HAM experts is this a good start?

[Old Marine]

Get the Baofeng Uv-5r and your license.

Then spend some time with Ham Radio Crash Course, try to find a Ham Radio Club.

Decide if you are actually going to use it, or simply lay it up till the apocalypse.

I started with the UV-5R and my technicians license.
Just dropped a Yaesu FTM-400XDR in my truck and am looking at the Yaesu HT.

But beginning at beginning is a great place to start.


Working on my General license now....

[The War Wagon]

I have a few of those, for family comms, when the SHTF. They'll do you fine for that.

[Yugo]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MAULSOK...v_ov_lig_dp_it

Have had this in the wish list for awhile and it recently dropped in price. Ill admit when the covid hit I got really into HAM and began studying but have taken a few weeks off to concentrate on investments.

Thinking about revamping my studying and grabbing this radio to full around with. Good idea or am I wasting $70?

I am no expert but I do have this radio. I have seen many videos about it, with that said it needs a better antenna and that price is too high. I bought mine years ago for only $20 deals for these are out there.

Thats really all I can add. I use mine when I go jeeeping and it hasnt let me down yet.

[XDJYo]

[Featureless]

Uh, ok

[Wildcat19]

A minimal search will bring up that the quality of Baofeng is junk. There is a good chance that it will be out of spec and bleed over to other channels.

Real HAM folks are known to be vigilante in their attitude to people f'n up HAM frequencies.

Can we see your spectrum analyzer test data?

I've had zero splatter complaints with my Wouxun HTs and BTECH mobiles.

[AlHO1966]

Get the Baofeng Uv-5r and your license.

Then spend some time with Ham Radio Crash Course, try to find a Ham Radio Club.

Decide if you are actually going to use it, or simply lay it up till the apocalypse.

I started with the UV-5R and my technicians license.
Just dropped a Yaesu FTM-400XDR in my truck and am looking at the Yaesu HT.

But beginning at beginning is a great place to start.


Working on my General license now....

Thanks for all your replies!

While im sure the Yaesu is a much nicer radio I dont really want to spend over $100 on something for the exact reason mentioned above. Just looking for a radio to learn on right now.

I may keep looking for a better price.

[Nate]

Baofengs are great starter radios, they work just fine. Just get your tech license it you are going to transmit. Fu€{ the whiners about bleeding frequencies that spend thousands of dollars and hide in their basements. The next thing they will do is protest and complain the .40 is too snappy. For $25 and the chirp programming software, its a great start.

[AlHO1966]

What radio are you guys recommending for $25? Can you provide a link? I would say to learn I want to be in the $20-$70 range on a device.

[Nate]

What radio are you guys recommending for $25? Can you provide a link? I would say to learn I want to be in the $20-$70 range on a device.

https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-5R-Dual-Radio-Black/dp/B007H4VT7A/ref=sr_1_3?crid=W944HPGWIDL4&dchild=1&keywords=baofeng+uv-5r&qid=1590268397&sprefix=Baofen%2Caps%2C248&sr=8-3

You can use the chirp programming software to program frequencies

[GlockN'Roll]

What radio are you guys recommending for $25? Can you provide a link?

I would say to learn I want to be in the $20-$70 range on a device.

$22, uv-5r:

https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-5R-65-108-Dual-Band-Radio/dp/B008IYCQSO/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=uv5r&qid=1590268228&sr=8-3

$36.99, uv-5r with the larger battery:

https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-5R-65-108-Dual-Band-Radio/dp/B008IYCQSO/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=uv5r&qid=1590268228&sr=8-3

$80, Yaesu brand entry level dual band:

https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-015573

[tozan]

Another easy way to get started is getting grms license. No test. $70 for the family for 10 years, plus u can use non stock antennas.

Finding a place to take a ham test now is abut harder with all the restrictions.

Sent from my Moto Z3 Play using Tapatalk

Getting a Ham licensee is about $25 bucks and is good indefinitely and it can now be taken online.

The range of a ham is much better than a GMRS and there are a lot more repeaters you can use with a ham. I have a mobile Yeasu and it has a much longer range when off road. With a repeater I have talked with people more than 500 miles away.

For the OP if it is just a fling thing get a cheap hand held radio if you really want SHTF communications spend a little more and start off with a better rig the extra $50 bucks will be worth it. I also started with a radio in my bug out rig so it has 10X the power of a handheld.

I would also agree with the above post by GlockNroll on at least getting a Yeasu...

[SoCal1]

Ham license is good for 10 years and can be renewed online.

You can now take the test online:

https://blog.hamstudy.org/2020/04/fully-remote-amateur-radio-license-exam-administration/

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WoodTurner]

Can we see your spectrum analyzer test data?

I've had zero splatter complaints with my Wouxun HTs and BTECH mobiles.

I did see one video of someone testing this. There was a very tiny bit more off band spatter on the baofeng on a couple harmonic frequencies. Nothing I would worry about and I believe all the ones he tested were still within spec.

As mentioned above, the extra 3 watts isn't worth the price. If you want a cheap radio, go with the uv-5r.
I have a decent range of HTs now from the cheap uv-5r, the 8w linked in the OP, couple TYT DMRs, and my Kenwood th-d74. It amazes me how good the cheap radios are for their price. I would much rather people buy a nicer radio to help support the great companies and not support china but I also know not everyone is in the same financial situations.