Plug and navigate
Sporty’s PJ2 GPS handheld aviation radio
“It’s interesting to note that Sporty’s history was really built on a radio,” said Doug Ranly, vice president of Sporty’s Aviation. “[Sporty’s founder] Hal Shevers’ first product was a Realtone radio. He would open up the back of the radio and alter the board inside such that it could pick up air band.”
That was in 1961, and today Sporty’s remains at the forefront of affordable handheld aviation radio innovation with its latest product—the PJ2 GPS radio.
Sporty’s designed elegant white packaging for the PJ2 GPS—similar to what you see with Apple products—to impress customers during unboxing. Nice touch.
At first glance, the PJ2 GPS looks a lot like its predecessor—the PJ2+ (which is priced at $249.95 and remains in production). Same form factor, same weight, and both have PJ jacks built into the top of the radio to make connecting a dual plug headset a cinch in an emergency.
But while the PJ2+ is a basic backup radio powered by a AA battery pack (or a USB-C cable) with a simple LCD screen, the PJ2 GPS additionally features a built-in GPS and intercom, Bluetooth audio, a color display, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. That’s a lot of extra utility for a retail price of $399.95.
It’s important to note that the GPS built into the PJ2 GPS is not a moving map display and does not include a built-in database. Its primary purpose is to help you navigate home (or to another waypoint) in an emergency. While in GPS mode, you can see groundspeed, altitude, track, and distance and bearing to the waypoint you’ve entered. Waypoints are entered using latitude and longitude coordinates. You’ll likely need to refer to the detailed instruction manual the first time you enter a waypoint, so it’s best to program your home airport waypoint on the ground before you fly. Up to 100 waypoints can be entered and named.
In flight, the GPS function is simple to use and accurate; just remember the altitude is not corrected for local barometric pressure. The inclusion of a GPS alone justifies the price of a PJ2 GPS compared to the PJ2+, but perhaps more compelling, from a practical perspective, is that the PJ2 GPS can act as the GPS source for ForeFlight on an iPhone or iPad when paired using Bluetooth.
The PJ2 GPS can also use Bluetooth to pair with an external speaker or wireless earbuds so that you can listen to the air band at home or at an airshow. And while Sporty’s does not recommend using Bluetooth to connect to the pilot’s headset (“I think that’s a bad idea,” said Ranly), Bluetooth can be used to connect a second headset—for someone sitting in the co-pilot or back seat.
The color screen is large and bright and helps menu options and notifications stand out using different colors, although I personally preferred the dark mode, which you can select in the screen lighting menu.
The PJ2 GPS includes intercom functionality when two dual plug headsets are plugged into an optional splitter (sold by Sporty’s for $49.95), which is particularly useful for aircraft without electrical systems such as Piper Cubs, Taylorcraft, and Aeronca Champs. The intercom functionality does not work when a headset is connected to the PJ2 GPS using Bluetooth.
The lithium-ion rechargeable battery lasts for six to 10 hours and can be recharged through the USB-C port while the battery remains in the radio. I found the battery barely discharged after sitting in the radio for several months, negating the need to use the AA battery pack.
Shevers would have been proud that Sporty’s latest radio remains a solid value. The first Sporty’s Realtone radio retailed for $37.95 in 1961 (that’s $424 in today’s dollars)—more than the equivalent cost to purchase a Sporty’s PJ2 GPS today with all the additional capabilities stuffed into it.
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