the yaesu FT-60 keeps coming up but thats pushing the top of my budget and i also saw the wouxun KG-UV9D which looks interesting. does the extra money actually matter that the end of the day or is a uv5r going to do basically the same thing for local repeater use? i dont want to regret buying cheap but i also dont want to spend money i dont need to spend. any thoughts appreciated

my main use case is gonna be local repeaters, maybe some simplex with a couple buddies who are also newly licensed, and eventually id like to do some APRS stuff if thats even possible on a handheld. i dont have a huge budget, probably 100-150 bucks to start but could stretch a little if theres something that really makes sense. whats everyone actually running and do you like it

some people are saying just grab a baofeng uv-5r to learn on, others are saying thats a waste of time and i should save up for something like a yaesu ft-65 or maybe the vx-6r which looks really nice but also costs way more. i dont really know what features actually matter vs what's just nice to have. like do i actually need dual band right away? and what about the programming software, i heard some radios are way easier to program than others which seems important

mostly i'll be using it to check into the local repeater and maybe bring it hiking. any thoughts appreciated, i dont have a huge budget, probably around 50-75 bucks to start

mostly i want to hit a couple of local repeaters, maybe do some simplex with my brother who just passed his tech exam too. we're not doing anything fancy. budget is probably around $50-100 but i could stretch to maybe $150 if it was really worth it. i keep seeing people mention the yaesu ft-60 and also the kenwood th-d74 but that last one seems way overkill for what im trying to do. anyone have thoughts? does dual band actually matter this early on or should i not worry about it

Right now im looking at the Baofeng UV-5R just because everyone seems to have one and the price is obviously hard to argue with, but then I keep seeing people say to just spend a little more and get a Yaesu or a Kenwood. The thing is I dont really know what I'd be missing with the cheaper radio, like what does a $150 radio actually do better than a $25 one in real everyday use.

I'm mostly gonna be using it for local repeaters and maybe some simplex stuff, probably APRS eventually once I figure out what that even is. Not really planning on going portable for backcountry hiking or anything serious right away. Just want something to get started with and learn on. Anyone have thoughts on this or been in the same spot?

my main use case is going to be hitting the local repeaters, maybe some simplex with my buddy who just got his ticket too, and eventually i want to do some SOTA stuff but thats way down the road. budget is probably around $50-80 but i could stretch to maybe $100 if something is really worth it

honestly just want something that wont frustrate me to death while im still learning the basics. the menu systems on some of these things look like a nightmare from the youtube videos ive watched. any thoughts appreciated, sorry if this gets asked all the time here

ive been looking at the yaesu ft-65 and also the wouxun kg-uv9g but i have no idea if those are actually good or if im just falling down a youtube rabbit hole. any real world opinions from people who actually use these things would be appreciated

my main thing is i want to hit the local repeaters, maybe eventually do some APRS stuff if i can figure that out. budget is somewhere around $150-200 but i could stretch a bit if something is really worth it. i was looking at the Yaesu FT-65 and also the BaoFeng UV-5R which i know people have Opinions about, and somebody at the exam session mentioned the Kenwood TH-D74 but that seems like way overkill for where im at right now.

do i just start cheap and see if i stick with this hobby or is it worth spending more upfront? genuinely dont know how to think about this

My main thing is I want something that can hit the local repeaters, maybe do some simplex if anyone nearby is on, and eventually I want to mess around with APRS once I figure out what that even is. Budget is somewhere around $80-150 but i could stretch a little if something is really worth it.

I keep seeing the Baofeng UV-5R stuff and it's so cheap I'm suspicious of it. Then theres the Yaesu FT-65 and the Kenwood TH-D74 but that last one is way out of my budget lol. Someone at the exam session mentioned the Wouxun KG-UV9D and i wrote it down but haven't looked into it yet.

Any thoughts from people who actually use these day to day? I dont want to buy something and immediately regret it.

like some people swear by the Baofeng UV-5R because its cheap and you can learn on it, other people act like youre practically a criminal for even considering it. then theres the Yaesu FT-60 which seems really popular with the older crowd, and the Kenwood TH-D74 which looks amazing but is like 500 bucks and i dont even know what APRS is yet.

i mostly want to use it for local repeaters and maybe some simplex when im hiking. i dont need anything fancy i think. budget is maybe 60-80 bucks to start but i could stretch if theres a really good reason to. anyone have thoughts? what did you start with?

• Yaesu FT5DR - feature-packed with waterproofing and color touchscreen
• Yaesu FT-60R - priced around $180 with excellent value
• ICOM ID-52A Plus - offers D-STAR with Bluetooth for under $700

Which would you recommend for a new ham who wants to grow into the hobby? I'm interested in emergency communications and maybe exploring digital modes down the road.

my main use case would be local repeaters, maybe some APRS stuff eventually, and just general learning. i dont really have a budget in mind yet but id rather not spend a ton on something until i know i actually like the hobby. i looked at the baofeng uv-5r because its cheap but then people say the build quality is bad or it'll interfere with other stuff, and then someone else says its fine for a beginner. also looked at the yaesu ft-65r and some icom thing but i honestly cant tell if im paying for features i wont use for years.

what would you actually buy if you were just starting out and didnt want to make a dumb mistake right away

I plan to mostly hit the local 2m repeaters and maybe some simplex work. The Baofeng UV-5R has 128 channels for under $30, but the Yaesu FT-60R has 1000 channels at $180. That's a huge difference in both price and capability!

Some people say just get a Baofeng UV-5R to start because its cheap and you can learn on it without worrying about breaking something expensive. Other people act like suggesting a Baofeng is basically a war crime and tell you to get a Yaesu or Kenwood right away. I dont really know what the difference is in terms of day to day use, like will I actually notice a huge difference on the local repeater?

I plan to mostly use it for hitting the local 2m repeater and maybe some simplex around town. Not doing any serious emcomm stuff or anything like that, just want to get on the air and talk to people. Budget is flexible I guess, I could do $50 or I could do $200 if there's actually a reason to spend the more. Anyone been through this recently or remember what they started with?

The main thing I want to do is hit the local repeaters and maybe do some APRS stuff eventually. Budget is maybe $60-150 range, I dont want to go crazy on my first radio in case this hobby doesn't stick for me. I keep seeing the Baofeng UV-5R come up constantly but also people saying to avoid it, then other people defending it. Also saw something about Yaesu and Kenwood but those seem more expensive. Is there a sort of middle ground that actual people use and like?

Also does it matter a lot which one I get if I'm just doing local stuff for now? I feel like I'm overthinking this but I also dont want to buy something and regret it immediately.

like what is APRS and do i actually need it as a beginner? and dual band vs tribander, does that even matter if youre mostly just gonna be hitting local repeaters? i live in a mid sized city so i dont think range is gonna be a huge issue but i dont know

my budget is probably around 150 bucks maybe a bit more if something is really worth it. just want something that wont frustrate me to death trying to program it and that will actually work reliably. the kenwood is obviously way out of my price range just been reading about it

my main use case is probably just local repeaters, maybe some simplex if theres anyone around here to talk to, and i want to be able to program it without too much headache. budget is somewhere in the $60-150 range i guess. someone at the club meeting mentioned the baofeng uv-5r but then someone else kind of made a face when they said it and i wasnt sure if that was like a quality thing or just a snobbery thing lol. would really appreciate any thoughts from people who actually use these things day to day

my main thing is i want to get on local repeaters and maybe eventually do some simplex stuff, nothing crazy. i saw a lot of people recommending the baofeng uv-5r just because its cheap but then other people say avoid it and spend the extra money on a yaesu or kenwood. i have maybe 150 bucks to spend, could stretch to 200 if it makes a real difference. is the jump in price actually worth it or is this one of those things where the cheap option is honestly fine for a beginner

I know FOT (Frequency, Offset and Tone) all need to be set properly for repeater access, but I keep messing something up. The programming sequence feels like Twister for your fingers!

Any tips for front-panel programming while I wait for my cable? And what should I prioritize programming first - local repeaters, simplex frequencies, or emergency channels?

anyway i want to step up to something better. mostly i'd be using it for local repeaters, some simplex with a buddy a few towns over, and id like to eventually get into aprs if thats even something you do on a handheld. budget is probably 150-250 bucks, maybe a little more if something is really worth it. ive been looking at the yaesu ft-60 and also the wouxun kg-uv9d but honestly i dont know enough to know what actually matters and what is just spec sheet noise

also does dual band even matter that much for local stuff or am i overthinking it

i mostly want to hit the local repeaters, maybe do some simplex stuff with a buddy of mine who just got his ticket too. nothing crazy. i looked at the baofeng uv-5r because everyone seems to have one but then people say the transmit audio is garbage and it'll interfere with everything and i should get something else. then someone else says its fine and just learn how to program it. honestly i dont know who to believe

budget is maybe $60-80 but i could stretch a little if something is clearly worth it. any help appreciated, been lurking here for a while and you guys seem to know your stuff

my main thing is i want to hit our local repeaters on 2m and 440 and maybe eventually do some simplex when i go hiking. budget is somewhere around $100-150 but i could stretch a little if something is really worth it. im not looking to do anything fancy, just get on the air and start actually using this license i worked for.

is the baofeng UV-5R genuinely fine for starting out or is the programming nightmare as bad as people say? ive also seen the yaesu ft-60r come up a lot but thats pushing my budget. just want something i can actually figure out without an engineering degree lol

my main thing is i just want something reliable for local repeaters and maybe some simplex stuff if there are any nets near me. i dont need anything super fancy. the baofeng uv-5r keeps coming up because its cheap but then half the people say its garbage and the other half say it works fine so i have no idea what to believe. someone at my club mentioned the yaesu ft-65 but i dont really know much about it. budget is probably under $100 but i could stretch a little if theres a really good reason to.

anyone have thoughts on this? sorry if this gets asked all the time

my plan is mostly just to get on local repeaters and maybe do some simplex with a buddy who lives about 6 miles away. nothing fancy. budget is probably around 50-80 bucks but i could stretch to maybe 150 if theres a really good reason to. i saw the yaesu ft-60 mentioned a bunch but also the wouxun kg-uv9g and honestly i dont even know what half the features people are talking about actually matter for what i want to do.

like does APRS on an HT actually matter if youre just starting out? and whats the deal with the chirp software thing, do i need that no matter what radio i get? any advice appreciated, i dont even know what questions i should be asking at this point