This is one of the most common questions we get on social media sites catering to new hams. Suppose someone came to you with a question about which is the best vehicle for a new driver? Without knowing a number of basic facts, it’s really hard to know the right answer. So, answer these questions:
- Do you have a ham license? You’ll need to pass the FCC Technician test to get a ham license to transmit on the ham bands and a GMRS license (no test required). Testing fees can range from free (for students, vets, and youths). Licenses are $35. Tests are administered either in-person or online. I proctor 20-30 tests a month online. Check out the GLAARG site for information on testing locations. Want my team to test you? Look for the AE7TD VEC.
- What do you expect to do with your radio? If you only want to talk to people within a few miles and live in flat terrain, you can use a GMRS a VHF/UHF radio. Hilly or mountainous terrain can limit the range as these radios only work with line-of-site stations but still can work well enough with a good antenna (I’ll get to that). However, these radios can have far wider coverage if you can program the radio to connect to local repeaters. Some repeaters can cover an entire region–others, just a neighborhood, city, or county-sized area. And no, it’s not practical to consider setting up your own VHF/UHF repeater but I know of several ham-managed GMRS repeaters. If you want to reach out hundreds or thousands of miles, you’ll need a ‘High Frequency’ (HF) rig. While the Technician license permits you to use “phone” (voice) on 10 meters (one of the HF bands), you’ll need a General or Extra Class license to reach the rest of the ham bands that reach up to 160 meters. And no, there is no longer a requirement to learn Morse Code (CW) to qualify for a ham license.
- How dependable must your radio be? Consider that VHF/UHF radios have a limited range but are relatively unaffected by sunspots or vagaries of the ionosphere. Of course, when the power, Internet, and cell service goes down, you’ll need to use a battery recharged by solar or generator power to stay up. And sure, these battery/solar/generator systems are also pricy.
- How much do you have to spend? Roughly. Inexpensive VHF/UHF or GMRS radios start at around $25. You might also be eligible for the QRZ Jumpstart program which offers a nice radio package (radio, antenna, RT Systems software, and a QRZ subscription) for about $20.
- But what do you get with a cheap radio? Most of the radios we use are either made in China or Japan. There are virtually no American-made models. The under $25 radios like the Baofeng UV-5R are almost cheap enough to be disposable. Unfortunately, the lack the sophisticated circuitry needed to be selective (be able to pick out a specific frequency) or sensitive enough to detect weak signals thus further limiting their range. Most operate at five watts (some promise more) but lack the stamina to let you talk very long at that power level. Some say these radios are satisfactory for new hams. Even more expensive radios come with a pitiful “rubber duck” antenna which has only one purpose–to protect the radio until you get a serious antenna. A good antenna can cost more than a cheap radio. Me? I have a collection of HT radios accumulated over the years and an equally large collection of antennas–some for use in the field where ultimate performance is a must, others to use on my shoulder when I’m working an event.
- What about digital radios? At one point, I experimented with Digital Mode Radios (DMR). These (far more expensive) HTs and base stations are designed to interact with other similar radios using shared frequency technology. I lost interest in these radios some time ago.
- What about HT features? Some (many) HTs can perform a litany of other functions including, Bluetooth, and APRS to broadcast your position, course, altitude, and speed. I use this feature when working public events so the net control operators can track my location. Other features that are found on better radios include a cross-band repeater, altitude and signal strength displays, and the ability to monitor more than one band at a time or scan through a set of selected frequencies. More features mean more money.
- What about external microphones? Sure, most of my HTs support external microphones. A few came with them, but most did not. But…I don’t use them any longer. Instead, I use a small earpiece/headset with a built-in microphone. This approach dramatically increases battery life as I’m not driving a speaker which I can’t hear anyway in a crowd.
- What about battery life? HTs can last from under an hour to almost all day depending on the efficiency of the radio, the quality and size of the battery, and how much you use the push-to-talk button. Recharging these batteries can take a long time so you’ll want a spare and a way to recharge them in the field. More $$$.
- What about antennas? Well, you’ll want to replace your HT’s rubber duck immediately, but consider where you expect to be using your HT radio. They don’t work well indoors unless you’re in a big warehouse or from inside a car (a faraday shield that blocks radio signals). This means you’ll probably get an external antenna of some kind that’s designed for the bands supported by the radio (VHF/UHF). There are plenty to choose from. Mag mount (magnetic mount) antennas can stick to the roof of your car unless the body is made from aluminum. I’ve used window-clip antennas but settled on lip-mounts to attach to the hood or trunk lid.
- What about mobile rigs? Like in my CB years, I had to mount my transceiver under the dash on a dozen cars starting from my 1930 Model A Ford (until I realized the dash was really the gas tank). There are lots of videos on mobile radios, and how to mount them. Generally, mobile rigs are attractive as they’re far more powerful (20-50 watts or more) and can provide essential communications wherever you drive. I use these radios in my “go box” which contains the radio, a battery, and the right connectors to hook up the external antenna and supplementary power. I’ll write a post someday about how I put one together.
- What HTs and mobile rigs do I own? I depend on my Yaesu FT5D HT, my Yaesu FTM-400 for my go box, and my Yaesu FTM-500 for my car.
- HF radios are more expensive–$500-$1000 or more and out of reach of most new hams but give you the ability (with the right antenna) to reach thousands to tens of thousands of miles. Let’s leave that discussion to another post. Incidentally, I use a Yaesu FT991A for my base station. I’m currently using a G5RV HF dipole antenna in the backyard and two JPoles in the attic for the VHF/UHF frequencies.
I hope this helps get you started.
Bill Kj7BIH
Beta V 
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