Q. What is a good choice for a first radio?
A. VHF/UHF tri-band FM handheld (walkie-talkie)
Anyone holding an Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) Technician Class License (or higher) in the United States is fully legal to use this as a VHF/UHF ham radio and anyone (even without a license) can use it as a receiver or a scanner. What makes this radio interesting? It is extremely affordable and it covers three (3) ham bands, making it a great choice for your first radio!
Transmit Frequencies:
– Ham 2 meter band (144-148MHz)
– Ham 1.25 meter band (222-225MHz)
– Ham 70 centimeter band (420-450MHz)
(Yes, technically this radio is programable and could transmit on other frequencies: 130-179Mhz, 222-225Mhz, 400-520Mhz, FRS, GMRS, MURS, Marine VHF, Business etc. but we are only focused and only advocate using legal operation in the Amateur Radio Ham bands that this radio is FCC approved for.)
Receive Frequencies:
87.8-108Mhz, 130-179Mhz, 222-225Mhz, 400-520Mhz
(Ham, FRS, GMRS, MURS, FM Radio, Analog Fire, Marine VHF / Coast Guard, NOAA Weather, Business etc.)
Notes: FM Wide Band, FM Narrow Band, 128 Memories, Scanner
1.) HT (Hand-held Transceiver / Walkie-Talkie):
2.) Get an upgraded Tri-Band antenna:
– Increased range
– One antenna does all three bands (never need to swap antennas)
– Ham 2 meter band (144-148MHz)
– Ham 1.25 meter band (222-225MHz)
– Ham 70 centimeter band (420-450MHz)
3.) USB programming cable for HT (for walkie-talkie):
This is a must have accessory!
These radios have way too many settings to type in by hand.
4.) Get FREE programming software:
– CHIRP – Copy settings to/from other radios, backup/share settings
5.) Optional: Adapter Cable
Hook this handheld radio up to a big external or mobile antenna with an adapter cable:
Disclaimer:
We have done our best to provide accurate information based on our testing and information we had available at the time.
The few products we link are not paid advertisements.
Gear we recommend has been tested by us and in some cases we have linked via a RadioFan.Club affiliate to help cover some of the costs to run and maintain this site.
Footnote:
The BTECH (BaoFeng Tech) 5X3 Tri-Band FM Amateur Radio has been tested, accepted / approved by the FCC and is valid for Amateur Radio use.