RFI on Ham Radios

[LuckyDuck]

Perhaps I should just go ahead and tag @Gunfighter14e2 on this post from the get-go but I had a question about purchasing one's first Ham radio.

For a bit of housekeeping- I've mentioned it here before but I had gotten my technician ticket a number of years ago (it's still current) and haven't done anything with it. Truth be told (and I might have said this before) but I pursued getting my license as just an alternative from drinking beer and arguing with folks here in the Pit. Reckon I thought I'd be spending my time better learning something new.

Only problem is I never didn't anything with it once I got my license initially. I had read that the volunteer testers often times would allow someone to "test up" and see if they could pass the exam for the higher license (and dang rabbit I would have passed the 'General" exam with flying colors given the opportunity) but the event I found myself in only allowed testing for the Tech license.

Alright- moving on, I'm approaching the point where I'll need to (if nothing else) renew my license with the FCC (which they're now charging for as of recent). I don't want to necessary squander my previous attempts of acquiring knowledge but I'm also struggling with renewing my license if I haven't so much have touched a HAM radio in almost 10 years.

I'm as introverted as they come but I have had it in my head that I owed it to myself to at least give this hobby an honest shake and see where that takes me.

That said- I'm looking at two polar ends of the spectrum/price point. The models I'm looking at are both handheld & triband but their prices are vastly different...

The models I'm looking at are:

This Kenwood on the "high" end: https://www.kenwood.com/usa/com/amateur/th-d75a/


and the "lower end" being this particular Yaseu, the VX-6R: https://www.yaesu.com/jp/en/products/ama_handheld.html

On one hand- since I haven't done jack squat with my HAM ticket for over half a decade- part of me wants to just be dismissive and cut my losses. If I really felt contrary- I'd buy the Yaseu and run away with my asian princess.

But- that just doesn't seem to be how it works right?

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

Testing up as you call it is SOP, unless the VE's had some kind of emergency. I've seen many people walk in for their first test & pass all three tests.
Price points in radio are worthless, specs are the truth Sayer. There is no draw back to either of those radios & the VX6R is what I prefer & use. I install the barometric pressure sensor (no longer available) in mine and w/a wrist temp sensor D/A was known quick. That said when teaching FNG's I/we use chink UV5R's we have modded and they exceed the ability of "Higher End Radios", in many aspects. Which would/will be much better for SHTF work, if needed. While they don't have the finesse they still get the job done. For my QTH & portables its all Kenwood for a number of reasons, but I also have Collins, Swan, Icom, Heath kit ect, in transceivers, and support gear runs the gamit.

Depending the level of ability you're after, radio can get very expensive once you're past just CW or talking. If you ever get into RF snooping it gets very, very pricey real quick. To the tune of 3-10X gun shit, no matter the shooting level. The rewards though can be huge even with a very small scale investment, if shit goes sideways. The Military Golden triangle requires you to have the ability to Shoot, Move & Communicate and none of the three come w/o training.
For basic training to get your license one of the best places is to start Here and take the test's until you are in the 90-95% range each time. The tech & general are 35 question tests but the question pool is over 400 for either, The Extra is a 50 question test with a pool of over 600 possible questions.
Now all that said, in any emergency you do not need any type of gov permission to operate any radio on any freq, but like all things you need to know how to use it and its much more, than just pushing a button. Find a club Here and they can get you or point you to someone that can get/teach you to any level, you want the ability of.

The biggest advantage of radio to me is the ability to gather info on events local and all around this rock w/o media or state sponsored spin.
Another advantage is having groups all around yours that can keep you updated about what is happening in their A/O should shit go sideways. As most all of them have different coding systems just for that. Nice to have other groups to call on for any type of help if need be,... and they all bring different skill sets.

 

[John?]

@LuckyDuck

you define your mission and kit will become obvious.

I’ll second @Gunfighter14e2 comment on finding a club. Those folks know the local RF environment and can advise on proper kit. For example, i am a long time Icom user but live in the Kaw River Valley now. Yaesu digital is the hot ticket here as most repeaters run Fusion. So if you want the option to use digital repeaters you need to know what infrastructure is available to you. FM analog repeaters are everywhere, but things are moving to digital rapidly.

General use HTs can and should be FM analog. Many to choose from. We use chinese radios modded to open them up a bit. They’re cheap and no one complains when they get lost, dropped off a ravine or run over by an ATV. It happens.

Mobile radios are different and where you should focus for VHF and UHF. INTERNET relay of some sort is a big discriminator on kit (there are many protocols depending on your local repeater set up).

Get your General ticket. It ain’t hard. My 12 year old twins have it, and my 13 year old is and Extra. All run CW at 30 wpm. Digital modes are super easy.

HF is far more useful to us than VHF/UHF. Having both is very useful.

Learn how to build wire antennas. Add in a TinySA of you choice and you’ll be off to the races for talking, listening, and RDF.

Easy Button:
Yaesu or ICOM mobile rig and power supply. Let repeater digital infrastructure drive your choice. Antenna: Arrow vertical works well. Or build your own.

HF. Basic Yaesu 710 is currently one of the best and most affordable rigs. It is what I would buy if I needed a QRO HF rig. I ran one during field day and was impressed. Antenna: 10-80 end fed half wave will get you started. Build your own after than. You will also need an antenna tuner, coax,
Power supply, etc. members of you local ham club often have gently used items for resale after an upgrade.

Hope this helps.
-john

 

[Alpine 338]

If you have time study the question pool. I prefer the FCC version, as it has the options I like. The reason maybe they didn't offer the General exam when you took the test, as I understand it, the tests have to be pre-ordered, and maybe they only ordered the Tech exams when you tested?

I would suggest the Yaesu FT-60R. It's still made in Japan vs. China as most of the comparable models are now made in a Country that hates America. I think the battery charger is made in China though. It is one of the last HT's that still has a manual squelch, and still utilizes AA batteries. All three of those things met my requirements.

Take the test, for the measley $15 and an hour or so of your time, it's worth it.

 

[LuckyDuck]

Testing up as you call it is SOP, unless the VE's had some kind of emergency. I've seen many people walk in for their first test & pass all three tests.
Price points in radio are worthless, specs are the truth Sayer. There is no draw back to either of those radios & the VX6R is what I prefer & use. I install the barometric pressure sensor (no longer available) in mine and w/a wrist temp sensor D/A was known quick. That said when teaching FNG's I/we use chink UV5R's we have modded and they exceed the ability of "Higher End Radios", in many aspects. Which would/will be much better for SHTF work, if needed. While they don't have the finesse they still get the job done. For my QTH & portables its all Kenwood for a number of reasons, but I also have Collins, Swan, Icom, Heath kit ect, in transceivers, and support gear runs the gamit.

Depending the level of ability you're after, radio can get very expensive once you're past just CW or talking. If you ever get into RF snooping it gets very, very pricey real quick. To the tune of 3-10X gun shit, no matter the shooting level. The rewards though can be huge even with a very small scale investment, if shit goes sideways. The Military Golden triangle requires you to have the ability to Shoot, Move & Communicate and none of the three come w/o training.
For basic training to get your license one of the best places is to start Here and take the test's until you are in the 90-95% range each time. The tech & general are 35 question tests but the question pool is over 400 for either, The Extra is a 50 question test with a pool of over 600 possible questions.
Now all that said, in any emergency you do not need any type of gov permission to operate any radio on any freq, but like all things you need to know how to use it and its much more, than just pushing a button. Find a club Here and they can get you or point you to someone that can get/teach you to any level, you want the ability of.

The biggest advantage of radio to me is the ability to gather info on events local and all around this rock w/o media or state sponsored spin.
Another advantage is having groups all around yours that can keep you updated about what is happening in their A/O should shit go sideways. As most all of them have different coding systems just for that. Nice to have other groups to call on for any type of help if need be,... and they all bring different skill sets.

First things first- a sincere thank you for taking your time to respond. My apologies for putting you on the spot with the OP as that wasn't my intention as much as it seemed to my experience that you were the most vocal & experienced member on the topic.

I might have shared this story here before but my LGS hosted a HAM radio class over a weekend where we went through 2 days of going through the Technician exam and tested the afternoon of the second day. It's been over 5 years but from what I remember it required 3 VE's to be present (at least at the time, maybe things changed/I'm remembering inaccurately) and 2 were extra's & 1 was a General (the instructor was an 'extra' but not part of the VE's for testing purposes. As you mentioned, I recall reading at the time that it was common to be allowed to take the higher level test after passing and I studied for my General that weekend (truth be told it didn't seem too much of a bridge further than the technician from what I remember) but they only allowed the class to test for the Technician exam that particular day.

Also appreciate your commentary about the specs being what wags the proverbial tail.

-LD

 

[LuckyDuck]

@LuckyDuck

you define your mission and kit will become obvious.

I’ll second @Gunfighter14e2 comment on finding a club. Those folks know the local RF environment and can advise on proper kit. For example, i am a long time Icom user but live in the Kaw River Valley now. Yaesu digital is the hot ticket here as most repeaters run Fusion. So if you want the option to use digital repeaters you need to know what infrastructure is available to you. FM analog repeaters are everywhere, but things are moving to digital rapidly.

General use HTs can and should be FM analog. Many to choose from. We use chinese radios modded to open them up a bit. They’re cheap and no one complains when they get lost, dropped off a ravine or run over by an ATV. It happens.

Mobile radios are different and where you should focus for VHF and UHF. INTERNET relay of some sort is a big discriminator on kit (there are many protocols depending on your local repeater set up).

Get your General ticket. It ain’t hard. My 12 year old twins have it, and my 13 year old is and Extra. All run CW at 30 wpm. Digital modes are super easy.

HF is far more useful to us than VHF/UHF. Having both is very useful.

Learn how to build wire antennas. Add in a TinySA of you choice and you’ll be off to the races for talking, listening, and RDF.

Easy Button:
Yaesu or ICOM mobile rig and power supply. Let repeater digital infrastructure drive your choice. Antenna: Arrow vertical works well. Or build your own.

HF. Basic Yaesu 710 is currently one of the best and most affordable rigs. It is what I would buy if I needed a QRO HF rig. I ran one during field day and was impressed. Antenna: 10-80 end fed half wave will get you started. Build your own after than. You will also need an antenna tuner, coax,
Power supply, etc. members of you local ham club often have gently used items for resale after an upgrade.

Hope this helps.
-john

To your point John,

I think you hit the nail on the head of why I'm struggling to select a radio. I really don't know what I'm after, what I'm trying to do, or even why I care. As I mentioned previously, I had pursued getting my ticket mainly because I had a lot of experience with radios in a previous life and figured a weekend spent learning something was a better use of my time than watching tv & drinking beer. Reckon that's a big part of why I haven't done anything with it since getting my technician license too.

Reckon I need to do some more homework before I make any decisions here.

Thank you for the commentary though!

-LD

 

[LuckyDuck]

If you have time study the question pool. I prefer the FCC version, as it has the options I like. The reason maybe they didn't offer the General exam when you took the test, as I understand it, the tests have to be pre-ordered, and maybe they only ordered the Tech exams when you tested?

I would suggest the Yaesu FT-60R. It's still made in Japan vs. China as most of the comparable models are now made in a Country that hates America. I think the battery charger is made in China though. It is one of the last HT's that still has a manual squelch, and still utilizes AA batteries. All three of those things met my requirements.

Take the test, for the measley $15 and an hour or so of your time, it's worth it.

I actually looked into the Yaesu FT-60 previously so I catch what you're getting at & truth be told that's the exact model that I almost purchased when I first got my ticket but I got overwhelmed with the number of options/capabilities on the market and seem to remember being stuck in the details on whether spending the money for a waterproof/resistant & tri-band Yaesu would be worth the extra $.

Classic "paralysis of the analysis" I suppose.

Thanks for the advice though!

-LD

 

[LuckyDuck]

Just as a follow up-

I've kept trying to get smarter and knock the rust off since it'd been a number of years since getting my ticket and trying to better define what I was after. In addition to the previously discussed models I also was comparing the FT-70DR model as being perhaps less ruggedly built but with digital options. However one of the comments I came across was to take inventory of the number/location of fusion repeaters near me to leverage it and I think I found two total within the surrounding 4 counties here so that played into my thought process.

I suspected that there may be deals around Labor Day and ended up being correct after looking at HRO, GigaParts, & DXe. Ultimately HRO seemed to have the best overall prices so that's who I went with and picked up the VX-6R for my first radio (it was just north of $200 with the sale) and unlike the Kenwood I mentioned, figured this gets me something of quality to play with and start formulating opinions and left me with some extra money to put into accessories. It came down to that or the FT-60R that was recommended here but for the $80 difference I chose the 6R for the smaller form factor, tri-band ability, and water resistance.

In case there's any interest, the add-on's I went with were:

* MARS Mod (seems like it essentially just removed a resistor and is the hardware equivalent of 'jailbreaking' the unit). With the VX-6R being a popular option I found some videos showing it done and while I felt comfortable making the modification myself with how straightforward it is, I just don't have any of the equipment to do such with the finesse I'd require for my preferences.

* A handful of Diamond branded antennas. Thought process being that I distinctly remember hearing that the factory "rubber ducks" suck and that a quality antenna was one of the most bang for your buck change. Specifically a 13.75 tri-band (SRH320A) which seemed to get the most frequent recommendations for adding capability while keeping a the footprint manageable/relative to the small size of the transceiver. And since the whole point is to screw around with this and get smarter I also grabbed the dual band stubby 2.75" (SRHF10) & 7.75" (SRH519) as the middle ground. For about $20-$25 I threw them in to compare and contrast with real world differences.

* A spare lithium ion battery & rapid charger.

* A speaker microphone. Grabbed the Standard Horizon MH-73A4B specifically because it was built to the same submersible rating as the handheld and a crap mic is maddening from my memory of using radios professionally in the past.

*Lastly I added some pocket quick reference cheat sheet specific to the radio as well as a programming cable w/out the associated software. I'm going to give it a try using Chirp first but depending how that goes, I might pony up the $25 for the RT Systems ADMS program. Ideally I'm trying to run the software on MacOS which they both claim to support but time will tell.

All said and done- I'm out about $550 for the VX-6R including all the other add-on's I threw in the cart. I know it's apples to oranges as far as the radio capabilities go but that still puts me $100 less than purchasing the Kenwood TH-D75A alone at its current sale price. So I think I allocated my dollars wisely and have a good starting point to build from.

If you're still with me- I'd welcome any thoughts on how I ultimately did. Hopefully the items ordered are indicative of research having actually been done on the topic and not the result of haphazard clicking on shinny things but if I screwed the proverbial pooch with anything on this order I'd like to know about it at least and why I was misguided.

Thanks again for everyone's help on this.

-LD

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

In case there's any interest, the add-on's I went with were:

* MARS Mod (seems like it essentially just removed a resistor and is the hardware equivalent of 'jailbreaking' the unit). With the VX-6R being a popular option I found some videos showing it done and while I felt comfortable making the modification myself with how straightforward it is, I just don't have any of the equipment to do such with the finesse I'd require for my preferences.

You have a MARS call sign & license? Or has HRO changed their policy?

 

[John?]

You have a MARS call sign & license? Or has HRO changed their policy?

HRO sells MARS mod to anyone with cash. They didn’t bother to ask for my MARS credentials when we upgraded radios.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

HRO sells MARS mod to anyone with cash. They didn’t bother to ask for my MARS credentials when we upgraded radios.

Interesting. I always did my own but, its been 10-12 years since I bought a new radio so guess I'm out of touch on that front. Will they open it up to TX between 30 & 50Mhz or do you still have to do that yourself?

 

[John?]

@Gunfighter14e2 - they completely open the radio.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

@Gunfighter14e2 - they completely open the radio.

HRO opens it to Tx on 30 to 50Mhz???

 

[LuckyDuck]

There be the haul.

-LD

 

[LuckyDuck]

Another pic for good measure... I'm kinda excited about this endeavor and learning more.

-LD

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

View attachment 8757495

Another pic for good measure... I'm kinda excited about this endeavor and learning more.

-LD

Once you get into HF you'll find a totally different world vs being restricted by repeaters that are controlled by others.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

Once you get into HF check out this Link. It will keep you up to date and allow finding others around you which will lead you on to bigger & better things, radio.

 

[Ronws]

I did not get into operating a HAM radio rig but my step-grandfather was into it. In fact, he would give me his older copies of the Ham radio handbook. Got me books on electronics. At 11, he was teaching me the shortcut to single variable differential calculus and integral calculus. Then he gave my high school primers on Einstein's fear of relatives, I mean, theories of relativity.

I simply did not have the money for it but he did.

Long story short, he had a really nice Kenwood base station and erected his own antenna in the backyard.

So, I don't know about the other off-brand in here, though it may be good. But I do know that Kenwood has been doing this stuff for more decades.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

But I do know that Kenwood has been doing this stuff for more decades.

and sadly Kenwood stopped being interested in Ham radio about 7-8 years ago. I was talking to a Kenwood eng at the Huntsville Hamfast back then and he said their Ham radio sale were so low it was no longer profitable for them. Course they sowed & hoed that garden their self by not keeping up with wanted trinkets on the gear.

I've a few Kenwoods that I use for base station, mobile, and portable work that have been bullet proof so far. That said Icom & Yeasu have surpassed Kenwood with many adders that can not even be retrofitted to most Kenwoods w/o a computer & sound card being added & working in conjunction with. I still prefer my Kenwoods though as some of the setting allow dragging some stations out of the weeds vs some other radios. I find working splits & cross-band repeat is faster (at least for me) if I have to switch operational modes quick as well. On digital my Yeasu's have too much of a set up lag time for me, when doing some things during the Armed Forces day crossband test.

 

[LuckyDuck]

and sadly Kenwood stopped being interested in Ham radio about 7-8 years ago. I was talking to a Kenwood eng at the Huntsville Hamfast back then and he said their Ham radio sale were so low it was no longer profitable for them. Course they sowed & hoed that garden their self by not keeping up with wanted trinkets on the gear.

I've a few Kenwoods that I use for base station, mobile, and portable work that have been bullet proof so far. That said Icom & Yeasu have surpassed Kenwood with many adders that can not even be retrofitted to most Kenwoods w/o a computer & sound card being added & working in conjunction with. I still prefer my Kenwoods though as some of the setting allow dragging some stations out of the weeds vs some other radios. I find working splits & cross-band repeat is faster (at least for me) if I have to switch operational modes quick as well. On digital my Yeasu's have too much of a set up lag time for me, when doing some things during the Armed Forces day crossband test.

That's a shame but likely explains why the TM-D710 disappeared from their website. That always looked like a cool mobile to me.

 

[LuckyDuck]

Once you get into HF check out this Link. It will keep you up to date and allow finding others around you which will lead you on to bigger & better things, radio.

Appreciate it, I'll check it out.

 

[Alpine 338]

View attachment 8757475

There be the haul.

-LD

Well, you made me go out and buy another FT-60, since there was a $20 off factory coupon when ordering from HRO.

I went ahead and ordered a Comet 15" dual band antenna to go with it, so hopefully it works better than the factory antenna, as I have a hard time getting through on my local repeater when I'm inside the house. I can key the repeater, but my audio doesn't get through. It doesn't help having a metal roof, and a ridgeline between me and the repeater that's about 35+ miles away.

I'm going to be in Denver next week, and if I have the time, I may swing by the local HRO. It's been over 20 years since I was last in that store, and probably 15 years since I was in the Dallas store.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

I went ahead and ordered a Comet 15" dual band antenna to go with it, so hopefully it works better than the factory antenna,

It should, the factory rubber duckies just work OK for most stuff, but Comets or Diamonds work much better. On the UV5R's we train folks with, we stepped them up to after market 16" and they work much better, while still being flexible. When we put the PRYME AL-800's on them really step them up, but they are none flexible which is an issue 90% of the time. We were going to try some of the longer folding types but have not done so yet. If anyone has tried them, I'd be interested in their results.

 

[CheStadium]

I've a few Kenwoods that I use for base station, mobile, and portable work that have been bullet proof so far.

While they might be lacking the latest gadgetry, I've found Kenwoods to be very solid in the basics of what a radio does. My old Kenwood TS-830S doesn't have the CAT control, soundcard, DSP or other things available in modern radios, but it has the hottest receiver and best transmit audio in my shack. I also have a TS-2000 and the more modern TS-590SG, which has CAT control, DSP, a soundcard, and the cool feature of being able to use a cheap SDR as a panadapter. While I maintain a HF capability, I mainly use the radios as IF's for VHF/UHF transverters. The 2000 receiver sucks above 10 meters, but works on 6M, 2M and 70cm for stuff that doesn't require a low noise figure and good sensitivity. The 830 and 2000 need a Signalink or similar gadget for digital modes. For those new to this, the TS-590SG is a great choice at its pricepoint.

I have a friend who uses a Kenwood dual band handheld and a hand-aimed Arrow antenna to make satellite contacts. All you need are the radio, antenna, and knowledge to do this.

I have an older model Icom IC-746 that has weapons grade stupid design flaws. It's in a box in the attic. It's an OK HF radio, but has serious stability problems on 6 & 2M for digital modes. It's less stable than Nancy Pelosi at happy hour. A group I do VHF contesting with uses 746 pro's as 28 MHz IF's with good transverters, and it seems to work OK.

I use a Yaesu 818ND as an IF for my portable 10 GHz setup, and it's fine for the CW and SSB used there. So far I haven't tried digital with it, but the mode used there is not as sensitive to drift as the modes commonly used on 432 MHz and below for terristrial contacts. I use a regulated voltage source with the radio and my transverter instead of a battery.

None of my radios' receivers comes close to the early 60's Collins R390A I sold and wish I still had. Most of these that you'll find in the market don't have all of the original Milspec parts, which are hard to find. Rumors in the tin foil hat crowd are that some CIA listening posts still use these and have tied up the supply of original parts. With original parts, these have a lower noise floor than any modern receiver and the filters are superb. The fact that modern radios can't outperform a 1960's receiver is sad, but I can't imagine what it would cost to build real R390 today.

 

[A.Huggy]

I fell down the radio rabbit hole this year.
At work we needed to get a radio system setup. We were using FRS radios around our facility for years but earlier this year we expanded and the budget was available to invest in a commercial system. I know this isn’t the same as HAM but doing the research to get that system set up sparked an interest in radios for me.

Since then I have purchased an RTL-SDR, FT-60 and Anytone 878. I don’t have a HAM license, but that will probably come eventually. For now I’m basically just scanning for local activity with the SDR and then programming those freqs into my radios so I can listen on the go. I probably should have bought a scanner, but it seems like there are fewer options for good quality, rugged scanners.

I have really enjoyed going to racetracks and scanning around during their events. Once I find an active frequency I’ll try to figure out which car I’m listening to. Monitoring the track staff radios is also interesting. One of the tracks near me uses DMR. I learned how tricky it can be to monitor DMR activity when you know nothing about how the system is setup.

I’m a noob when it comes to radio so I probably shouldn’t give advice, but I have enjoyed my RTL-SDR so much. I have learned more from it than my two HTs, for $50 it’s a must-have in my very humble opinion.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

I have really enjoyed going to racetracks and scanning around during their events. Once I find an active frequency I’ll try to figure out which car I’m listening to. Monitoring the track staff radios is also interesting. One of the tracks near me uses DMR. I learned how tricky it can be to monitor DMR activity when you know nothing about how the system is setup.

A small handheld Spectrum analyzer can be had cheap and will show all active freq's between 100kHz to 5+ gig.
I've had mine for a while now, and it has done everything I've asked of it, to include RDF'ing.

If you're looking at one, make sure you get the real deal, as cheap clones of it are all over the place. The Mfg'er even has a warning on their site & can tell you how to spot a fake, & who their dealers are that only sell the real thing.
Mine came from Amazon & now they have a few different models as well. I bought the basic one, but it does everything I need.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tiny+SA+...tiny+sa+ultra,industrial,101&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

 

[LuckyDuck]

So this is becoming a deeper rabbit hole than I was planning on going down this month...

Not sure if it's a "bargain" but I was perusing different online resources to pursue upgrading to a General license (largely in part to @Gunfighter14e2 's comment about HF being a whole different world) & I came across HamRadioPrep.com. The long & short there- (1) yes, the question pool/answers for the two remaining tests are published & publicly available, (2) yes, I have the mental ability to memorize the answers to pass the exam to upgrade my license, and (3) yes, there are a lot of free resources available online such as YouTube and (4) lots of good books such as the prep books published by the ARRL. That out of the way the website I mentioned was offering some sort of bundle package that included the classes for all the Technician/General/Extra material, & a "limited time/bonus" class (so better act now right?) where they have a "practical class" customized on using either the Baofeng UV-5R and Yaesu FT-65R radios.

The "discount" price was $80 for the bundle which supposedly has unlimited access & I was able to locate a 20% coupon that I was allowed to "stack" which brought the whole thing to a touch over $60. Before I continue, I do want to make clear that I have zero affiliation with this... product/company/approach/whatever you want to call it and have not had a chance to dive into it on whether it's even worth recommending should anyone be interested.

At this point- all I'm aiming to do is give some quick info on what I purchased & that should anyone be interested I wanted to put out that there's also discount codes floating around out there to bring the price down further. If by chance anyone is interested, PM me and I'll share the code I used. It looks like this company "partners" with local HAM clubs & supposedly gives them a small kickback. That said, I have at least two different ones I can share with you that'd be your choice to pick from. You can google either code and see who they're associated with (once again promising neither benefits me) and I'm all but certain if you want to do this on your own you'd find plenty of other codes out there offering the same thing but do not settle for one that's anything less than 20%.

With that out of the way- my own reasons for doing so at such time is (1) I really do want to make an effort to learn about this whole HAM thing after so many years of having a license without action & by committing some money that "forces" me to be invested in seeing that desire through (2) while I'm confident I can "upgrade" my license by memorizing just the answers, it sort of defeats my desire to actually grow & learn something useful along the way so I was desiring a format that (at least supposedly) taught the material (3) As a quick qualifying statement, I want to state that the Hide is a community of folks that wouldn't even blink an eye at spending $2K+ on a quality low powered scope, so not by any means "flexing" here but $60 for the online class for all the exams & the apparent bonus class was low enough of an investment for me personally that I was willing to gamble with to try sight unseen to see what it's about/whether it's as valuable as the reviews claim, and to see if the more structured/measurable format works better for me than independently studying books & watching online videos. I don't remember exactly what I paid for the Technician class weekend that I attended several years back put on by one of my LGS & local HAM clubs but I want to say that in itself was about $50 or so (4) as other pointed out in this thread local HAM radio clubs can likely do as much for either free or the price of an annual membership. All valid points/approaches.

This is getting awfully long but promise that I'm wrapping up this thought now...


Again, not shilling for this company but sharing information in case there's an interest. If it's worthwhile I'll report back as such. If I think it sucks... or maybe more fairly is lacking, I can share that as well. Just depends if there's an interest.

One last 'discovery' I came across- if this sounds like a route you'd be interested in (again remember to not only snag the bundle but also a discount code either from me or from your own interest search) AND you plan on exploring this with a buddy/family member... if I may share my experience/make a recommendation... when I purchased my "bundle", my welcome email included a 30% discount on purchasing other classes for folks. So it's possible that if you want to go at this with a friend/spouse/relative/whatever I'd suggest only purchasing ONE license initially and if you get the same offer I got you can either (a) split the difference and use that coupon to buy the 2nd bundle at 30% off instead of the 20% off I found or (b) prove me wrong and you don't get the same offer and you still haven't lost anything other than having to enter your information in for a second purchase at the same discount.

Either way- I thought it was interesting and wanted to share.

Onto Part II of this rabbit hole I'm chasing Alice down into.

-LD

 

[LuckyDuck]

So Part II of why this is becoming much more of a time & money suck than I originally set out for...

I previously mentioned purchasing this online class thing and in addition to the Technician/General/Extra classes it also has an introductory class on handheld HAM operations & programing/using your "first" radio with the examples being either the Baofeng UV-5R and Yaesu FT-65R radio. The UV-5R was and still is ridiculously inexpensive but the Yaesu option was still "only" around $100 in itself. There's interesting videos comparing the two that can be found but right or wrong, I remember everyone I talked to having a poor opinion of the Baofeng options (1) because they were Chinese (2) because they had "spurious emissions", at least I think that was the term, & (3) the construction quality was often placed in question.

The Yaesu FT-65R from what I can tell is very comparable but also more than quadruple the price with the UV-5R since those are going for ballpark $25. If the FT-65R is worth 4x the UV-5R... honestly I don't know. I do know that the FT-65R's used to also be made in China but my research suggests either 2-3 years ago they started being made in Japan like the other Yaesu radios I know of (although the accessories like charger/battery is still made in China). So the current FT-65R "package" seems to be 80% made in Japan (the radio) and 20% still made in china (the accessories). At least that's the math most of the vocal Hams have to say on the matter from what I was able to research.

All that to say- I wanted to maximize the potential of that course and with the radio "only" being $100 I decided to purchase that as well in addition to the VX-6R I recently bought. Figured that way I could at least follow along for a minimal investment but... I "had" to include a few extra accessories like an extra battery & a better antenna. In case I prove to be a neanderthal and struggled to manually program the "easy-to-program" radio, I also threw in a programing cable and one of those "nifty" reference cards (think Cliff Notes equivalent for HAM radios for those reading this & don't know what that is).

....I'm still not done

-LD

 

[LuckyDuck]

Part III

Closing out the FT-65R radio purchase- unlike my original VX-6R, when I researched the "MARS Mod" it looks like it's entirely software driven/invoked by pressing a certain number of buttons simultaneously & entering a however many digit code so I decided to "save" the $35 and figure that one out on my own.

So now I've got a Yaesu VX-6R in hand and a FT-65R (and accessories) on order. As I mentioned I've been sucked into this rabbit hole and spending my time researching the topic & the FT-60R keeps coming up (notice how all my previous "candidates" remain in my memory bank even after making a decision?).

Well I actually found a YouTube channel that had a very in-depth multi part series on just the VX-6R radio and from what I skimmed it seems to be excellent, thorough & exactly what I was looking for & comparable to this FT-65R walkthrough in this class bundle I purchased.

So back online I go and the FT-60R is on sale with a manufacture coupon and (again) "only" $140. I think to myself... "Duck, you spend that much on gas/match fees/and ammo without second thought & you'll have this forever & it's for educational purposes"... Next thing I know I'm ordering this FT-60R at "only" $140 (again along with an extra battery and a few accessories- albeit less of 'em than I grabbed for the FT-65R because they were a bit more pricey and I figure I can grab 'em on sale at a later date).

Yeah... as the old "Ronco" commercials go... wait there's more...

-LD

 

[LuckyDuck]

Part IV

Just to recap... in rapid succession after purchasing my 1st radio & having a brand new Yaesu VX-6R in hand- I have now went on to purchase a class bundle that should take me up to an Extra license, ordered a Yaesu FT-65R (and accessories), as well as a Yaesu FT-60R (and a few more accessories).

Remember when I started this thread and mentioned the Kenwood TH-D75A? As "luck" (I'm sure it must be luck and sheer coincidence) would have it, where I've been ordering all these radios & radio accessories from just launched a "big sale" with "blow out prices" on ONLY 6 items this weekend. You better believe that damned Kenwood was included in the only 6 items they're having the "super sale" on and honestly it's the lowest price I recall ever seeing it offered at.

So I ended up buying that too... Along with some more "necessary" accessories.

I will say I showed great restraint though with the Kenwood. I did not purchase the cradle (interestingly enough both additional Yaesu's I ordered came with the cradle stock) & I did not order a spare battery since they were not on sale and also over $100 a pop... still don't know how they could possibly be that expensive. I restricted my accessories to ONLY buying an extra aftermarket antenna or two (did I mention somewhere down this path I realized I only purchased "diamond" branded antennas and realized I was doing myself a disservice in my continued education by not giving the "comet" brand a fair shake? that's been/was corrected somewhere down this road) and the programing cable/software because frankly this beast is incredibly overwhelming and I wanted to make sure I had software compatible with Mac OS before I even try to crack that nut. But that's it... well all of that & a screen protector (but hey it's a two pack!) for $20 because this is a damn expensive radio... Ok the aftermarket antenna, programing cable & software, screen protector AND the Nifty brand manual because... I did mention how overwhelming this particular radio seems to be right??

-LD

 

[LuckyDuck]

Part V

This is the "TL/DR" part most if not all are looking for...

In summary, this is the path I fell into in rapid succession with my recent "idea" to revisit HAM radio...

(1) I got the Tech license years ago didn't do anything with it
(2) After a number of years decided to revisit this HAM radio thing
(3) started researching radios, asked for guidance here and chose a Yaesu VX-6R with accessories as my 1st radio
(4) Continued researching radios, got said VX-6R and had that "spark" reignite in my interest now that I had one in hand
(5) Started researching how to actually use the VX-6R and was talked into needing to upgrade my license
(6) Found an online "class" to do so and they offered a bundle including all the licenses & changed my mind that I should take advantage of the bundle and go for "extra" instead of settling for "general" because it was 'cheaper'
(7) Bundle included a "free" class that used one of two different radios
(8) Determined that in order to get the most value out of my "free" class I needed to have one of the radios they used because it's "only" $100 radio and I'd be able to follow along
(9) Purchase the more expensive option (along with accessories) of the two radios because "Baofeng 'bad'" & I'm "already" in the Yaesu radio ecosystem with the one radio I purchased recently. Doesn't matter/register that the parts are not interchangeable either between the radios
(10) So now have one radio the VX-6R (and accessories) in possession with the FT-65R (and accessories) ordered and find an otherwise excellent YouTube channel that has a whole series on the VX-6R which is exactly what I wanted and feel content.
(11) Discover said channel has a comparable series on the FT-60R
(12) Look up the FT-60R and determine that because it's on sale with a manufacturer coupon it's again "only" $140 and proceed to order that along with other (mostly noninterchangeable with the other two radios) accessories.
(13) While purchasing the FT-60R, notice that the "high end radio" I started this discussion/path with is part of the weekend's "super sale" of only '6' items from said retailer occurring this weekend.
(14) Realize the price is the least expensive I recall ever seeing and then also order that radio (along with more 'needed' accessories).

I'm telling you- these things should really come with a warning label because they're addictive & hazardous to one's wallet in a significant way.

-LD

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

I'm telling you- these things should really come with a warning label because they're addictive & hazardous to one's wallet in a significant way.

Instead of just memorizing the answers, understand why that question is even there. Knowing the basics, which is what the test questions are, will give you a head start on knowing how to repair what the memorizers, sell cheap.
Building & repairing your own gear is rewarding and very cost effective. Why pay 100 bucks for an antenna you can make for 1-3 bucks? Why spend $10K on a high end radio when you can buy a broken one for $2K then fix it for under 20? Or buy a $5K rig that there was nothing wrong with for $225 because the memoriz'er and his experts, could not understand or believe his combined feed line length & antenna configuration was the issue. Laughed all the way home over that one.

Radio is just like shooting in many respects, having XYZ gear does not imply the owner knows to make it task out. One of the reasons, so many safe queens get sold after a match or two. Trying to buy into shooting does not work at all, nor does it with radio, but radio can get into your pocket much quicker the less you know about its operation and technical side. Getting the basics is why the test questions are asked in the first place. If you are just memorizing the answers, you are doing yourself a huge disservice.