Icom introduced their first airband handheld transceiver, the IC-A2, back in the mid-eighties. Since then, every five or so years ICOM introduces a new model with the latest features. You could say Icom is the longest lived airband handheld manufacturer in the industry. Whats nice about Icom is if you still own that 20-year-old IC-A2, they will service it for you. Plus, most of the accessories are still available.

The new IC-A6 com & IC-A24 nav/com are Icoms latest models. The Icom IC-A6 is identical to the IC-A24 except the IC-A6 doesnt have VOR nav functions. The IC-A24 comes standard with a belt-clip, wrist lanyard, leather protective case, general aviation headset adapter,  flexible antenna, 1650mAh Ni-MH battery pack, 120 VAC wall charger and a will written, easy to understand operations manual. The radio is also capable of receiving ten NOAA weather channels!

From the minute you take it out of the box, you'll know it is an Icom by its unsurpassed quality and rugged, yet stylish look. The radio itself is roughly 5-3/4" tall with a BNC style antenna connection and a rear mount battery pack. It really fits comfortably in your hand. The keypad is laid out very nice, allowing the user to easily operate it with one hand (as Icom states in their advertising). The minute you turn it on you can't help but notice the large and easy to read display with its 3/8" tall numbers. This is a plus for night use or users with poor vision. Transmit and receive quality is exceptional and the VOR navigation is easy to understand and use. Battery life was well beyond sixteen hours of normal use at 5% transmit- 5% receiving- 90% standby.

Whats new? The Recall Function is very useful. It allows the user to tab back through the last ten frequencies used. For a closer look at the IC-A24, this is a list of the standard features: ANL (Automatic Noise Limiter) helps reduce electrical noise from sources like engine ignition systems; Low battery Indicator; NOAA Weather Alert (when selected will alert you of important weather information); Lock function allows the displayed frequency to not be changed; Beep Tones (that sound when the buttons are pushed).

Optional accessories includes BP-208N alkaline battery pack (holds six AA batteries), CP-20 cigarette lighter power adapter (11-24 VDC), 220 volt wall charger and the BC-119N rapid drop in charger (needs AD-101 charger adapter).
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