Your First Radio
What should I get as my first radio?
The first radio a ham should purchase is a VHF / UHF FM handheld transceiver, called an HT for short. These “walkie talkie” ham radios are the most versatile radio you can purchase. With the addition of a decent mag-mount antenna, a 5 watt HT can serve as both a car and a home base station. Always purchase a backup battery for your HT, and make sure your HT comes with a 120v (i.e. plug into the wall) charger and car charger. The top brands are Kenwood, Yeasu and Icom. These brands tend to be more expensive but are also considered to be of higher quality and usually have more features. Budget Chinese brands like Wouxon (pronounced OH-shane) and Baofeng ( pronounced BOW - fang) can offer quite a bit of bang for the buck. |
Handhelds
One recommendation in this category is the Wouxon UV-6X. This VHF / UHF HT has all the goodies you need, and is a bargain at $160. Baofeng dual band radios can be had for under $60. However, be sure to read recent reviews on eham.net before buying either of these brands. These are new companies, and some of their earlier models suffer from quality control issues. Still, many of our club members now have these radios and report good results – just be warned that your results may vary! |
Mobile VHF / UHF FM rigs
These rigs offer more power than HT’s, usually in the neighborhood of 50W. Paired with a good antenna, these radios are great for emergency simplex operations.
Many of the rigs have detachable faceplates. This allows you mount the bulk of the radio in the trunk or under a seat.
Mobile rigs can also serve as base stations in the shack. Just purchase a good quality power supply or a 12v gel cell battery to provide the power required.
Once again, the top brands are Kenwood, Yeasu and Icom. Alinco is a good lower-cost alternative. One great example is the Kenwood V-71. It’s a bit pricey, but it has all the bells and whistles you’ll ever need. For those who are more price conscience, watch the internet as several Chinese companies are about to release their first offerings.
HF rigs
These radios allow you to talk to the world in simplex using AM, upper sideband and lower sideband in the 6M to 160M spectrum.
For a first rig, keep it simple. You don’t need to invest thousands of dollars to get on the air and have fun!
For simplicity, find a rig that has a built-in tuner. As long as your antenna resonates reasonably close to the frequencies you wish to use, these tuners will work well.
There are several rigs that also include VHF and UHF – one rig to rule them all! Two of the more popular rigs in this category are the ICOM 7000 and the Yeasu 857D. These radios can be used as both mobile and base stations.
Other easy-to-use HF desktop rigs are the Icom IC-718 and the Yeasu 450D. Both are comparably priced.
The newest entry to the market is the ICOM-7300, which is a software defined radio at an attractive price point of about $1300. This radio is a "game-changer" for ICOM and for Ham Radio in general. The capabilities in this radio exceed those of most radios.
These rigs offer more power than HT’s, usually in the neighborhood of 50W. Paired with a good antenna, these radios are great for emergency simplex operations.
Many of the rigs have detachable faceplates. This allows you mount the bulk of the radio in the trunk or under a seat.
Mobile rigs can also serve as base stations in the shack. Just purchase a good quality power supply or a 12v gel cell battery to provide the power required.
Once again, the top brands are Kenwood, Yeasu and Icom. Alinco is a good lower-cost alternative. One great example is the Kenwood V-71. It’s a bit pricey, but it has all the bells and whistles you’ll ever need. For those who are more price conscience, watch the internet as several Chinese companies are about to release their first offerings.
HF rigs
These radios allow you to talk to the world in simplex using AM, upper sideband and lower sideband in the 6M to 160M spectrum.
For a first rig, keep it simple. You don’t need to invest thousands of dollars to get on the air and have fun!
For simplicity, find a rig that has a built-in tuner. As long as your antenna resonates reasonably close to the frequencies you wish to use, these tuners will work well.
There are several rigs that also include VHF and UHF – one rig to rule them all! Two of the more popular rigs in this category are the ICOM 7000 and the Yeasu 857D. These radios can be used as both mobile and base stations.
Other easy-to-use HF desktop rigs are the Icom IC-718 and the Yeasu 450D. Both are comparably priced.
The newest entry to the market is the ICOM-7300, which is a software defined radio at an attractive price point of about $1300. This radio is a "game-changer" for ICOM and for Ham Radio in general. The capabilities in this radio exceed those of most radios.
Other Useful Stuff
- Always buy from a reputable source. If buying new, be sure to review and understand their return policies.
- Always try before you buy! Visit Ham Radio Outlet to get hands on, or contact someone in the club who already owns the radio you may be looking to purchase.
- It’s not always necessary to purchase the software and cables needed for easy programming of the radio you purchase. Most likely someone in the club already has these items and will gladly loan them to you.
- Dealers often run specials at ham fests. Keep an eye out, and you could find a great price on a new rig.
- Buy used equipment from club members or other trusted sources. Hams love to get new gear and usually are willing to part with their gently used equipment for a good price.
- When buying an older used radio for VHF / UHF repeater use, be sure the radio is equipped with a PL tone module. Most repeaters will only respond to your signal if the correct PL tone is transmitted.
- The eHam.net website is a ham’s best friend. I always cruise its pages for reviews and opinions. It’s an open forum, so be sure to take what you read with a grain of salt.Handhelds
One recommendation in this category is the Wouxon UV-6X. This VHF / UHF HT has all the goodies you need, and is a bargain at $160. Baofeng dual band radios can be had for under $60. However, be sure to read recent reviews on eham.net before buying either of these brands. These are new companies, and some of their earlier models suffer from quality control issues. Still, many of our club members now have these radios and report good results – just be warned that your results may vary!
