so i just passed my tech exam last week and im starting to look at handheld radios and honestly the options are overwhelming. everybody seems to have an opinion and half the people on youtube are clearly just doing sponsored stuff so i dont really trust those videos.

i keep seeing the Baofeng UV-5R recommended everywhere as a starter radio and its like $25 which is tempting, but then i also see people saying dont bother and just save up for a Yaesu or Kenwood. i dont even know what features i actually need at this point. im probably just going to be hitting local repeaters for now, maybe some simplex with a friend who lives about 8 miles away. dual band seems useful i guess? i have no idea if i need all the extra stuff like APRS or whatever.

is the cheap Baofeng route actually fine to start or am i going to regret it in 6 months and wish i spent more. genuinely no idea what im doing here, any advice appreciated

honestly the Baofeng will work fine for hitting repeaters and local stuff, dont let anyone make you feel bad about it. ive got an old UV-5R that i still throw in my bag when i dont want to risk my nicer radio. the build quality isnt amazing and the programming software (CHIRP is what you want, not the Baofeng native software) can be a bit fiddly but its totally learnable.

that said if you think youre going to get seriously into this hobby, and a lot of people do once they get on air, it might be worth stretching to something like the Yaesu FT-65 or even a used FT-60. the FT-60 is practically indestructible and holds its value forever. i bought mine used like 10 years ago and its still my go-to HT for anything that matters. the menu system on Yaesu takes some getting used to but the audio is noticeably better than the Baofengs ive used and the receiver is way less prone to getting stomped by strong nearby signals.

for 8 miles simplex it really depends on terrain more than the radio honestly. what part of the country are you in, flat or hilly?

i was in basically the exact same spot about a year ago and went with the Baofeng just to have something while i figured things out. it worked, got me on the air, learned a lot. eventually upgraded to a Kenwood TH-D74 which is way overkill probably but i got obsessed with APRS and D-STAR so here we are lol.

one thing nobody told me starting out — get a better antenna for whatever HT you buy. the stock rubber duck antennas on pretty much everything are mediocre and a $15-20 aftermarket whip makes a real difference, especially inside buildings or if youre at the edge of a repeaters range.