Amanda Wright

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

Hurricane Helene in early October caused widespread destruction and communication disruptions, with infrastructure damage extending far beyond the coast affecting inland communities rarely hit by hurricanes. Key lesson I learned: redundant power systems aren't enough if your backup fuel supply is cut off for weeks. Consider solar/battery combos for extended deployments.

From a contesting perspective, absolutely worth it. The Extra class CW segments (especially 7.000-7.125 on 40m) are prime real estate during major contests. You'll work stations there that never venture into the General portions.

congrats on getting out there, that first one is always the hardest to actually make happen. 19 contacts is a solid activation, yeah the minimum is 10 so you're well clear of that.
for spotting without cell service - a lot of people use APRS to self-spot if they have that capability, or some folks will ask a friend to spot them via the POTA website if they can arrange it ahead of time. there's also the option of just posting your planned activation the day before in the POTA app under the schedule feature, hunters will sometimes check that and watch for you even if you're not actively spotted. honestly though once you're on frequency and calling CQ POTA for a few minutes a lot of the time someone will spot you themselves, happened to me plenty of times when i had no signal at all.
asking for a repeat is completely normal and expected, nobody's going to get annoyed at that. just say "again please" or "please repeat your callsign" and they'll come back. better to get it right than log a busted call. P2P contacts are just two activators making contact while both are actively activating a park - they're worth a little extra credit in the app for both people and hunters get credit for the contact too. it's kind of a fun bonus when it happens, especially if you stumble across one unexpectedly while you're in the middle of your own activation.

oh man the bitx series is great for getting into homebrewing, good choice. the toroid winding is the part that trips most people up the first time, sounds like you got through it though. for your question about CW vs SSB — honestly both are fine but CW is where QRP really shines just because of the narrow bandwidth advantage and the fact that most serious QRP ops are listening for it. that said ive worked some really decent dx on SSB with 5 watts, its just a lot more hit or miss and youre gonna need really good conditions or a really good antenna, usually both.
the wire in the tree thing is the classic QRP portable setup and it works way better than people expect. once you start chasing parks on the air or SOTA stuff with that rig youre gonna be hooked. theres something about minimalist operating that kind of resets your brain after years of just cranking up the power and calling it a day.

congrats on the ticket man, that first QSO feeling doesnt really go away even after years of doing this. the repeater guys are usually pretty welcoming to new hams, at least the good ones are. once you get comfortable on 2m you should try to get on HF if you can, thats where things get really interesting. dont let the baofeng haters get to you either, its fine for getting started

so i've been putting this off for like 6 months but i finally got my IC-2300H mounted in the cab of my F-150. ran the power leads direct to the battery with a fuse close to the battery like everyone says to do, and its actually pretty clean looking if i do say so myself. antenna is a Tram 1185 on a NMO mount i drilled into the roof which was terrifying by the way, no going back from that lol.
anyway the radio seems to work fine, hitting the local repeater no problem, but i'm getting this weird alternator whine through the audio that gets louder when i rev the engine. ive seen people mention ferrite chokes and stuff but im not really sure where to start. also wondering if my antenna placement is ok — its kind of toward the rear of the roof, maybe 8 inches from the back edge. wasnt sure if center would have been better or if it matters much on VHF. any help appreciated, still pretty new to mobile stuff.