Wanting to get into ham radio

jordoncloutier · Aug 8, 2018

hey guys , I'm relatively new to the hobby , I have had a analog scanner for a few years now and would like to invest in a uhf/vhf radio setup for my truck , What kind of transceiver / antenna combo would you guys suggest for someone like me starting out ? Also I'm located just outside of Edmonton , Alberta and I drive almost an hour each way to work and back . I would like to hear as much radio action as I can . I would like to start off just listening in on ham radio but might eventually like to get my license . Thanks

KD2FIQ · Aug 14, 2018

I like the Kenwood TM-V71A which covers 2 meter and 70 centimeter ham bands and also has wide receive coverage (even AM air band). Antenna options are many. If you are receive only, you probably don't need anything too big. A Diamond or Larsen dual band NMO mount would work. You could do a mag mount to get you going.

If you wanted to shell out a few more Canadian dollars, you could get an Icon IC-7100 which covers HF, VHF and UHF. They are pretty cheap now.

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mmckenna · Aug 14, 2018

I'd second a decent Kenwood dual band radio. That'll give you a lot of flexibility for your buck.

Don't get hung up on digital stuff, or let someone talk you into their favorite flavor of amateur digital. There are many digital modes to choose from, none of them are compatible, and if you spend a bunch of money on a digital radio, that's what your stuck with.

A decent analog radio will serve you well.

It's all about the antenna, too. Don't spend $400 on a radio and then expect a cheap Chinese $20 mag mount to give you the performance the radio deserves.
Larsen NMO-2/70, or if that's too tall for you, the Larsen NMO-2/70SH
Also, skip the clamp on/mag mount/through the glass/bracket mounts. If you want it to work well, install (or have installed) a proper permanent mount NMO in the dead centre of your vehicle roof. Anything else is a compromise. A properly installed antenna will give you the best performance. I've got 30 year old Larsen antennas that I'm still running. If something breaks, you can buy replacement parts. Not so for the low end Chinese crap.

Most of the dual band radios will have wide receive performance, so they can still work as a good analog receiver for listening to local public safety stuff.

Steer clear of any radio brand that you cannot pronounce. Stick with Icom, Kenwood or Yaesu. Leave the Chinese stuff to the kiddies.

AC5PS · Aug 14, 2018

I couldn’t agree more on the TM-V71A. I’ve had two for about four years, one in the car and the other has been cross banding the entire time with no problems. You can’t go wrong with a Kenwood !

BTW my first post on this forum,
AC5PS/Ken

AI7PM · Aug 15, 2018

mmckenna said:
I'd second a decent Kenwood dual band radio. That'll give you a lot of flexibility for your buck.

Don't get hung up on digital stuff, or let someone talk you into their favorite flavor of amateur digital. There are many digital modes to choose from, none of them are compatible, and if you spend a bunch of money on a digital radio, that's what your stuck with.

A decent analog radio will serve you well.

It's all about the antenna, too. Don't spend $400 on a radio and then expect a cheap Chinese $20 mag mount to give you the performance the radio deserves.
Larsen NMO-2/70, or if that's too tall for you, the Larsen NMO-2/70SH
Also, skip the clamp on/mag mount/through the glass/bracket mounts. If you want it to work well, install (or have installed) a proper permanent mount NMO in the dead centre of your vehicle roof. Anything else is a compromise. A properly installed antenna will give you the best performance. I've got 30 year old Larsen antennas that I'm still running. If something breaks, you can buy replacement parts. Not so for the low end Chinese crap.

Most of the dual band radios will have wide receive performance, so they can still work as a good analog receiver for listening to local public safety stuff.

Steer clear of any radio brand that you cannot pronounce. Stick with Icom, Kenwood or Yaesu. Leave the Chinese stuff to the kiddies.

^^^^^^^I second every word in the above!^^^^^^^^^^

You will get all kinds of opinions in here, and from people of all experience levels. Don't be shy about sending a PM to see what their background may be. Many are just self appointed experts.

You get what you pay for, and waiting to get the cash together for better will pay off in the end.

KK4JUG · Aug 15, 2018

Your first post indicates you want to get into ham radio so I'd give some serious consideration to getting a license.

needairtime · Aug 16, 2018

Kind of weird, some people like radio first, then license.
Others do license first, then radio.

For me it ended up sort of being "radio first"... I got used cheap "junk" LMRS radios, and after research and hacking, I was successful to reprogram them into the 70cm ham band. I could receive just fine, but unfortunately I can't test transmit since I was unlicensed at the time. It was a rush job, took only one month from program success to getting the license to test transmitting... did the nightly study thing and took a gamble on some material, but it paid off and was ready that next testing cycle. (Of the three elements, I did a really sloppy job on studying for element 3 and thus did the worst on it, though it was good enough to pass!)

Alas I still do not own a proper modern "ham" radio - at best I have to go through a nasty reprogramming procedure as none of my radios have a true "ham" VFO.

On another note I'm open to suggestions on what to get...alas, I have little to no budget for radios

Having a VFO is one thing, and having a radio in each band is something else. Alas, for HF, getting an antenna up is yet another issue I need to deal with... I suspect something is better than nothing, but not quite sure I really want a baofeng...

jwt873 · Aug 16, 2018

KK4JUG said:
Your first post indicates you want to get into ham radio so I'd give some serious consideration to getting a license.

FWIW..

The Canadian entry level ham radio license is a fair bit harder than the US Technician class. It requires some committment. But, if you get over 80% on the exam, you have access to all the amateur bands (including HF). Having said that, anyone who can file a tax return and tie their shoes should be able to pass

If you haven't researched what you're getting in to.. This site has the question banks as well as practice exams. https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/025.nsf/eng/h_00040.html

If you have no background in electronics, a good idea would be to take formal class.

Many of the larger ham radio clubs hold training sessions for newcomers. I took a quick look on the net and see that there is a club in Edmonton that does this. https://narc.net/training/classes/ (They obviously haven't changed the training page since they held the last class in April.. You might want to e-mail to see when the next class will be).

kayn1n32008 · Aug 16, 2018

jwt873 said:
FWIW..

I took a quick look on the net and see that there is a club in Edmonton that does this. https://narc.net/training/classes/ (They obviously haven't changed the training page since they held the last class in April.. You might want to e-mail to see when the next class will be).

NARC hold regular training classes. The instructors at NARC are excellent.

I just talked to the guy that teaches the advanced course, he figures that NARC will likely hold a basic course sometime near the end of September.

Drop an email to training@narc.net and say you are interested in when their next basic classes will be.

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Wanting to get into ham radio

jordoncloutier

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KD2FIQ

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mmckenna

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AC5PS

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AI7PM

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KK4JUG

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needairtime

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jwt873

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kayn1n32008

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