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I strongly encourage people to look at getting a ham license. It costs $14 or $15 depending on where you test, and it's good for 10 years.

Me personally I buy my radios online, from http://www.hamradio.com/ There is no tax and orders over $100 are shipped free via UPS.

A good cheap handheld radio is a Wouxun http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-010931. I will admit tho, this is cheap and can be a pain to program, but once you get it down, it's not too bad. For a bit more you can get a icom, yeasu or kenwood HT for a little bit more.

Of course, if all you want to do is listen realtime to the RACES/ARES/Skywarn folks, then you can just buy an inexpensive handheld scanner.

There are others on here that I'm sure have more advise to offer, but I am so far happy with the Wouxun HT that I bought.

I have a mobile radio in my car and one on my desk with an anteanna outside my house, so the HT isn't my only radio, but it works for what I use it for.

magillapd wrote:I have a mobile radio in my car and one on my desk with an anteanna outside my house, so the HT isn't my only radio, but it works for what I use it for.

What do you use if for?

WildBill wrote:

magillapd wrote:I have a mobile radio in my car and one on my desk with an anteanna outside my house, so the HT isn't my only radio, but it works for what I use it for.

What do you use if for?

I use it to monitor/talk on very close repeaters as well as my county's RACES repeater during storms. I also use it when I feel like playing radio in the garage, living room, or outside in yard. My desk radio is Kenwood TM-V71A which I'll set up to cross band repeat, so I can monitor one of the echolink repeaters around here, other farther away repeaters or if I just want to ragchew with friends on simplex. Crossband repeat is a great feature!

I also take it with me on vacations to hit local repeaters there.

WildBill wrote:

magillapd wrote:I have a mobile radio in my car and one on my desk with an anteanna outside my house, so the HT isn't my only radio, but it works for what I use it for.

What do you use if for?

I thought I'd put in a few more uses, here.... I use my HT (1) (handie talki)e to: talk to friends and acquaintances by connecting through repeaters, both locally and around the world, through repeaters that are linked through the Internet Repeater Linking Project, and (2) use it to track the rockets I fly (not ususally your little Estes models from Hobby Lobby, but 4" to 6" diameter rockets anywhere from 4 feet to 7 or 8 feet in length that may fly up to a mile or a mile=and=a=half high. They carry a little transmitter that sends out it's current latitude and longitude and altitude via a data stream that my HT can decode and, using the built-n GPS, point me to the right direction to walk, and tell me how far away the rocket is),(3) and I also have an alarm on an outbuilding that uses ham radio to transmit a signal when the door is opened, and (4) use the touch tones to instruct a coupe of remote control devices to do various thing and (5) monitor the weather nets, especially when there's severe weather possible.

As you can see, that little box of plastic, resistors, transistors and LCDs can do a lot of things!

About the only thing you can't do on the radio is use it to make money (ham radio is strictly for non-commercial uses though, in an emergency, you CAN use it to call a wrecker, or a repair shop, or AAA., etc.

Thanks for the links magillapd. I hadn't priced any new equipment in several years. That little unit is a bit more affordable than the Icoms I priced a few years ago. My old AOR is worn out, unreliable, and doesn't have the pl codes

2farnorth wrote:Thanks for the links magillapd. I hadn't priced any new equipment in several years. That little unit is a bit more affordable than the Icoms I priced a few years ago. My old AOR is worn out, unreliable, and doesn't have the pl codes

You might also look at http://www.maintradingcompany.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They often claim to have the lowest price on the various Wouxon handhelds.

KC5AV wrote:

2farnorth wrote:Thanks for the links magillapd. I hadn't priced any new equipment in several years. That little unit is a bit more affordable than the Icoms I priced a few years ago. My old AOR is worn out, unreliable, and doesn't have the pl codes

You might also look at http://www.maintradingcompany.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They often claim to have the lowest price on the various Wouxon handhelds.

okay...Now you've done it. That place is within 50 miles of me. Never knew it. Might have to sneak in there for a peak.

KC5AV wrote:

2farnorth wrote:Thanks for the links magillapd. I hadn't priced any new equipment in several years. That little unit is a bit more affordable than the Icoms I priced a few years ago. My old AOR is worn out, unreliable, and doesn't have the pl codes

You might also look at http://www.maintradingcompany.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They often claim to have the lowest price on the various Wouxon handhelds.

I just read a number of reviews on this radio and people seem to really like it. That's an amazing price!

Chas.

Here's a first-hand review of the Wouxun UVD-1P, if you like:

because it's more-or-less a commercial-class radio, the Wouxun's open frequencies (you can monitor and transmit on the MURS, FRS, and GMRS frequencies) I purchased one of these radios. As a ham, I've never had need to use them, but it's fun to listen in (which is legal) especially on our local Walmart's MURS channel, when they think no one can hear them.

The stock battery that came with it is a definite plus, as I once left one on to monitor for a weekend in the car (I primarily use mine as a mobile device coupled with a roof-mounted 2m antenna whip) and it was still on and usable when I got back into the car for the drive to work sunday night. It's a solid device with a complex menu system (but that's hardly surprising on a ham radio these days). If you're going to get one, do yourself a favor an invest in the computer cable and software (mine came with, but that's not always the case).
Good radio for the $65.00 that it cost me.
Now if Wouxun (that's pronounced 'WHOA-shun', as I was corrected by a customer support person) would just hurry up and put out their mobile radio, I'd be much happier.

2farnorth wrote:

KC5AV wrote:

2farnorth wrote:Thanks for the links magillapd. I hadn't priced any new equipment in several years. That little unit is a bit more affordable than the Icoms I priced a few years ago. My old AOR is worn out, unreliable, and doesn't have the pl codes

You might also look at http://www.maintradingcompany.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They often claim to have the lowest price on the various Wouxon handhelds.

okay...Now you've done it. That place is within 50 miles of me. Never knew it. Might have to sneak in there for a peak.

If you do buy the Wouxun, be sure and get the programming software. I believe IIRC it comes with the HT, but manybe not the vehicle radios. The radio CAN be programmed by hand, but I've heard folks describe it as Chinese-torture to do so. It's supposedly a breeze with the software.

n5wd wrote:

2farnorth wrote:

KC5AV wrote:

2farnorth wrote:Thanks for the links magillapd. I hadn't priced any new equipment in several years. That little unit is a bit more affordable than the Icoms I priced a few years ago. My old AOR is worn out, unreliable, and doesn't have the pl codes

You might also look at http://www.maintradingcompany.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They often claim to have the lowest price on the various Wouxon handhelds.

okay...Now you've done it. That place is within 50 miles of me. Never knew it. Might have to sneak in there for a peak.

If you do buy the Wouxun, be sure and get the programming software. I believe IIRC it comes with the HT, but manybe not the vehicle radios. The radio CAN be programmed by hand, but I've heard folks describe it as Chinese-torture to do so. It's supposedly a breeze with the software.

I'm not sure the software comes with it, but there are some free downloads available. Main Trading often offers package deals on these radios that include an extra battery, drop-in charger, and programming cable. A number of people in my local radio club have made purchases from these guys, and have been very pleased with their customer service. Everyone I know has been please with these radios. The only problem I've knows with one was when a metal pin from the antenna connector broke off inside the radio. The folks at Main Trading were very quick to swap out the radio. You could do worse than giving them your business.

I have two of the Wouxun (pronounced o-shing) and really like them for the price. I have the KG-819 16 channel VHF and the KG-UVD1P dual-band model. I bought both because they are Part 90 type accepted for commercial frequencies and I can use them on our balloon radio frequencies.

As stated, even the ham models are a bear to program if you don't have the programming cable and software, so that is almost a must.

Richard at Main trading is good to work with and will take care of issues if you have them. And, if you live close to Paris, TX and like electronic surplus stuff, his store is a great place to wander around in.

I haven't been active in many years, but you guys have certainly got my attention with the Wouxun radios. I did a lot of research and they seem to be great radios. A lot of guys are anxiously waiting for the KG-UV920R mobile dual band radio expected to retail between $200 and $250. They folks are going to kill the Kenwood and Icom markets.

It's also rumored that they are working on an HF rig.

I couldn't help but chuckle when I read a complaint about people buying "those Chinese radios." I guess he didn't realize Kenwood and Icom are made in Japan.

Chas.

Does anyone have any experience with the KG-UVD1P and the KG-UVD3D? MTC apparently has only the KG-UVD1P and their website refers to the KG-UVD3D as the "lighter duty model." HRO doesn't mention anything about it being lighter, only that the KG-UVD3D has a firmware upgrade.

Chas.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:Does anyone have any experience with the KG-UVD1P and the KG-UVD3D? MTC apparently has only the KG-UVD1P and their website refers to the KG-UVD3D as the "lighter duty model." HRO doesn't mention anything about it being lighter, only that the KG-UVD3D has a firmware upgrade.

Chas.

I have a KG-UVD1P. When I bought it, there were several Wouxun choices. I'm not sure about the level of firmware upgrade but mine was supposed to have the most current version at that point. I could have bought the UVD3D for about the same price at that time. The seller that I used offered me a package and the opportunity to buy several accessories over and above the package.

I've been pleased with it so far, though it hasn't been put through a rough duty assignment yet. I had no problem with programming it for the repeaters in my area.


Chas