First radio?

[needairtime]

Recently licensed (within past year).

Icom IC-U400 was first radio that I had that was capable and used to transmit into the ham bands (70cm). It was why I got licensed - so I could test/transmit with it. Why this radio? It was really cheap, since no modern programming tools will touch it.

Was several months later until i got something that could transmit in the 2m band...

Still to come: some things to transmit in the HF bands... license is ready, money to buy radio is not. I don't even have a baofeng yet ...

 

[BaoFeng_Blogger]

Atwater Kent Boat Anchor...

Way back in the late 50's and early 60's I had a "Atwater Kent" boat anchor. Sound came from a round 12" or so speaker encased in a big heavy metal case.

Ahhh... them were the days boys and girls, them were the days.

BaoFeng Blogger KN4OTS

 

[KE0GXN]

As you started your adventure into ham radio what was your first radio and why did you specifically pick that radio? Do you still have it and does it work?

Yaesu FT-60. Picked it because of reviews and price. I still have it and it works like it just came out of the box going on 3 years now.

 

[ladn]

First HF transceiver was Henry Tempo 1 as a hand me down from a friend. Used it to help learn the code over the air from W1AW and other practice broadcasts; then first on the air QSO on local 10-meter net.

First modern transceiver was an Icom IC-32AT, 16 channels VHF/UHF handheld. Great radio.

 

[plughie]

2016 licensee. First ham radio was a Baofeng UV-82. When I "lost" it by leaving it in my backpack on the train, I replaced it with a Kenwood TH-D74A. First HF was an Icom IC-7100, and my first TX radio of any sort was a Realistic CB.

 

[N8IAA]

My first radio was a Swan 350C. Used it for the Novice station on Field Day, 1985. Made a lot of 10m contacts when given that band as a Novice.

Larry

 

[ScannerMan1989]

Pro82. Used that thing for 14 years even after the standard duckie broke, the battery case was broken and I had to tape it shut, then the squealch failed and that was it for it. Trust me that thing came in handy lol... :lol:

 

[k6cpo]

My first radio was a Yaesu FT-270 I bought to mod for railroad frequencies. I was a volunteer at a railway museum and some of the other volunteers had these radios. I don't think anyone was aware it was illegal to do this, including me. (I now have legitimate Part 90 radios for that.)

After I bought the radio, I thought that since I have this radio capable of operating on a bunch of amateur frequencies, why not get my license? I had an interest in ham radio back in 1965 in high school, but I never followed up on it.

Now I'm the President of one amateur radio club, Vice-President of another, member of a third, a VE Team Leader, a member of ARES and Public Information Coordinator for the San Diego Section.

 

[ecarvalho]

First radio for me was the Lafayette Telsat SSB-50.
I started on Citizen’s Band in 1988.
My QAP channel was 7 (AM) local.
Tho the radio had side-band, it was limited to just 23 channels.
Microphone input on the side.

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[k7ng]

A little bit different...

My first Ham Radio station was just a little different: A home-brew crystal-controlled transmitter using a 6DQ6 output tube (Not exactly 'home brew'... it was a 'for grade' high school electronics project & I almost managed to kill myself while testing it... I have had a very healthy respect for HV ever since)... and a borrowed National NC-190 receiver. I was stuck on 80M because the transmitter chirped badly on 40m.

I mowed a lot of lawns to buy a Heathkit HW-16 so I could get on 40 & 15m but that thing chirped just as badly on 40m as the homebrew tx did.

First licensed in 1968...

 

[k6cpo]

First radio for me was the Lafayette Telsat SSB-50.
I started on Citizen’s Band in 1988.
My QAP channel was 7 (AM) local.
Tho the radio had side-band, it was limited to just 23 channels.
Microphone input on the side.




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Please resize your picture next time.

 

[petnrdx]

FMTRU-5V

 

[ecarvalho]

Please resize your picture next time.

Looks ok to me


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[K2NEC]

Looks ok to me

It's HUGE for me

 

[ecarvalho]

It's HUGE for me

Sorry
I was using the phone app... didn’t realize it was big on a browser


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[needairtime]

Should we be including CB radios, I've had CB and GMRS transceivers longer than ham transceivers...
... and I guess shall we not forget cell phones which are also transceivers as part of a huge repeater system...

 

[AK9R]

The OP's question was: "As you started your adventure into ham radio what was your first radio..."

I take that to mean what was the first radio that you purchased/acquired/used to transmit the amateur radio service.

 

[N5TWB]

Kenwood TH-215 2-meter handheld was my first radio in 1991. I added a RF Concepts 25-watt amplifier to make it more capable as a mobile radio. I still have it but its not in service right now. My first dual-band mobile came along in the early 2000s. The first and only HF rig is an FT-847, bought used in 2010.

 

[ecarvalho]

The OP's question was: "As you started your adventure into ham radio what was your first radio..."

I take that to mean what was the first radio that you purchased/acquired/used to transmit the amateur radio service.

Well I agree but for me, CB was how I learned about Ham radio so it was, in a way, how it all started. I guess is just open to interpretation.


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[rescue161]

First radio(s) were the crappy little 27MHz walkie-talkie kids transceivers. The ones with the Morse code chart on the front. I'd get them for birthday and Christmas presents.

First CB that I owned was a Robyn 23 channel mobile.

First real radios were a Motorola MCX100 and HT90 & HT500 portables. I won them at an auction. I still have the MCX100s.

Growing up, I got to play on my Grandfather's Browning Golden Eagle Mark III, Years after he passed away, my Dad gave that radio to me and I still have it on the bench.

First ham radio was an FT411E. I got it at a ham radio store in Memphis, TN. It was used and the guy said it was a good deal. I bought it after I passed my test, but did not receive my ticket for several more weeks. I got a reciprocal license in Japan (7J6CDD) and had to add my license sticker to that radio. I wish I had never sold that radio.