King kx99 radio

[robbie]

Any one run a King KX99 handheld radio in their ships?
Any comment would be be nice.
Found one thats for sale.

[lfries]

Re: King kx99 radio

I used one for a long time until it started giving me problems. No one would try to fix it. It's probably an orphan so pay accordingly
.

[Mark Julicher]

Re: King kx99 radio

I use a KX99 all the time. It is OK as radios go. I also use an ICOM A5 and I have owned many ham radio handi-talkies (HT).

The King 18 volt battery has a fair bit of punch and last a long time and the BNC antenna hookup makes it easy to tie in an external antenna. The radio is fairly rugged and you can still get batteries for it from Mr. Nicad and other places. I have had one failure when a solder joint on the headset jack cracked. I am not a fan of the little jacks, but every radio uses them (except the old TenTec which I would love to own).

The King receiver is not the hottest thing going. With a King and an Icom and a Kenwood sitting side by side, the Icom and Kenwood will "hear" much weaker signals. This is nice when you need listen to a distant weather station but not so important for talking to tower. (I don't think Kenwood makes an aviation HT, I just tried one for comparison one day)

The KX99 does not have as many memories as newer rigs, but about all I use is 122.7 and 122.8 where I fly, so it is not a big issue for me. The KX99 can receive VOR. VOR costs extra on current radios, however, the reception distance of VOR without a VOR antenna is very limited. In fact, I can usually see the VOR about the time the KX99 with its rubber duckie antenna locks on. I'm too cheap to put a VOR antenna on a BC-12D, so it looks like I'll have to keep using my Texaco road map and GPS Listening to weather broadcast on some VORs can be handy.

The King push to talk circuit is different from other radios and as a result I have never been able to hook my KX99 directly into my RST intercom because it goes HOT MIC and broadcasts continuously. I have a work around for that, but it is not elegant. Your results may vary. I'm sure there is a fix for the hot mic issue, but I really need a better intercom, so I have not invested the time to fix it.

I bought an Icom a couple of Airventures ago to possibly upgrade my rig, or at least have a backup. The Automatic Noise Limiter in the ICOM is a very nice feature and the receiver is more sensitive to weak signals. The transmission power seems about the same which makes sense because the output power is limited on purpose. (You think cell phones fry your brain? Think what a hi-power radio could do. Ham band HTs are limited to 7 watts output.) You really ought to use an external antenna with any hand held anyway.

If I was offered a King at a low price I would probably buy it. Otherwise, the newer radios work well, have a few more features, and weigh less.

[robbie]

Re: King kx99 radio

Thanks for the input Mark,I'm running an RST intercom also, and need to up date it in the future.
What model of icom do you have?

[Victor Gisclair]

Re: King kx99 radio

I have an icom radio. It went underwater while it was on. I hose it with fresh water and let it sit for 2 weeks and it is as good as new.

[Mark Julicher]

Re: King kx99 radio

Robbie,

I have an Icom A5. I like it just fine.

[TimHicks]

Re: King kx99 radio

I've had a King Kx99 handheld in my Taylorcraft for about 11 years now. I bought it new back then. It still has the original battery. I use an external antenna when flying. VOR works fine but I rarely use it. I use a SoftComm portable intercom and a Sporty's PTT. No problem, but the SoftComm jack has a place for the PTT to plug into instead of putting it inline with the Mic cord. This feature may sidestep the problem others have noted with the RST intercoms. The King headphone adaptor cable did fail on me years ago, so I made my own from Radio Shack parts.
The King Kx99 has been reliable. I'm a satisfied customer.