ok so i just passed my technician exam last week (finally) and now im trying to figure out what handheld to actually buy. everyone i talk to either says get a baofeng because its cheap or get a yaesu because its better but nobody really explains WHY one is better or what features actually matter for someone just starting out.

i mostly want to hit the local repeaters, maybe do some APRS stuff eventually, and just generally learn without spending a fortune. is the UV-5R really that bad or do people just trash it because its not a fancy radio? and whats the deal with the FT-60 vs the VX-6R, i keep seeing those come up but theres like a $100 difference between them and i cant tell if its worth it for a new person.

also does dual band actually matter starting out or should i not even worry about that yet

congrats on the ticket first of all. so here's my honest take — the baofeng isnt bad for learning, it just has some quirks. the menu system is kind of a nightmare and the transmit audio isnt always great but plenty of people use them on repeaters every day without issues. if money is tight it gets you on the air and thats what matters.

that said if you can stretch a bit the FT-60 is a rock solid radio. simple to use, tough as a brick, audio is noticeably cleaner. ive had mine for probably 8 years and dropped it more times than i want to admit. the VX-6R is submersible which is nice but honestly unless youre planning to be out in the rain a lot its maybe more radio than you need right starting out. dual band is worth it imo, 70cm repeaters are more common in some areas than you might think.

i was in the same boat about a year ago and ended up getting the UV-5R just to have something in my hand while i figured stuff out. it worked fine for hitting the local 2m repeater but programming it without CHIRP was honestly miserable. once i loaded CHIRP on my laptop and imported the repeater data it got way easier.

ended up upgrading to a Yaesu about 6 months later anyway so maybe just think about how much you want to spend twice lol. also APRS on a baofeng is doable but its kind of a hack situation, you'd need a phone or a TNC to do it properly. if APRS is a real goal might be worth looking at the FT3DR or something with built in GPS but that jumps the price up a lot