Thinking about getting into HAM radio?

[AC2OY]

I have contimplated this for years because of a buddy years ago was into this. I never realized until recently how expensive it could be. I have done some reasearch so far and have been reading questions and taking online tests but if anybody here preferbly the New Jersey guys could give me some advice,it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[n5ims]

Ham radio, like many hobbies, can be very expensive, but you can also enjoy it very much on a budget if you want (or need) to. There's always the high $$$ top-of-the-line rigs hooked to a high dollar antennas on a high dollar tower connected with expensive coax. You can also get a good quality used rig that'll talk to the same folks using just an inexpensive dipole or multi-band vertical antenna at much less cost.

My HF radio was purchased for about half the new price (it was the top-of-the-line radio at the time) and included several high dollar options (station monitor scope, several filters, auto-tuner, etc.) and was in nearly brand new condition. The ham I got if from got it to get into contesting and got bored with HF and sold his station to finance his new hobby of classic cars. It's served me quite well the last 20 or so years. At the recent local hamfest, I saw several with fewer accessories for sale for about 2/3 what I paid for mine so I probably could sell mine now and only have ended up paying a couple of hundred for using it this many years.

 

[W2NJS]

I would suggest that you find a radio amateur (not CB) club in your area and contact them to find out what's going on, etc. That would probably pay the biggest dividends in shortened learning time for you. To find a club contact ARRL at American Radio Relay League | ARRL - The national association for AMATEUR RADIO.

And, to be sure, it CAN be a very expensive hobby, but for most of us it doesn't turn out that way.

Good luck in your quest.

 

[rapidcharger]

H.and me
A.ll your
M.oney

Pretty cheap to get into the local bands now. Lots of inexpensive new and used equipment on the market for 2m and 440 but for HF.. now we're talking some big bucks. Of course, add in your antennas, coax, power supplies, accessories, it adds up. If you want an inexpensive hobby, there's always fishing and gardening.

 

[AC2OY]

Thanks guys not really into fishing and gardening....I will do what was suggested contact the locals and see what I have to do. There is a club right in the town next to mine so I guess I will start there.

 

[n5ims]

H.and me
A.ll your
M.oney

Pretty cheap to get into the local bands now. Lots of inexpensive new and used equipment on the market for 2m and 440 but for HF.. now we're talking some big bucks. Of course, add in your antennas, coax, power supplies, accessories, it adds up. If you want an inexpensive hobby, there's always fishing and gardening.

You need to visit some hamfests. I see several good quality HF rigs for a few hundred bucks and a dipole can be made (including coax) for not much (less if you have any scrap wire/cable hanging around). A ruined extension cord combined with some CATV coax will probably do just fine as parts for making a good dipole. All you may need is a PL-259 and UG-176 adapter to mate it with your radio.

Your radio doesn't need to be a TS-2000 (to pick on Kenwood, similar comparisons can be made for Icom, Yeasu, etc.). A good used TS-520 will do pretty much the same (ignorning the VHF/UHF band coverage) for roughly 10% of the cost. Now you'll need to learn how to "peak and dip" for tuning that the newer all solid state radio doesn't require, but you'll gain the ability to load up on a greater range of antennas.

 

[AC2OY]

so I have to construct my own atenna? You just can't buy one and mount it somewhere?

 

[SCPD]

so I have to construct my own atenna? You just can't buy one and mount it somewhere?

No Sir,
You can buy antennas from different sources but it is fun to make your own sometimes....

 

[rapidcharger]

so I have to construct my own atenna? You just can't buy one and mount it somewhere?

Sure you can buy antennas. Antennas cost money though and there's also co-ax which for decent low-loss coax, you're going to drop another $50 or so for that depending on the length. You can build your own antenna and save some money there but I don't hear about anyone ever making their own coax or making their own power supplies. If you go buying new stuff for a base setup, you can expect to pay around $75 for a basic vertical base antenna, another $50 for coax, $100 for the cheapest switching power supply. That's already up to $225 and that doesn't include the radio or any masts or antenna mounting hardware, lightning arresters etc and that just gets you on the local bands, which from the look of things are pretty dead in most cities except for maybe NYC and Southern California.

Now you can skip all that and just buy a portable Handy Tranceiver (as Kenwood calls them) but then you're limited just to repeaters and unless you're real close to the repeater or have perfect unobstructed line of sight, you're going to have a poor signal into them and you'll be yet another noob with a HT that nobody talks to because the signal is so weak and scratchy.

If you want to get started, you can find out where the exams are being held and find one of the many online study guides that are online. If you know anything about radios to start out, you're already way ahead. A lot of the entry level tech license pertains to rules and regulations and operating limits. The ARRL website is a good place to start.

 

[LtDoc]

This hobby can certainly get expensive! It can also be not so expensive too. But like any hobby, there's always a cost, the total cost is up to you. Nothing says you have to have the latest/greatest/newest thingy that comes along. The typical differences between those latest and greatest thingys and older stuff is a matter of 'degree', and to be perfectly honest, those differences aren't all that much usually. The 'best' radio for you is one that fit's your particular situation the best at some particular point in time. You can figure that 'best' will change, it always does. Depends a lot on your attitude too. Nothing wrong with the 'older'/used stuff unless you are status conscious. That's a loosing proposition to start with, don't get caught up in that (too much anyway).
The idea is to have fun at it. That doesn't always take a lot of money. It's always gonna take some though.
So have fun.
- 'Doc

 

[pjtnascar]

You don't need to spend a lot of money to start out. You can pick up a Chinese dual band HT for a hundred bucks. You can spend as much or as little as you want to enjoy the hobby. If you don't want to spend any money, you can use Echolink when you get your license. Echolink works over the internet. It's not exactly ham radio, but you can learn a lot there. Take a ride to KJI Electronics on Bloomfield Avenue in Caldwell, or Advanced Specialties in Lodi to get a feel for what's out there. I'm a pretty broke ham, but I managed to get on HF, 2m, and 440 for under a $1,000.00. My fist rig cost a little over $100.00 and I was able to work 2m and 440 with it to talk on the local repeaters. It's a TYT Chinese-made HT. I've had it for over a year with no problems.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

I read ARRL site for green horns. I'm not sure this hobby is for me. I may just stick to my Honda CBR 1300 for grins. The fines are just too high, the cost of owning a Ham is too much for me. The outcome is a lot alike tho, One mistake and it's over.

 

[zz0468]

I read ARRL site for green horns. I'm not sure this hobby is for me. I may just stick to my Honda CBR 1300 for grins. The fines are just too high, the cost of owning a Ham is too much for me. The outcome is a lot alike tho, One mistake and it's over.

It may not be, if following a few simple rules is just too much. As to the cost, it can cost whatever you want it to cost. It's possible to get on the air on a shoestring budget, as cheap or cheaper than CB. The fines? What fines? You're supposed to understand the rules, operate within them, and there are NO FINES.

One mistake? No. The people at the FCC are quite human. If you were to, say, accidentally operate outside of your licensed privileges and get cited, you have to respond to the cite. Usually, a simple letter of explanation (new radio, new ham, you didn't understand it but you do now) sort of thing, and a fine would be extremely unlikely.

 

[AC2OY]

I read ARRL site for green horns. I'm not sure this hobby is for me. I may just stick to my Honda CBR 1300 for grins. The fines are just too high, the cost of owning a Ham is too much for me. The outcome is a lot alike tho, One mistake and it's over.

I'm sorry sir but I'm not qutie sure what your implying...In 03 I rocked a 954rr and well I payed over $400the bucks...now since I've owned two gixxers no fines or points....so if I accidently exceed my bandwidth of privileges in the beginning its gonna be the same as faceing the State Police? I was more worried about atenna's or how or where to mount it and how to run the feed line? I have to read more.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

I am sorry, I read some things I didn't understand. I saw a youtube video that said if I plug a radio in and listen to it without a license, they would come get me and put me in jail. Hobbys are not meant to scare anyone. Another one said Ham radio operators are lazy & obese. I know that's a lie. I will continue to read and learn. If I am a pain I am truly sorry. I am trying my best. Thanks for all your help.

 

[zz0468]

Disregard Youtube as being a source of anything factual. Go to the ARRL web page. Read there. Buy their study guides. Forget you tube, and forget most of what you read here on RadioReference. It's all opinion. You want facts. You'll get those in books and study guides.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Thank You zz.! Another door is unlocked. I am closer. I understand. In 1970 a Hurricane Named Celia, hit Corpus Christi, Tx. It was real bad. Ham radio operators kept many people alive in many ways. I was 13 yrs old. I promised myself, I would be a "Ham" someday

 

[AC2OY]

see there you go saddle!!!....I have been into radio's all my life...studied it in college,did a few on air shifts,had scanners,cb's but never really had the moneyy or reasources for ham...now when I come here and look at people's set ups.....I have to set up my ovn station yesterday. I have alot more "intel" to gather and study for the test but I really think I want to do this!!!!

 

[Saddletramp1200]

I see a wonderful hobby. Going real fast gets old after a while. I love to listen, and love to talk. My friends would say, I would make a great lawyer, or radio dj. Most in my heart, I love to help people. I feel this hobby maybe right for me.

 

[Sindoris]

I have to agree with zz0468. Make sure you get the right information. I was on the fence for many years about getting my license. I decided this year was the year, and I received my callsign a few days ago. I've listened to scanners for years. I've never heard about anyone being fined or going to jail for listening to Ham radio, maybe it's happened. You only need a license to transmit. I had a scanner/ham antenna that I bought 7 years ago (for $60 at Radio Shack and $20 for the antenna cable) for my scanners. I went to a local Ham Radio store and picked up an inexpensive Chinese HT radio with external mic/speaker, adapter for my antenna, USB programming cable and the next study book (General book) all totaling $206. I used it with my existing antenna to check into a net from a repeater 20 miles away from home with no issues. Eventually, I will upgrade my antennas. My wife worries that the new hobby will be expensive, but unlike my other hobby (Flying), once you get a radio/antenna, your basically done. Of course, I'm saving up for a good base and another mobile, and may even try out the D-STAR repeaters around me. You can make it as expensive or inexpensive as you like. I joined a club for $22/year and the ARRL for $39/year. Like you, I enjoy helping people, so I hope to get involved in emergency communications and turn my hobby into helping others.