Ham Radio Suggestions
What Should You Buy First?
Buying A Ham Radio
When you are thinking about buying your first ham radio, there are a ton of choices and there are many factors you have to consider. First and foremost: what do you want to do in Ham radio? Are you going to stay with the just the 2M and 70CM bands (i.e. 144 – 148MHz and 420 – 450MHz)? Are you wanting to delve into the HF frequencies 10M, 15M & 40M (Technician)?
When I got my Technician license I purchased a dual band HT (Handy Talkie) and “thought” oh that will be all I want. After using it for a week or so and listening to our local club members talking about the things they were doing on the HF bands, I then went and studied for my General in order to open up those HF privileges to me. This of course expanded my radio choices by quite a bit. That is something to consider if you are just a Tech now, will you be going further and upgrading your license to General or Extra?
What to look for When Buying A Ham Radio
Most new HAM’s start off with an HT radio. They are very reasonable in price, easily portable and it will get you on the air fast!
Another factor to consider is your financial situation. If you have limited cash to buy a radio, then an HT might be a good first choice until you can save up for better equipment. If money is not a factor (within reason) then you may want to get a higher end HT radio or possible go into a mobile radio (which can be used as a base station at home or in your car) or maybe you want to get your self a base station radio that you can grow into as you follow your journey in HAM radio down the road.
Do I need a license to buy a ham radio? No, but you will need a license to transmit on a ham radio.
Cost Breakdown for Common Ham Radios
Mobile Radios – $250 – $1100
Base Station Radios – $800 – $10,000
HT Radios - Pro's & Cons
HT Pro's
- Cheaper Costs
- Portable
- Some HT's have a lot of features
- Comes with everything (mostly)
- Accessories are inexpensive (i.e. antennas)
- Programming Software Available
HT Con's
- Limited on Bands usually 2M & 70CM
- Limited to line of sight unless using a repeater
- Battery life limited
BEST HT HAM RADIO RECOMMENDATIONS
Mobile Radios - Pro's & Cons
Mobile Radio Pro's
- Midrange Costs
- VHF/UHF/HF Available on some models
- Portable
- Some have great features (WiresX, APRS, etc)
- Can be mounted in your vehicle
- Can be used as a base station
- Programming software available
Mobile Radio Con's
- Need to buy an antenna
- If mounting in car, you will need antenna mount
- Wiring it up to a car can be challenging
- Power Supply needed if using as a base
BEST MOBILE HAM RADIO RECOMMENDATIONS
Base Station Ham Radios - Pro's & Cons
Base Station Radio Pro's
- VHF/UHF/HF Available on most models
- Can be Portable
- Full Featured on most models
- Can be mounted in your vehicle
- Programming software available
- "Shack in a Box" models are popular
Base Station Radio Con's
- Cost can be high
- Need to buy an antenna or antennas
- Setup and configuration can be difficult
- Power supply needed
- Might need to buy an antenna tuner
- Bigger learning curve
BEST BASE STATION HAM RADIO RECOMMENDATIONS
Where to Buy Ham Radio Gear
With Ham radio gear you have a lot of choices. You can buy items new, from retailers all over the web, or you can opt to buy used gear, sometimes at a reduced price for nice quality gear. Below is a partial list of places to find both new and used gear.
New Gear Purchases from Online Retailers
Used Ham Radio Gear from Online Directories
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