Sporty’s SP-400 Handheld NAV/COM Aviation Radio

The backup radio trusted by pilots.

The award-winning SP-400 is simply the most powerful portable radio you can buy—like having a complete standby radio stack in your flight bag. The all-in-one radio makes a reliable backup for emergency use, but it’s also perfect for listening to ATIS, getting clearances before engine start or just monitoring local traffic.

But a great radio is worthless if it’s hard to use. That’s why our staff of pilots, flight instructors and aircraft owners spent so much time making the SP-400 intuitive and easy to use. It has all the features you need, but none that you don’t. There are no confusing menus, no memory bands and no complicated squelch buttons—just turn it on and type in a frequency. After all, an emergency is no time to look for an instruction manual.

Includes alkaline battery pack, antenna, wrist strap and instruction manual. Measures 5 1/2”h x 2 1/4”w x 1 5/8”d. Five year warranty.

Why the SP-400 is the pilot-friendly radio:

COM

Last frequency flip flop makes it easy to switch back and forth
Visual memory recall shows five memory channels per screen (store 20 total)
Receives on 8.33KHz frequencies but does not transmit on those frequencies

NAV

Full ILS display—the only portable radio with this feature!
VOR with large CDI display and automatic bearing-to-station readout

WEATHER

NOAA weather radio receiver built in
Nationwide coverage with pre-programmed stations

EMERGENCY

Dedicated 121.5 button for instant emergency communications
Sidetone—hear yourself talk when using a headset

Why we recommend AA batteries

You'll notice the SP-400 comes standard with a AA battery pack - not a rechargeable lithium-ion or NiMH pack. We believe this is the right answer for almost all pilots. While a rechargeable battery is great for a smartphone you use every day, it is less suitable for a backup radio that may languish in a flight bag for weeks at a time. In an emergency, you have to know your radio will turn on, and forgetting to charge your lithium battery is a common mistake. The standard SP-400 battery pack holds 8 AA batteries (two more than most other radios). That sounds minor, but it leads to a big improvement in battery life. We often get over 40 hours of use from an SP-400 battery pack, when most of the time is spent receiving and not transmitting.

Of course we offer a rechargeable battery pack for the SP-400 if you so desire. This is a good option for pilots who fly more frequently or for FBO use. Whichever option you choose, we believe you'll geTPuglit great performance and long battery life from Sporty's radio.

Aviation Consumer's "Gear of the Year!"

"...better than some panel-mounted gear."

"Sporty's SP-400 Shines. Its performance is clearly exceptional."

"You can easily pick this unit up and use all of its features without touching the manual."

"...it's a solid bargain."

Staff Pirep

"Since our very first product was an aviation radio, I'm partial to our SP-400 Hand-held NAV/COM. It's an amazingly powerful radio, and one I never could have dreamed of in 1961."

Flies:

Piper Aztec

Hal Shevers

Founder/Chairman-Sporty's Pilot Shop

Upgraded screen - better contrast and adjustable backlight for improved sunlight readability.

The award-winning SP-400 is simply the most powerful portable radio you can buy—like having a complete standby radio stack in your flight bag. The all-in-one radio makes a reliable backup for emergency use, but it’s also perfect for listening to ATIS, getting clearances before engine start or just monitoring local traffic.

But a great radio is worthless if it’s hard to use. That’s why our staff of pilots, flight instructors and aircraft owners spent so much time making the SP-400 intuitive and easy to use. It has all the features you need, but none that you don’t. There are no confusing menus, no memory bands and no complicated squelch buttons—just turn it on and type in a frequency. After all, an emergency is no time to look for an instruction manual.

Includes alkaline battery pack, antenna, wrist strap and instruction manual. Measures 5 1/2”h x 2 1/4”w x 1 5/8”d. Five year warranty.

Why the SP-400 is the pilot-friendly radio:

Oversized, high-resolution screen—twice as large as most other radios
Enhanced screen backlight with adjustable contrast for better sunlight readability
Large, soft keypad is easy to use, even in turbulence
No menus or memory banks—just type in the frequency
One-handed operation for fast emergency access
Unmatched battery life, powered by easy-to-find AAs
Quick-change battery pack—switch in just 3 seconds!
Backlit screen and keypad
Dedicated squelch and volume knobs for precise adjustment

COM

Last frequency flip flop makes it easy to switch back and forth
Visual memory recall shows five memory channels per screen (store 20 total)
Receives on 8.33KHz frequencies but does not transmit on those frequencies

NAV

Full ILS display—the only portable radio with this feature!
VOR with large CDI display and automatic bearing-to-station readout

Weather

NOAA weather radio receiver built in
Nationwide coverage with pre-programmed stations

Emergency

Dedicated 121.5 button for instant emergency communications
Sidetone—hear yourself talk when using a headset

Why we recommend AA batteries

You'll notice the SP-400 comes standard with a AA battery pack - not a rechargeable lithium-ion or NiMH pack. We believe this is the right answer for almost all pilots. While a rechargeable battery is great for a smartphone you use every day, it is less suitable for a backup radio that may languish in a flight bag for weeks at a time. In an emergency, you have to know your radio will turn on, and forgetting to charge your lithium battery is a common mistake. The standard SP-400 battery pack holds 8 AA batteries (two more than most other radios). That sounds minor, but it leads to a big improvement in battery life. We often get over 40 hours of use from an SP-400 battery pack, when most of the time is spent receiving and not transmitting.

Of course we offer a rechargeable battery pack for the SP-400 if you so desire. This is a good option for pilots who fly more frequently or for FBO use. Whichever option you choose, we believe you'll get great performance and long battery life from Sporty's radio.

Aviation Consumer's "Gear of the Year!"

"...better than some panel-mounted gear."
"Sporty's SP-400 Shines. Its performance is clearly exceptional."
"You can easily pick this unit up and use all of its features without touching the manual."
"...it's a solid bargain."