New Guy Question: Tried and True vs. Cheap Import

[jonwienke]

You can get a Baofeng UV-5R for about $25 on Amazon, and the CHIRP programming software is free and easy to use. It's not as good as a Yaesu or whatever, but it is a functional radio, and even if you decide to get a Yaesu or Icom or Kenwood, having a cheap backup or loaner radio can be a good thing.

There's good reasons to have some high-quality high-performance radios, but there's also good reasons to have some semi-disposable radios for friends and family members. They can come in handy in an emergency, or for keeping in touch when hiking, camping, or whatever. And they are also good for letting kids use if you want to get them interested in radio stuff without risking a $400 investment.

Quantity is its own form of quality.

 

[KK4JUG]

And let the kids use them for what??? Without a license, they're virtually useless. You can't even use them for FRS legally. Too much power and a detachable antenna.

 

[jonwienke]

Non-licensed persons can operate a ham radio if they are under the supervision of a licensed operator.

 

[KK4JUG]

Non-licensed persons can operate a ham radio if they are under the supervision of a licensed operator.

Yeah, but I think that means direct supervision, not while the kids are at the neighbor's house or at the mall. Otherwise, I could be at home and my kids could be in another state using those radios, as long as I could say I was supervising them when, in reality, I wouldn't have a clue what they were doing with the radios.

 

[jonwienke]

Doesn't change the point I was making, that you can let a kid use a CCR to learn about radio communication without the worry of them accidentally breaking something costing $400 or more.

 

[SCPD]

This is a Coyote's "For What its Worth",
.

Right now I have a little UV5 BaoFeng sitting on my desk-- not far from it is my battleship Motorola... one I can slip into my purse and "carry concealed".... the other is "open carry" only... guess which is which .... Guess which one I take about with me....
.

Both, by the way, operate in a very high RF environment.. neither are anymore sensitive than the other to the random signals that flood this site.... a spectrum analysiz'r goes ape with spikes should I have the intestinal fortitude to dare look at what's swirling about me.
.
In fairness to the comments about a Barn Door wide receiver of the BaoFengs, mine is on 400 Mhz, which is apparently much better than it is in the low vhf range.... and these comments are made with no scientific measurements to backup a definite difference.
.
...............................................CF

 

[Dahwg]

This is a Coyote's "For What its Worth",
.

Right now I have a little UV5 BaoFeng sitting on my desk-- not far from it is my battleship Motorola... one I can slip into my purse and "carry concealed".... the other is "open carry" only... guess which is which ...
.
...............................................CF

Now you're speaking a language with which I am intimately familiar! But that is a different conversation for a different forum [emoji6]

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[bill4long]

Is the IC-T70A HD really worth the price over the cheaper baofeng?

No.

I've owned various more experience Icoms, Kenwoods and Yaesu-s, and the best value of ANY HT I've owned is the UV-82. They work great and cost $50. Sensitivity and selectivity is on part with my Yaesu FT-60R.

I would stay away from the UV-5R (and variants). They work, but they have lousy selectivity and in high HF environments you're going to hear stuff you don't want to hear. Plus the TX audio is a bit muffled unless you drill out the mic hole.

 

[sloop]

I do not agree with getting a HT as your first radio.....that being said, you do what you have to do. I would only suggest that you do 2 things first. 1. Go to your local club (or ham friend) and see what a HT can do in your area for communications. 2. read "Getting the Most From Your Hand-held Transceiver" by Ed Harris, KE4SKY. This article will answer most questions that you may have and some you didn't think of.
In any event, welcome to ham radio (when [not if] you pass the test).

 

[Hans13]

Dahwg,

I own and use quite a few CCRs. If money was really tight, I would say the Chinese radio will do fine; especially the UV-82. However, if you have the money for something better, I would recommend looking at the brand name radios.

I don't recommend the Yaesu FT-60R. As far as I know, it does not have to narrow band receive. The receiver simply bumps up the audio. For less money, I recommend the Alinco DJ-500T (2nd gen). One drawback is that there isn't an alkaline battery pack available for it. Ironically, the Anytone (CCR) version of the same radio is typically more expensive.

OC or CC... Yeah, I do both daily.

 

[PrimeNumber]

Just to add more fat to the fire...

How are you from the repeaters you're likely to use, Dahwg? Will an HT make the trip, or do you need a base unit with an external antenna? I ask this because I'm 25 miles from the nearest repeaters, and so my HTs mostly sit unused. Of course everybody needs an HT sometime, but if it's going to do a lot of sitting, you might as well get a CCR. OTOH, if you have five repeaters within a few miles, a good HT would make more sense.

If you get a CCR, you'll need CHIRP. Depending on your computer, getting the CHIRP/cable/CCR can be a pain. Do you have a friend who has this all working already? Good to have a backup on this. Sometimes when you can get anything at all to work, having a friend step in and get at least a little bit going for you is a big help. Ham clubs can help a lot here.

Big Three radios, in contrast, generally be programmed from their keypads without too much frustration. Good to have that as a backup, especially at outdoor/remote events. There's always somebody standing around in any ham crowd who can program in a channel-of-the-day on an FT-60, without needing a manual or even having to think about it. Some people can do this with a CCR, but not me. I usually get cussed out in Mandarin before it's all over.

FWIW, I have 3 CCRs, all gifts or "free with order over $100" deals, so mine really are cheap beyond cheap. I also have an FT-60, which though relatively low-buck, is the one I trust when I go to the woods. They all have their places, and I still enjoy using the CCRs a lot. They've never let me down.

 

[chief21]

I would also agree that you should consider your general RF environment. Speaking from experience, many of the Baofengs that I have owned have had very sensitive receivers, but the selectivity has been less than stellar. And, as someone else has mentioned, I also never became fully comfortable with the unusual format for programming the Baofengs (and Wouxuns, as well).

Finally, I would suggest to you that nearly any ham radio, properly cared for, will retain a certain value for resale. You don't necessarily need to put them on the shelf to gather dust when it becomes time to upgrade to another rig.

...'nuff said,

John AC4JK

 

[reedeb]

I have a Baofeng UV5R I have talkedf with MANY repeaters thruout Dallas Fort Worth area. Have yet to have anyone tell me my audio is muffled or bad. I live in a very RF high area have YET to have any troubles with anything. I monitor Dallas FD and the PD in my sector all day I can switch it over to NWS for weather updates or listen top FM radio id bored. I paid $38 for a starter kit which included everything I needed. I also programmed it by keypad instead of playing around with a computer. [tis easy as pie]. It might be CCR, BUT if I drop it or it dies can always order a new one and not kill my little budget [ on Social Security Disability] It STILL gets me out to talk with folks or sit back and listen during bad weather.

 

[Dahwg]

So, after reading all this amazing advice, you really are a fantastic community. I decided to do a test myself with the gear I have for GMRS. I have the Baofeng V1 (UV-82) and an iCOM F4t. The Baofeng is more elegantly programmed and has a more robust menu than the iCOM, but the ICOM is 10 year old tech. The ICOM is built quite a bit more solidly than the Baofeng, and the RX sound from the big speaker on it is much easier to listen to than the Baofeng. In terms of interference, I found the BF to be every bit as sensitive as the iCom, but not quite as selective... It is on par with the bubble pack Midlands my son uses. That said, it is the BF that I reach for when I head out the door.

So I think I will get one of each. You people have convinced me of the merits of both. Next pot i think I'll stir is...

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[wqtz773]

En re the cheap Chinese radios:
We have been using Wouxun KG-UV6Xs for some time at the railroad where I work. Guys have dropped them off engine walkways and picked them up (when they could) and put them back together and used them. Haven't lost one of them yet to being BER.
Would like to be able to buy the much more expensive Kenwood NXDN radios, but they are REALLY expensive and would require a change to the license.(I think)
As far as getting used radios, there are plenty of Motorola HTs out there that will go either to 2 meters or will work on the 70 cm bands with just reprogramming them with the right code plug.

 

[Dahwg]

Update:. So I passed my test las Saturday and ordered the ICOM ic-t70a which should be here tomorrow.

I chose it as opposed to the Baofeng, primarily because I already have a Baofeng V1 I'm using for GMRS, and I really want to check out the differences first hand. Also, I've noticed the name brand radios seem to hold their value well, so it's not much of a risk. One of the main reasons I decided to go for the iCOM was because of the quality of the accessories. While it is possible to get a good CCR, everything I've read tells horror stories about accessories, so for my EDC go-to I will stick with the known quality. Which is precisely why I chose ICOM rather than Yaesu... It was close, and many time I thought I might get the Yaesu, but in the end the speaker mic issue scared me away- if someone is going to get embarrassed on the air over a hot mic it is this guy right here...Known quality.

So how long does it take for the license to show up in the FCC database?

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[k6cpo]

En re the cheap Chinese radios:
We have been using Wouxun KG-UV6Xs for some time at the railroad where I work. Guys have dropped them off engine walkways and picked them up (when they could) and put them back together and used them. Haven't lost one of them yet to being BER.
Would like to be able to buy the much more expensive Kenwood NXDN radios, but they are REALLY expensive and would require a change to the license.(I think)
As far as getting used radios, there are plenty of Motorola HTs out there that will go either to 2 meters or will work on the 70 cm bands with just reprogramming them with the right code plug.

Really? When the narrowband mandate took effect in January of 2013, the tourist railroad and museum where I volunteer bought two Wouxun KG-UVA1s and a UV6 for use by train crew. In two and half years of use, the radios were systematically destroyed by our volunteer crew members. Finally the Operations Director donated three Motorola HT1250s and the Wouxuns were taken out of service.

Your employees must be a bit more respectful of property that wasn't theirs than our volunteers. I have two of the KG-UVA1s, one of which I bought before the museum bought theirs. It still looks like it just came out of the box...

 

[SCPD]

Welcome to the Club Dahwg .....
.
(how long until you know your callsign?... anxious, are we??........( Laffing!)

 

[Dahwg]

Welcome to the Club Dahwg .....
.
(how long until you know your callsign?... anxious, are we??........( Laffing!)

Who me?



Maybe.... A little.

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[cmdrwill]

One thing I see here in one of the highest RF sinkholes, is may new Hams are doping out of ham radio stating much frustration with CCR and other low budget radios not working well in 'the sinkhole'.