Which Handie Talkie for Emergencies

by Jim Cluett, W1PID

I recommend one of four different handies for emergency use.
Not because of the radios, but because of the batteries.

For emergency use I think the ability to run full 5 watts with AA cells
is essential. Here's why.

When power is out and the ability to recharge is strained, finding the resources
to recharge your batteries becomes a real obstacle. Lithium Ion batteries are
fantastic... they're light, deliver full power for a long time and work well
in the cold. But they're tricky to recharge. They won't tolerate a voltage supply
that's out of spec. When they're gone, they're gone. You can't use them without
a fancy charge.

Commercial AA cells are easy to get and store. NiMh rechargeable cells are
available too. So I choose handies that will hold 6 AA cells. I only know of a
few of them.

Yaesu makes three. One is the FT-250, and the other is the FT-270. These are VHF
only radios. If you want a dual-band radio, the FT-60 takes the same battery packs
as the other two. These radios accept all kinds of rechargeable batteries, but there's
an accessory 6 cell tray available too. It's the FBA-25A. It only costs $20 or so.
You can put any kind of AA cell in the pack... lithium, alkaline, or NiMh. These
batteries come with very high mAh ratings.



Yaesu FT-250 (above)


Yaesu FT-270 (above)


Yaesu 6 cell battery tray FNB-25A

Icom also makes a handie that will take an AA pack.
It's the IC-V80.



It takes the 6 cell accessory tray model BP-263 shown below.



When you buy a radio for emergency use, remember the most important consideration
is power flexibility.  I use rechargeable NiMh AA cells. The Sanyo Enaloops are rated
at 2000 mAh and (unlike regular NiMh) they have a very long shelf life. If you need to,
you can even plug the pack into a car battery for a short time and get a useable recharge.
They can be recharged with a solar panel without a fancy controller in an emergency.

Any handie is a good emergency tool. But radios that will accept AA cells for a full 5 watts
are the most versatile and can make the difference during a prolonged power failure.

-end-