Clever Idea Came From a Sporty's Customer

A couple years ago, a hangar customer of Sporty's Pilot Shop asked some of the folks there if they could build a radio that would allow him to listen to the ball game, but still keep his ears open for airport and aviation activity.

"Hmm," Sporty's engineers and marketing people said, "sounds like a good idea." So they built one, and it was introduced at Sun 'n Fun.

The Air-Scan SP-125 radio receiver has what Sporty's calls, "Aviation Interrupt." Here's what happens: you set as many as five aviation frequencies that you want to monitor (even on built-in 8.33mHz spacing), and then tune your SP-125 to the AM or FM station that's covering your ballgame, your opera, Rush -- whatever. If any traffic shows up on any of the freqs you've programmed, the SP-125 pre-empts your standard radio show, and puts that aviation transmission front-and-center. You won't miss your radio program, you won't miss airport trqaffic, and you won't have to always have two radios in your hangar. [Besides, if you do things the old way [with both radios on], you probably won't get much information from either one!]

This little (under 13 oz) box, rubber ducky antenna and all (it uses four AAs, or an external power cord) was introduced at $159.95.

FMI: Aviation Interrupt Radio