First of all, an apology. I had intended to publish one of these blog posts about weekly, but my laptop decided to pack it in at the last Windows update about three weeks ago. Composing these things on a tablet or phone is possible, but not a lot of fun. I now have a brand new desktop so my fingers can fly across the keyboard once again!

So, shortly after receiving that notification that you actually PASSED the exam and have your new callsign in hand (or inbox, as it may be) thoughts inevitably drift toward what radio to get. Time was, back in the dark ages when I got my license, this was a BIG deal since the main communication frequencies were HF (below 30Mhz) and VHF transceivers were only just coming into the fore. (handheld units for UHF were a ways off….) So, that meant looking for a receiver AND a transmitter that together, unless you bought army surplus, would be worth almost a month’s salary. There was some used stuff available, but you’d have to a) find out where the local hams hang out; and b) scrounge through all the ‘stuff’ being offered to find the gems worth taking home and get working. VHF and UHF were just starting to be used locally, handheld radios were big, bulky and expensive, and repeaters were sparse. Getting access was a closely guarded secret. Lets just say it wasn’t cheap or easy to get started….

Now, things are quite a bit easier. As I mentioned in the last blog, my main goal is to get you ‘on the air’ — getting used to talking on a radio, becoming part of the community, and enjoying the exploration of all the different technologies available. And today, the easiest way to do that is to pick up a VHF/UHF handheld transceiver. The beauty of a transceiver is that it’s an ‘all in one’ solution — receiver, transmitter, antenna, mike, speaker, and power supply! There’s nothing to add! And there are lots of them available in a wide variety of capabilities and price points. I’m not going to do a review or rating of the various units that are out there, but I thought I would give some (I hope) helpful hints and ideas to help you narrow down your selection.

1) Talk to other hams in the area to find out what they are using. What do they like about it? What things bug them about using their rigs? Or features they wish they had? There are advantages to picking up the same rig as other hams, as they can help you get it set up, help with teaching you how it works, etc. Also, ask if the hams are willing to show you the rig and let you hold it, play with it a bit, etc. before you buy.

2) Further to the above, check out how the radio ‘feels’ in your hand — the physical aspects. Does it fit well? How heavy is it? How well can you see the screen? (Are you having to squint to read the information? How well does it work in bright sunlight?) Can you use the screen, buttons and controls easily? Do they make sense to you? (Every manufacturer does things a different way and some make more sense than others). Are the earphone, microphone and power supply jacks easily accessible? If you’re planning to take it out on hikes, is it waterproof (in case you drop it) or at least rainproof?

2) What do you want to do with the radio? Do you just want to use it to connect with the local ham community? And how wide is the community you want to connect with — just here in Oceanside, or up and down the Island, or even to the mainland (Greater Vancouver area)? Does the radio have enough power to get to the repeaters you want to talk to? Is it something you might depend on in an emergency? Are extra battery packs and a charger/power adapter available?

3) Think about what features and capabilities are important to you. Do you want/need long battery life? What kind of user interface makes sense/works for you? Do you need/want DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) or DSTAR or C4FM capability as well? (I’ll talk more about these digital modes in a later blog) Does it need proprietary cables for programming, etc. or can you use normal USB cables, etc? Do you want to (now or eventually) connect the handheld to a bigger, ‘base station’ antenna outside or in your attic? Are there adapter cables available to do that?

4) How much $$ do you want to spend? There are two main schools of thought here. The first is to spend very little on your first rig, as you figure out how much you want to be involved in the hobby, what areas interest you, and where you want to focus your future investments. Thus, this first radio can essentially be thought of as a ‘throwaway’ when you upgrade to the one you really want/need! The other school recommends that you get as good a rig as you can afford, with the thought that it will last longer, have fewer problems, be expandable and in the end, cost less. It’s really up to you (and your wallet) which route you want to take.

5) Where are you purchasing the rig? If something goes wrong and you’re looking for repairs, etc. then sticking to one of the major manufacturers (Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, etc.) might be a better bet. While the ‘Off-shore knockoffs’ are cheap and have lots of neat features, getting them repaired if they break down is well-nigh impossible. You’re basically throwing the unit away and getting a new one. (Actually, with the current technologies involved with handhelds, the same could be true of ANY unit. Like cellphones, repair shops are few and far between and in most cases, it may be cheaper to simply buy a new unit.) With that in mind, I would recommend purchasing from reputable, well-known radio distributors — at least they will provide a replacement warranty should anything go wrong in the first year (or whatever).

6) Think about ‘used’ equipment as well. Again, check with local hams to see if they are any ‘estate sales’ of recently deceased amateurs, or a ‘rummage sale’ of extra radios no longer needed. The local MIRA group website frequently lists auctions of ham equipment for much less than normal retail price.

As I said at the beginning, my goal is to get you ‘on the air’ as quickly as possible. Depending upon your nature, take what time you need to make a decision, but get that rig! Grab one of the local hams to help get it programmed to the local repeaters, etc. then join us on one of the nets I mentioned in the last blog. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Don VE7ATJ (drtolson at outlook dot com)

DONALD TOLSON

By DONALD TOLSON

Licensed in 1972, upgraded to Advanced in 1973. Out of the hobby until 2015 and moved to Parksville/French Creek in 2021. HF, VHF/UHF