Kevin, go to my original post and click on the link to Icom. The radio I mentioned is available with AA alkaline capability or, for a little more money, rechargable battery. If I didn't misread the specs, it says that it will put out five watts of power.

Speaking of power there was one or more posts that questioned the range of the radio. Perhaps fifty miles was an over estimate but you must remember that a commercial airliner directly overhead is between five and six miles from you. Further out and still visible the plane could be ten to fifteen miles from you. It just seems to me that in an instance such as that, as you are dealing with line of sight and no obstructions between you and the plane, that it would easily contact the plane. I could be wrong and if so, defer to those that know more than I do. I know in the past that I have talked over twenty miles ground to ground on a five watt police hand held so I didn't feel that fifty miles line of sight was unreasonable for the Icom mentioned. <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />