I just passed my Ham radio test, now I'm waiting on a call sign

[kuscht]

I've wanted to get a Ham call sign since I was a little kid, I finally took the time to take the test. I PASSED. So now I'm figuring out what kind of radio to get for my car.

Any suggestions on Amazon for an Antenna, Radio Combo? I also want to install a CB, but from reading the FCC rules they have to be separate radios.

I was looking at this one Stryker SR-89MC 10 Meter Compact Handheld Amateur Ham Mobile Radio - AM FM Robot Check

I'm just looking for something that would also link into GRMS/FRS frequencies for Search and Rescue Operations, along with repeaters.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.I also have a little BAOFENG UV-5RE Plus I use currently.

 

[KC4RAF]

Congratulations on getting your ticket!

Which license class did you pass?
For the 10 meter rig you posted, you're allowed CW,RTTY, and DATA on 28.000 Mhz to 28.33 Mhz;
and CW, Phone on 28.300 Mhz to 28.500 Mhz. Both rated at 200 Watts PEP.

The Baofeng UV-5R is for 2 meters and 70 centimeters. It also has GMRS and FRS frequs, but beware of wattage limits.
What frequencies do you plan to be on for your first getting on the air, and then what frequencies later on?

 

[Jimru]

Kuscht, congrats on passing the test! Unfortunately, you will not be able to access all the different services you've mentioned with one radio. The different services (ham, CB and GMRS/FRS) all are required to use rigs that are "type accepted" by the FCC. The reason is that type acceptance means these radios have been tested to be sure that they transmit within the parameters that the FCC requires for each. This way we know that we aren't over modulating or creating "spurious emissions" into other frequencies of other radio services and causing interference.

So, having said all of that, my recommendation is to get a good brand name (I favor Yaesu products) dual band (VHF/UHF) ham transceiver and a name brand dual band magnet mount antenna (Comet and Diamond are good brands) to start out.

For CB, you'll need a seperate rig and the same would be true for GMRS/FRS capable radios. I don't know a lot about either of those services, so others will, I'm sure, chime in with good info for you.

Also, I'm not so sure you want to buy from Amazon for ham equipment. You want to buy from a ham dealer that can follow up on servicing and that will take returns. I like both DX Engineering and HRO for that. They are actually hams themselves, and are willing to help you should you need it.
Good luck and welcome to a great hobby!

 

[bharvey2]

kuscht, congratulations on passing the test! Be aware though that you have discussed several different classes of radios. Being licensed in one doesn't grant you an all access pass into the others. While CB users no longer require licensing, GMRS users do. My first suggestion would be to take a look at this website or Repeaterbook to determine what type of activity is in your area. This could govern the radio or radios that you purchase. If you find that there is a lot of 70cm activity in your area, you could purchase a used UHF commercial radio with the proper band split and use it for HAM as well as GMRS provided you are license for GMRS and the radio is Part 95 worthy. Unfortunately, there just isn't a "Do All" radio. That is probably a good thing because you'll likely find that you don't want just one radio.

 

[wb6uqa]

Radio on amazon

I bought the b tec 2501 with the programming cable. And nagoya ut 72 mag mount dual band antenna on amazon. The radio has a excellent receiver and 25 watt dual band transmitter .it is a package deal. The antenna has a rare earth mag mount. If i coulg change anything i would have bought the 5001 50 watt version.good receive, good front end and good squech 200 channels

 

[jwt873]

Congrats on getting your ticket!

That Stryker SR-89MC 10 Meter Radio you're looking at is basically an illegal CB radio sold as a ham radio. These radios are easily modifiable to the citizens band where they let users run more power than is allowed. There are many 10/12 meter radios built just for this purpose.

Also, it' only transmits on AM and FM. There is hardly any AM used on 10 meters and if you just got your US Tech license, you aren't allowed to use FM. I would stay away from it.

 

[W6SAE]

Congratulations! Welcome to the hobby/addiction. I hope your paperwork doesn't get lost in the mail like mine did--I had to wait a couple more anxious weeks than usual for mine. It was well worth the wait, though.

I hope you're considering moving up to General soon. I got my ticket in December and I'm just about ready to start studying for my General.

 

[kuscht]

Thanks everyone for all the responses! I look forward to learning so much more from you.

I passed the Technician license. Everything was triple checked by the examiners they said to expect a call sign in a few weeks.

I started checking for repeaters in my local community(Oakland County, Michigan) and it looks like they are 442.2125 then in the other county I do lots of stuff in 146.9200.

As for the one search and rescue group we are based out of the police Police department and didn't have a repeater available. they just have a pile of Baofeng handheld radios programmed to 467.5625, I could just continue to use the provided radios for the time being.

I was thinking of ways to fabricate the dashboard and add antennas on my car, I'm a bit of a road trip addict so at the very least I want to install a CB, I nixed the SR-89MC off my list.

Here are my thoughts starting off but my change once I'm able to take measurements of my dashboard.
I like both of these Ham Radios, but I'm guessing I'll want more wattage since I do plan to use mine out in Utah. (145.490 MHz 146.640 MHz 145.450 Mhz)

-Yaesu FT-2900R 75 Watt 2 Meter VHF Mobile Transceiver Amateur Ham Radio [Is this one worth the extra money?]
-BTECH MINI UV-2501 (2nd Generation) 25 Watt Dual Band Base, Mobile Radio: 136-174mhz (VHF) 400-520mhz (UHF) Amateur (Ham) [I like the size of this one, but I'm wondering if it offers too many limitations with the lower wattage?]
-Uniden BEARCAT CB Radio With Sideband And WeatherBand (980SSB) [There are a few of these on my local craigslist and truck stops]

I have a moonroof on my car and was thinking getting the Firestik MKM2 Molded Side Mount with 18 ft. Fire-Flex Coax -W-Lugs close to the middle of the side as I can get drilling into the car. I figure that would work for the CB but would it work for the HAM? Do I want an NMO Antenna with a Dual Band Antenna?

I'm thinking I'll want to go for a General License soon.

 

[bharvey2]

I haven't done anything of worth on CB in many, many years so I can't speak knowledgeably on the radio that you mentioned. One radio I can suggest would be a Kenwood TM-V71A. Very good dual band radio and puts out 50w max on both 2m and 70cm. (Yaesu and Icom have reputable dual bands as well) With regard to antennas, I don't think you'll find one antenna to accommodate your CB and VHF/UHF radios. Your going to need at least two.

One radio that might be of interest to you is a 70cm DMR radio. Michigan has a fast growing DMR repeater network (at least of the east side) and it offers a great deal of communication ability. Do look in to it.

 

[jwt873]

The Yaesu FT-2900R is a good radio. Note that it's 2 meter only so you won't be able to access 70cm repeaters.

The UV-2501 is a cheapie Chinese radio. It has 2m and 70cm. It will do the job which makes it a decent entry level radio for a person on a budget.

The Firestik antenna was designed to work at 27 Mhz... VHF/UHF radios work at 146 and 440 Mhz. They aren't even close. There is no way you can use a dedicated CB antenna for VHF/UHF work.

 

[N8IAA]

I've wanted to get a Ham call sign since I was a little kid, I finally took the time to take the test. I PASSED. So now I'm figuring out what kind of radio to get for my car.

Any suggestions on Amazon for an Antenna, Radio Combo? I also want to install a CB, but from reading the FCC rules they have to be separate radios.

I was looking at this one Stryker SR-89MC 10 Meter Compact Handheld Amateur Ham Mobile Radio - AM FM Robot Check

I'm just looking for something that would also link into GRMS/FRS frequencies for Search and Rescue Operations, along with repeaters.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.I also have a little BAOFENG UV-5RE Plus I use currently.

By license class, you are limited to SSB in the 10m band. So, the Stryker is out.
I did a Google search for amateur repeaters in your county, and found six 2m and a few 440MHz that are open. I would suggest getting a Yaesu 7900 for dual band use.
Larry

 

[kevin2525]

Congrats!

Congrats, Its a great hobby.
I hope to work on the air waves someday.

73's:Kevin.

 

[kuscht]

Thanks again everyone for all the information, I do plan to install multiple antennas. I heard a little about this DMR network from the local police and fire and it sounds like a pretty amazing system with lots of capabilities. I couldn't find much on them other than this radio. Should I just buy an antenna for the handheld for the time being until I'm able to budget a few much nicer radios for each want?

CS801 VHF MOBILE Radio
Connect Systems

 

[bharvey2]

You're going to need an antenna for your vehicle no matter what you do so go ahead and buy one. It's unlikely you'll be burning any bridges doing that. As was mentioned, the dual band is the way to go in most instances. - Same with an antenna. You should have no trouble finding a 2m/70cm antenna. While mag mounts do have advantages for quick and dirty installs (Like a rented or borrowed vehicle) do yourself a favor and but one for permanent installation. While you can used adapters to use HTs in your vehicle, you'll likely get frustrated with their shortcomings in that environment very quickly and want to move on to a mobile radio.

Connect Systems makes a few different radios for DMR. I think they've done a lot to get people motivated in DMR and have really pushed the mode forward. I deal with them on a regular basis and find they are very pleasant and easy to work with. I have a few of their DMR radios and have never had trouble with them. They will work fine with the HAM repeaters but if your goal is to listen to Public Service DMR, you might have trouble. The band split on their radios may not go up high enough to listen. Furthermore, many of the Motorola based business and public service system utilize trunking and other un-ham friendly features that will inhibit your ability to listen in with a current Connect Systems radio. To be fair, the same can be said for other manufacturers as well. DMR is a fast growing mode so don't let that stop you.