So I'm taking ARRL classes and sitting for the exam at two levels (Technician and General) in February, so as to add to my skill set vis a vis my CERT training. I want to buy a home setup that is relatively unobtrusive, reliable and well-made. Price is not in and of itself a consideration.

Here's my problem. My father (KA7GLI) is convinced that a new rather than a used home set up is a waste of money--should mention that he was wayyyy into ham radio when I was younger and is convinced that no one can take two one-day classes and sit for the exams.

So...is my father correct? I don't think so, I don't think he understands how the prices have dropped since he earned his General licence some 40 years ago, but maybe I'm in the wrong. Any input on what to buy and whether or not I'm better off buying used over new would be much appreciated.

Just start with a hand held. You will always have it, heck I bought two to start they are so inexpensive. You are going to start with using the repeaters anyway so you won't even need a big antenna or anything. Baofeng whatever the latest model is. Won't preclude you from shopping for a used desktop set up.

https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no ... ds=Baofeng

At your test session you will most likely meet a group of folks with equipment, ideas and suggestions

Most of my HAM gear was previously owned when I bought it. Actually only one out of five was purchased new. There a a lot of good deals on the used market. So unless you want the latest and greatest with all the bells and whistles, used is a great option even for HF.

There have been many people that sit for all three exams in one day and pass them all. Tech and General are not complex and really only require memorization of answers, not a true understanding of theories, to pass. Extra, I was told by a rocket scientist, is akin to Masters Thesis material.

If you want your call sign, go for it. Some clubs will tell you that if you take their class, you will pass the test. Some other clubs say that if you take their class, you have a very good chance of passing the test. Since they are volunteers and don’t get paid, I’d lean toward the claims of guaranteed passing. The majority of what you learn, you won’t need unless you get into building radios or start looking for a place to erect an antenna outside.

I started with basic hand held radios. I use them for Scouts, shooting events and keep one in the truck. I have no ambition to talk to anyone in Brazil or Uganda so I have no need to get elaborate setups. The main question you should ask yourself, what do you want to use them for?

Nothing wrong with used ham radio equipment. I have several used radios. Personally I would use a mobile rig as a base radio as I find they are cheaper than actual base units(depending on the model obviously).

For a cost effective quad band radio for either mobile or base I suggest a yaesu ft8900r:

https://www.gigaparts.com/yaesu-ft-8900 ... gJex_D_BwE

For a handheld there are tons of affordable options under $200. I run 2 different baofengs, a uv-5r and a bf-h8hp. Both good radios, and I’ve been looking at one of their waterproof versions as well.

And you and indeed test for all of your licenses in one day, and if you do you only have to pay the one time. Which is nice!

Good luck

'Best' for what?

HF? 2m?70cm?

Antenna is 10x more important than power output. People talk around the world out of radios tucked into altoids tins, with a good antenna...

Any public safety you won't be able to monitor with a ham radio, most are digital and/or trunked.

On the new Vs used argument, I've found that most hams think their shit is gold plated. I've seen people trying to sell 15 year old radios that cost $800 new, trying to get $700+ out of them.... I've bought new for the most part.. you have a warranty, and you don't have to worry about some idiot blowing the finals because they did a TX mod and decided to transmit on MURS frequencies, on an RF section that wasn't designed for it, through an antenna tuned for much lower in the band....

A simple dual band mobile with power supply would suit you fine for basic 2m and 70cm ops. The baeotowongfuthanksforeverythingjulienewmar radios are cheap, and basic, but may be frustrating for new hams due to lack of options/features and programming difficulty. IMO, they're worth the $35 you pay for them as long as you understand what you're getting..

You all might want to keep this handy:
http://www.mikeandkey.org/docs/2018FleaFlyer.pdf

Yah, I'm going to be using it for CERT stuff, so handheld. The handheld needs to be waterproof, or at the very least water resistant. It invariably rains whenever we conduct a station drill.

Not that I don't think it wouldn't be cool to own a nice home set up (I mean, I should really put my Morse Code indoctrination to use) but talking to random strangers? No thanks, if I wanted to have a conversation with a stranger whilst several dozen other people eavesdropped, I'd go to a online chatroom.

Side note: I'm now a CERT/FEMA certified CERT instructor for Bellevue's Office of Emergency Management, and we drill mostly for earthquakes. Mostly. A big part of my function is to teach first responders how to interact with CERT teams (and vice versa) upon their arrival at a MASCAL scene.

Anyway, if you are interested in a CERT class or a CERT Lite one-day course and are willing to travel to Bellevue, we have several CERT Lite courses on the schedule and a handful of CERT full-length courses scheduled out for 2018/19. Let me know.

Motorola APX8000. Supports VHF, UHF, 700, and 800.. Supports P25 Phase 1 and 2 (FDMA and TDMA) ,and supports monitoring every agency radio system in the puget sound area, and beyond.

Likewise, the Viking VP900 supports all the same features..However restrictions may come into play with System Keys, which are avoided with the APX8000 since I can generate Motorola System Keys.

Cost? Around $4K +/- a bit.. LOLOL..

Just get a waterproof BaoefungCHOOexcuseme and go from there.. Accessories are everywhere.. Then get a scanner for the agencies you wanna hear.



You got the wrong license. Ham radio licenses aren't for business purposes. If you're ONLY using it for CERT, you're missing 90% of what ham radio is about.

Talking to people in Japan through echolink, is pretty effin cool... Talking to people in Australia, from a microphone, not hooked to ANY internet or digital technology, is even cooler...

I downloaded an app on my phone to study for the test. I think it has 1000 questions? About.help says 2014 technician question pool, 2015 general, 2012 extra. Some of the questions seem quite....esoteric. Do I really need to know this stuff to talk on the radio?

I figured the most basic test would teach etiquette and rules to ensure you don't break the law or make an ass of yourself.

Can I really just take a class one day and pass? I figured it was months of hard-core study. If I'm going to study that much, I'll get another Cisco cert.

The tech test is to make sure you know the law, and fundamentals of propagation, that's really it.

When you start getting up into the more advanced license classes, you start learning a LOT, some would say too much.

Wanna talk to the ISS? Wanna bounce a signal off the moon and have it return? Wanna be able to talk thousands of miles, with no infrastructure, from your car/truck? You can do all that...

I would take your tech license, it's pretty easy.. You get some decent knowledge to start you off, and you can decide where to go from there...

I studied with an app on my iPhone as well. It worked well for me except for the Extra ticket. I continually failed the practice exams. Eventually I'll get to class.

No, you don't need to know everything in the test to talk on the radio but, to keep up the standards and to at least keep people from hurting themselves, others, and interfering with other radio communications, they have those Q&A included (my opinion).

Some people are better at learning in one format or another. There's also this:
https://hamstudy.org/

https://hamexam.org/exam/12-Technician


It's free.

Keep taking it and learning it until you consistently get 90%

I did the online tests and a couple books I got from Amazon. A little studying, digging hard at the areas that are weaker for you and the test is a piece of cake.

I now can't even remember, I either aced the exam or missed one. Doesn't really matter. There is another thread or two running about HAM here somewhere from last year.

I don't have the first clue what the hell y'all are blabbering about, but this thread is chock full of the helpfulness that I like to see!