd bet it's a simple superhet AM, which many so called FM receivers actually were - no discriminator at all, and they let you hear FM by slope detection. Just a 70 year old design really. Uses the headphones as the aerial too, I'd guess. The daft thing is that because aircraft are up in the air - signal strength is high, and the disadvantages of the design just mean they can't select between two close together in frequency signals. Being able to tune the entire band on one knob worked with the thumb means very easy tuning, and you don't need to be that accurate. Disadvantages are no ability to go back to a frequency unless you use a felt tip pen to mark the dial.

For the money - well worth a punt I think. I also love the google translate description - brilliant!
Characteristics of air pocket receiver

Newly improved frequency range, adjust the frequency interval, making it easier to tune.

Increase the squelch function; squelch function to achieve without a call.

Increased sensitivity, improved aviation receiver performance.

Characteristics of air pocket receiver: headphones receive frequency 118MHZ-136MHZ easy to carry, with two 7 batteries can be used for several months. Use headphones to receive, to avoid the airport noise environment interference, receiving high sensitivity can carry, apply to the ground staff at the airport, flying friends clap guest, often go by plane friends can put on headphones at any time in the departure area know flight dynamic, all want to hear air band radio enthusiasts, etc can be used. The airport receives anytime and anywhere within the scope of other places receives pay attention to the
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Re: Very Cheap airband radio, is it any good?

Post by Admiral »

This guy describes his 2nd hand one as 'passive', does that just mean the front end is so wide and zero filtering that it acts like a passive set? It probably picks up the taxi driver when you're in the back of a cab too.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Airband-Radio ... 2210856484
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thelad
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Re: Very Cheap airband radio, is it any good?

Post by thelad »

Iv heard people use them when on a flight to listen to the pilots as they are for close range.
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LeakyFeeder
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Re: Very Cheap airband radio, is it any good?

Post by LeakyFeeder »

At 17 sovs it will be utter pants... Out of all the handheld radios ive got that receive airband incl a Vertex transceiver the FT60 is best..

Try n spend a few quid more n get summat half right
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