Your First Radio

Congratulations! You are the holder of a freshly minted ham ticket! Uh, now what? Now it's time to get on the air!

As you will come to learn, there is a wide variety of radio equipment ranging from simple (and some not so simple) kits you can assemble yourself to elaborate all digital stuff. The trick here at this point is simply to get on the air. You have a lifetime to figure out the "best" equipment for helping you get the most out of ham radio. Right now you just need to start talking!

With that in mind, the simplest and least expensive method is to buy a used handheld transceiver, or HT. Without a doubt the best place to start your search for said used HT is in your local ham club (you did read this article about getting started, right?). There are lots of great reasons to buy from someone in your own club. First, they probably have equipment they need to unload. Second, you get to inspect and use (and get them to show you how to use) the equipment before you buy it. And finally, you can always go back to them later to ask questions if you need to. Not so easy to do via Ebay!

If you can't find anything through the local club, next check out eBay. Do a keyword search for "Icom HT" and see what you get (more on Icom and others below). At the time of this writing there are 7 Icom HT's listed and they are all less than $100. I advise caution using Ebay, make sure you are really comfortable with what you are getting and who you are getting it from. I tend to trust fellow hams more than retail outlets, but that's just me.

Now some may disagree with the wisdom of buying a HT first, so let me share with you some of my reasoning:

- Low price point for getting on the air. Some can be bought for less than $100!
- Ease of operation. Essentially turn it on, tune to the frequency, key the mic. No worries about power supplies, antenna systems, grounding, etc!
- Portability. You can use it from anywhere (car, home, park, etc).

And now which one to buy... well that's a bit more complicated! Seems everyone has their own "favorite". I personally like Icom but you wont go wrong with a Kenwood or Yeasu either.

Hope this helps you focus your search. Feel free to comment below and let us know how it goes.

73,

Thom, K5JTR