so i just passed my technician exam last week (still waiting on the callsign to show up in the FCC database) and im trying to figure out what handheld to get. ive been doing a ton of reading on here and elsewhere and honestly the more i read the more confused i get. like some people swear by the Yaesu FT-65 and others say just get a Baofeng UV-5R to start and others are like no no no get the VX-6R if you want something that'll last... i really just want to talk on local repeaters and maybe eventually do some APRS stuff? my budget is probably around $100-150 to start but i could stretch a little if something is really worth it.

does anyone have a strong opinion one way or another? also does the radio need to be programmed before i can use it or can i just type in repeater frequencies manually? i have no idea how any of this works yet, sorry if thats a dumb question

congrats on passing the exam, you'll have the callsign probably within a week or so. anyway for what you're describing honestly the Yaesu FT-65 is a solid pick in your price range, its simple enough to operate without software if you need to punch in a repeater manually but also plays nice with CHIRP when you're ready to do a big batch of programming. the Baofeng UV-5R will work and a lot of people start there because theyre like $25 but the receive audio isnt great and the stock antenna is pretty mediocre, and you'll spend time fighting the menu system. not saying avoid it forever but if you have $100+ to spend you can do better.

to answer your other question - no you dont need it preprogrammed to use it, you can enter frequencies manually. most repeaters need you to set the correct offset (usually -600 kHz on 2m) and the CTCSS tone, which sounds complicated but once you do it once or twice it clicks. look up the repeaterbook.com for repeaters near you and it'll have all the info you need listed right there.

i was in the exact same spot about 8 months ago and ended up going with the Wouxun KG-UV9D and honestly have no regrets but i think if i was doing it over i might just grab the FT-65 like the previous reply said because finding accessories for the Wouxun is kind of a pain sometimes. the radio itself has been rock solid though and the audio is noticeably better than my friends UV-5R so there's that.

the APRS thing - just a heads up that most basic HTs dont do APRS natively, you'd need something like a TinyTrak or a radio with a built-in TNC like the Kenwood TH-D75 but that's way out of your budget right now. you can do APRS later with a cheap phone app and a cable if you want to mess around with it before spending big money on a dedicated rig