Advice on HAM Radio for the Beginner

[SAM2CLIMB]

Hello OB members. Be lasted Happy New Year.

Since I became a member, I have been preparing for the trips.
On one of the gatherings from East Bay meetup — mentioned were need for the HAM Radio.

I am planning on purchasing the below for the Technician license and to get me started to roam with OB community, and wanted to check if I can get some advice - any advise will be very much appreciated. The main question are the following:

1. I found below BAOFEND UV-5R Dual Band Two Way Radio from a recommendation from a YouTube Channel. Would this be sufficient for the trips with OB members?
2. Has anyone have experiences with these as a beginner radio? How did you like it and do you recommend this for the beginner?

Thank you in advance for your help and advice.

 

[Boort]

@SAM2CLIMB

I'm no Elmer but I got into HAM after my first OB trail ride. The Baofeng UV-5R is what I picked up after that first OB trip. It has served me well and allowed me to get my feet wet with the HAM radio hobby. I got my Tech Stamp by using the free HamStudy.org: Technician class Ham Radio practice tests, ham radio flash cards, and ham radio question pool. website.

If you go with the UV-5R or one of the other similar HT's I recommend also picking up the following accessories for your beginner kit:

• BTECH APRS-K1 Cable (Audio Interface Cable) for BaoFeng This will let you do APRS from your phone or laptop using the Ht as the transceiver.
• BTECH PC03 FTDI Genuine USB Programming Cable for BTECH, BaoFeng UV-5R This will let you connect your HT to CHIRP ( Download - CHIRP ) to easily program the radio for the frequencies used in your area or the areas you plan to be in.

Be aware that there are better radios and if you have not yet gotten your Technician stamp or just got it within the last 6 months you might want to look into the latest incarnation of the QRZ New HAM Jumpstart program:

QRZ Jumpstart GigaParts.com

QRZ Jumpstart

www.gigaparts.com

"QRZ, RT Systems and GigaParts are teaming up to offer a more sustainable program that will run at least through the end of this year and will be expanded to include hams who have been licensed for 6 months or less. The new program offers a coupon code to the new ham that gives them a QRZ-1 radio, programming cable, RT Systems programming software, New Ham Welcome Kit, and a QRZ membership for only $21.99.
This program is available to amateur radio operators licensed in the USA and expires March 31, 2023, or while supplies last. To signup, new hams should complete the application process at www.qrz.com/jumpstart "​

Best of luck to you!
Boort

 

[SAM2CLIMB]

@SAM2CLIMB

I'm no Elmer but I got into HAM after my first OB trail ride. The Baofeng UV-5R is what I picked up after that first OB trip. It has served me well and allowed me to get my feet wet with the HAM radio hobby. I got my Tech Stamp by using the free HamStudy.org: Technician class Ham Radio practice tests, ham radio flash cards, and ham radio question pool. website.

If you go with the UV-5R or one of the other similar HT's I recommend also picking up the following accessories for your beginner kit:

• BTECH APRS-K1 Cable (Audio Interface Cable) for BaoFeng This will let you do APRS from your phone or laptop using the Ht as the transceiver.
• BTECH PC03 FTDI Genuine USB Programming Cable for BTECH, BaoFeng UV-5R This will let you connect your HT to CHIRP ( Download - CHIRP ) to easily program the radio for the frequencies used in your area or the areas you plan to be in.

Be aware that there are better radios and if you have not yet gotten your Technician stamp or just got it within the last 6 months you might want to look into the latest incarnation of the QRZ New HAM Jumpstart program:

QRZ Jumpstart GigaParts.com

QRZ Jumpstart

www.gigaparts.com

"QRZ, RT Systems and GigaParts are teaming up to offer a more sustainable program that will run at least through the end of this year and will be expanded to include hams who have been licensed for 6 months or less. The new program offers a coupon code to the new ham that gives them a QRZ-1 radio, programming cable, RT Systems programming software, New Ham Welcome Kit, and a QRZ membership for only $21.99.​

This program is available to amateur radio operators licensed in the USA and expires March 31, 2023, or while supplies last. To signup, new hams should complete the application process at www.qrz.com/jumpstart "​

Best of luck to you!
Boort

Thank you very much for the advice. This is really really helpful!

 

[Clark Michael]

Many amateur radio operators have built their own transceivers as a beginner project, and it can be a valuable learning experience. However, it's important to note that building a transceiver from scratch is a complex task that requires a solid foundation in electronics and radio frequency (RF) principles.

 

[Michael Golden]

Hello OB members. Be lasted Happy New Year.

Since I became a member, I have been preparing for the trips.
On one of the gatherings from East Bay meetup — mentioned were need for the HAM Radio.

I am planning on purchasing the below for the Technician license and to get me started to roam with OB community, and wanted to check if I can get some advice - any advise will be very much appreciated. The main question are the following:

1. I found below BAOFEND UV-5R Dual Band Two Way Radio from a recommendation from a YouTube Channel. Would this be sufficient for the trips with OB members?
2. Has anyone have experiences with these as a beginner radio? How did you like it and do you recommend this for the beginner?

Thank you in advance for your help and advice.

I've been a ham for many years and have a load of radios. The Baofeng will definately get you started in the hobby. Also if you accidently sit on it and break it you wont spend a long time crying over it. They're relatively cheap. It's not like the 300.00 radios out there.

 

[Hernandez59]

If your haven't gotten your license yet, look up a local ham club. Most clubs have in class tutoring for the tech license,after they teach your the key topics You'll take the test. Passing percentage is a 90 percent passing rate. Its the same with the general class. Although I would brush up on your math. Hope this helps. Also Beofeng radio are not bad, although they do break down ,( what do you expect for the price) carry a spare. Also they make a vehicle antenna mount you can hook up too, that's and a mic . your in like flint.