so i just passed my technician exam last month and im finally ready to actually buy something. everyone keeps telling me to get an HT to start out and i get that, but man there are so many of them i dont even know where to start. ive been reading threads for like two weeks and now im more confused than when i started.

my main thing is i want to hit the local repeaters, maybe do some simplex, and eventually i'd like to get into APRS if thats something i can do on a handheld. budget is probably under $100 but i could stretch a little if something is really worth it. i see people mention the Baofeng UV-5R constantly and then other people act like suggesting it is basically a crime. then theres the Yaesu FT-60, the VX-6R, some Kenwood thing... i just dont know what actually matters for a beginner vs what is just cool features i wont use for years.

is programming these things as painful as it looks? i saw something about CHIRP which seems helpful but even that looked a little intimidating when i watched a video on it.

congrats on passing the exam, welcome to the hobby. okay so here's my honest take — the Baofeng hate is somewhat earned but also overblown. for a brand new ham who wants to hit repeaters and learn the ropes, a UV-5R or the slightly nicer UV-82 will do exactly that and you wont cry if you drop it. the audio isnt great, the menus are a nightmare without CHIRP, but for under $30 you can have something in your hand this week and start making contacts while you figure out if you even like HT operating.

that said if you can stretch your budget a bit, the Yaesu FT-65 is in the $80-90 range and its just a much more solid radio. better receive, easier to use, feels like an actual piece of equipment. i gave one to my daughter when she got licensed and she loves it. CHIRP works fine with both of them, the learning curve is maybe an hour if you follow one of the decent youtube tutorials and honestly once you've done it once it clicks.

APRS on a handheld is totally doable but you'd want something like a TH-D74 or you can use an external TNC with a regular HT — that might be a phase two thing once you know what direction you want to go. dont let it drive your first radio decision.

I was in almost the exact same spot about a year ago and ended up going with the FT-60R and i have zero regrets. its a little chunky but the battery life is genuinely impressive and the receive is really good, like i can hear things on it that my friend's UV-5R just gets static on. CHIRP was honestly fine once i watched one video, took me maybe 45 minutes to program in all my local repeaters and i havent touched it since.

the one thing i'd say is dont stress too much about getting the perfect radio right away. you're going to learn a ton just by using whatever you get and you'll have a much better idea in six months what you actually want out of a radio. most people end up with like three or four HTs eventually anyway haha