my main observation is that one should ensure the rechargeable battery pack is recharged before every flight.
That's really bad. Why do you think it self-discharges so fast? That is what one would expect from a 10 year old laptop battery.
My 2000-year Icom A22 battery is good for at least 6 months. It is a NIMH one; not the NICD one which originally came with it. I also carry an alkaline power pack, however.
I have a Vertex VXA-220 which is a fantastic product. I purchased a battery tray and I always carry enough alkaline batteries (mainly for the headset) so in case the NiMH battery packs, I have a backup.
That's really bad. Why do you think it self-discharges so fast? That is what one would expect from a 10 year old laptop battery.
I don't know why really....I have tried several deep discharges but it self discharges after a day or so...
Just to come back to the issue of the ICOMs and 8.33KHz. I was really confused when I saw that at ICOM UK, they advertised the 8.33KHz version, whereas, in Germany for example, ICOM does not say a word about ist (as do all german pilot shops). What confused me even more is that it looks like the model change from 25KHz to 8.33KHz does not seem to go along with a change in model names.
I then sought clarification from ICOM Germany. For anyone who is interested, here is the summary of their kind reply:
indeed, the 8.33KHz versions are there and are indeed being advertised in other countries like UK
the reason why these are not available in Germany yet ist that the units are still undergoing testing at the authority which is responsible for "approving" and licensing radios in Germany. This thing is indeed taken very seriously here. All units sold in Germany will have a stamp on the back of the unit, telling that it is approved for use within the confines of Germany.
I was advised against buying in e.g. the UK at this time, because these units don't carry the required stamp for operation in Germany.
ETA for the 8.33KHz versions was given as march 2013.
it was confirmed to me (but I still can't really believe it) that is indeed no model number change to go along with the new models. I mean, how does that work? How will you ever know which version one is talking about when there is no difference in the name, not even a different suffix?
I was advised against buying in e.g. the UK at this time, because these units don't carry the required stamp for operation in Germany.
This reminds me of the time when all modems that were not sold by Deutsche Post were illegal and the ones from Deutsche Post were limited to 14 400 bps because they stated that faster transfer speeds could harm their network (and were generally not required).
I also remember my nice gray modem import from Taiwan and how little I cared about this BS 
How would they ever know you are using an unapproved handheld? It is a backup safety device
Indeed. Handheld radio approvals (of big-name equipment which passes the requirements already) are de facto nonsense. Here in the UK the whole concept has been abandoned and people import them freely from the USA, etc.
It looks like ICOM just changed the software, to generate the 8.33 steps.
From here
I am thinking about the getting the Sporty 400 Transceiver as a backup for vfr/light ifr flying. I like aa batteries vs. a chargeable battery (don’t want to think of one more thing to recharge). Also it is supposed to be very simply to operate and features ILS/GS with a visual display. Anyone have some personal experience you could share?
Link http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/sp400
The SP400 recieved very good reviews but mine had an issue with COM volume set so low it was practically unusable in flight. It was lost/misplaced/stolen before I could retrn it for service. That was in 2014, I think it has been updated by now. The ILS was excellent, with slightly smaller range on both LLZ and GP than the certified built-in equipment.
Thanks that is good to know, looks like I’ll buy the SP400.
