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Newbie which transceiver

T

timedriver

W6DLB
May 10, 2009
7
0
11
I have a Sony icf 2010 and gru sat 800 for listenin.I am going to take the tech. lic.I already have a 20 meter diopole setup for my listening.I don't know if ham radio is for me or not but would like to give it a go.I live in a studio over a garage and have access to only about 30 or 40 ft for antenna if need be.Whats the general concensus out there regarding an entry level transceiver to start out with? I already am leaning more to a base station and possibly a combo of mobile, but nothing written in stone yet.I don't mind going used from ebay but am in a quandry since theirs so much to choose from. Do ya think I should start with something of a general coverage or what.I assume that of course its a preference:blushing: sort of thing but would like to have something to get my feet wet. I really like the Kenwood R-5000, but its only a receiver that you might pickup at ebay.Not really interested in hand helds.
Thanx in advance
David
 

Get a dual band UHF/VHF.

That's where most of your techs are.

It's a typical intro, FM repeaters.
 
"Kenwood TS-530S HF Transceiver".....I am bidding on this at ebay....and if I get a good price I feel that I can't go wrong when getting into HF along with a dual band.
 
Study up and take the tech and general at the same time then.

HF for a tech is restricted to CW on some HF and some phone on 10M. All of VHF and UHF is open to techs.

Go to qrz.com and take the practice tests.
 
The bad thing about that Kenwood is no general RX.

If you lose that auction, try to get a rig with general RX so you can use it for SWL.
 
I have 2 of those FT-840 in my stack over here they are extremely easy to run for the beginner as it is an entry level radio
 
Join a local club is my best advice. Meet locals, get to know them and learn about the equipment.

Until you learn a bit about the rigs, you have a high potential to buy something that is junk. Buying things you can't put your hands on is a pretty big risk too, so don't stake precious funds on an unknown...only gamble with money you won't miss.

For new, something like an FT-857D is a good bet. The reason I say this is because it will work 2m/440/HF/6m and give you a taste of it all. Once you know more specifics about what types of operation you like, you can buy something more specialized and simply move the 857 into your mobile. Also it's a very popular rig and you can sell it used and only lose maybe $100 on the deal at most. It's a great first rig.

The FT-60 HT from Yaesu as well is another I recommend. Built like a brick, dual-band and has great battery life. Simpler controls to get going with programming and also makes a halfway decent portable scanner too.

The FT-7800 mobile is yet another, my favorite plain dual band radio and great bang for the buck value.
 
Well, it's always nice to know what your budget is so we can make recommendations that fit that price range.
 

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