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Posted: 1/12/2021 10:39:12 AM EST
I would like to get started in Ham radio. I want to get a hand held and either a base station or a mobile in my truck that I can also hook up to an antenna for home use.
Anybody in the Fort Worth Area wanna mentor/guide me thru this process? Any recommendations on what hand held to buy? I see lots of Baofeng UV5 and UV82s available but dont know the differences |
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Posted: 1/12/2021 11:39:35 AM EST
http://www.arrl.org/ has a lot of resources including finding clubs, exam sessions, and training classes.
Baofeng Uv-5r is a very affordable (~$25) way to get into HAM. With a $5 programming cable and CHIRP (Free) you can do a ton. If you just want to listen to whats out there, there are some very affordable Software Defined Radio receivers that plug into your computer. |
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Posted: 1/12/2021 2:40:31 PM EST
Join us in the arf ham forum.
 Yes, the boafuck radios are cheap, but do you really want to support China right now? |
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Posted: 1/12/2021 2:56:10 PM EST
Quote History Originally Posted By TLF: Join us in the arf ham forum. Yes, the boafuck radios are cheap, but do you really want to support China right now? Thanks. I have some reading to catch up on |
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Posted: 1/12/2021 8:33:25 PM EST
I mean Baofengs work. But they aren't really all that great. For just a little more you can get into entry level HTs from the big three and get so much more performance.
Join your local radio club. I can promise you there's an Elmer that would be glad to help you out. |
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Posted: 1/12/2021 9:05:55 PM EST
I recommend looking at Yaesus. They're not too terribly expensive, and their menus are pretty easy to learn. I have an FT-60 HT and an FT-2900 for the truck (which I guess I should install in the new truck sometime...). If you get one figured out, the other is pretty similar.
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Posted: 1/12/2021 10:27:00 PM EST
[Last Edit: 1/12/2021 10:28:29 PM EST by DaTrueDave]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By R_S: Baofeng Uv-5r is a very affordable (~$25) way to get into HAM. With a $5 programming cable and CHIRP (Free) you can do a ton. I got 5 for $62 on Amazon, with one programming cable included. Now I have to figure out what to do with them. Guess I need to mosey over to the HAM forum. |
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Posted: 1/12/2021 11:16:36 PM EST
Quote History Originally Posted By DaTrueDave: I got 5 for $62 on Amazon, with one programming cable included. Now I have to figure out what to do with them. Guess I need to mosey over to the HAM forum. I picked up a set of 5 long ago. Used chirp to program them for like of the 3 local weather stations, FRS and GMRS (but only able to TX at low power on FRS), also put in some other setting which escapes memory at the moment. Mostly just to toy with, until I get around to getting technician and a base station built. |
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Posted: 1/13/2021 7:21:15 AM EST
I got all the local repeaters within 75 miles programed on my uv5rs along with all the local leo/fire/ect. Wood county is encrypted so I am going to have to get a dongle to be able to listen to those.
Frs/gmrs on mine are good to about a mile and I can hit the local repeater which is 6 miles with an aubree folding antenna. I am about to put up a 50ft tower I got off a job and buy a 10m rig so I can actually listen to things alot further out. |
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Posted: 1/14/2021 8:47:00 PM EST
Quote History Originally Posted By Bulldawg: I recommend looking at Yaesus. They're not too terribly expensive, and their menus are pretty easy to learn. I have an FT-60 HT and an FT-2900 for the truck (which I guess I should install in the new truck sometime...). If you get one figured out, the other is pretty similar. Harsh FT 817 is a great all round radio you can find them used sometimes. https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/1817.html If I only had one radio this would be it. Not an HT but you can carry it easily in a shoulder bag, hook it up to a car, or backpack it. |
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Posted: 1/17/2021 10:56:26 AM EST
Quote History Originally Posted By DaTrueDave: I got 5 for $62 on Amazon, with one programming cable included. Now I have to figure out what to do with them. Guess I need to mosey over to the HAM forum. CHIRP has a number of radio freqs you can easily download to the Baofengs. UV-5r's can pick up FM radio as well... You can use the scan feature to find local radio traffic (i.e. weather radio) |
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Posted: 1/17/2021 2:02:20 PM EST
I think there’s some value in OP’s question in regards to getting some like minded folks together to learn. I bought some (regrettably) chinesium radios, a cable, and a ham license study book too recently.
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TX, USA
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Posted: 1/18/2021 3:46:41 PM EST
Quote History Originally Posted By pumbaajk: I got all the local repeaters within 75 miles programed on my uv5rs along with all the local leo/fire/ect. Wood county is encrypted so I am going to have to get a dongle to be able to listen to those. Frs/gmrs on mine are good to about a mile and I can hit the local repeater which is 6 miles with an aubree folding antenna. I am about to put up a 50ft tower I got off a job and buy a 10m rig so I can actually listen to things alot further out. Man I need a free 50 foot tower. Good score. |
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Posted: 1/18/2021 4:36:30 PM EST
Quote History Originally Posted By jordanmills: Man I need a free 50 foot tower. Good score. The downside, it's still got 3 yards of concrete at the bottom of it and its a mother fucker to move. |
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