The Panel Planner 101 feature on replacing old antennas (January 2025 Aviation Consumer) generated a handful of letters from readers who were not only glad they replaced their decrepit antennas during avionics upgrades, but also from a few who went the extra distance and installed backup antennas. Specifically, an auxiliary comm antenna for connecting to a handheld transceiver. The investment could be a lifesaver.
“I had over $80,000 invested in my new Dynon HDX package but it didn’t do me much good when I had a total electrical system failure at night over some rough terrain,” one reader told me. His airplane not only had the integrated Dynon comm radio but also the one that’s built into the Avidyne IFD440 navigator. But without electrics, neither did him any good.