I tried two different handheld radios in an Ercoupe I owned a few years ago. They were connected to a regular VHF fixed antenna. The Vertex had a very annoying habit of receiving radio stations as soon as I got a few hundred feet off the ground. I called Vertex and inquired about the problem and they advised that their radios were not intended to be used in the air, but rather only on the ground. So then I tried an Icom (I believe it was an A6) and it worked very well. Range was at least 25 miles at a 1,000 ft. altitude.
Milton
