so i just passed my technician exam last week (still waiting on the callsign to show up in the FCC database, refreshing it like every hour lol) and im trying to figure out what handheld to get as my first radio. ive been reading threads on here for like two weeks now and i feel like i know less than when i started honestly.

everyone seems to have a strong opinion. some people say get a baofeng UV-5R just to learn on and not spend a lot, others say that's a waste and just get a yaesu FT-60 or one of the newer FT-70DRs, and then theres the whole thing about dual band vs not, APRS, fusion, DMR... i dont even know what half of that means yet. i just want something i can use for local simplex and maybe hit the couple 2m repeaters in my area once i get my feet under me.

budget is probably around $100-150 to start but i could stretch a bit if something is genuinely worth it. any advice from folks who remember being new would be really appreciated

Congrats on passing the test, the callsign usually shows up within a day or two so hang in there.

Honestly for where you're starting — local simplex and a couple repeaters — you really dont need to overthink this. The Yaesu FT-60R is kind of the classic answer in that price range and for good reason. It's built like a tank compared to the budget Chinese radios, the receiver actually rejects interference pretty well which matters more than people realize when you're near any kind of RF noise, and Yaesu has been around forever so support and documentation is solid. I've had mine for probably eight years, dropped it more times than I'd like to admit, still going fine.

That said if your ONLY goal is just getting on the air and learning the basics while spending as little as possible, there's nothing wrong with starting on a UV-5R or similar. Just know the receiver isn't great and programming it can be a little frustrating without CHIRP software. Once you know what you actually want to do in the hobby you can always upgrade. Most of us have a drawer full of old HTs anyway.

yeah i was in your exact spot about 18 months ago and went with the BF-F8HP which is kind of the slightly beefier baofeng and honestly it was fine to start. got me on the air, learned a ton just fumbling around with it. but i did eventually get a FT-70DR and the difference in how the receiver handles busy areas was pretty noticeable. not trying to talk you out of the baofeng if budget is tight, just saying the upgrade itch is real and you might end up spending the money anyway down the road. whatever you get just get on the air, thats the whole point right