Best Beginner Ham Radios - VHF/UHF/HF - Livestream

What are the best radio to look at when you are starting out in ham radio? We'll talk about that tonight!

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0:00 Welcome MEMES!
1:13 New Hosh Meme
1:30 Intro
3:00 Show topic, new to ham radio?
3:40 I was on TV - Phantom Signals
4:50 Upcoming group build! 4SQRP Cricket40!
8:52 What is the Ham Radio Crash Course about?
9:48 Best ham radio to buy - Slides
10:20 My approach on the radios
11:04 VHF/UHF radios
12:20 Satellite operations
13:45 The Baofeng
16:32 Some baofengs examples
16:50 Good Baofeng replacements?
18:02 Start with a better radio?
19:29 Good analog radios?
21:30 Good digital radios?
23:02 Podcast - Ham Radio Handhelp Cold War?
23:25 DMR Radio of choice?
25:02 YSF/WIRES-X Radio Of Choice?
25:52 D-STAR Radio Of Choice?
28:55 Satellite radio recomendations
30:44 Best radios for EMP?
31:05 Best mobile radios?
32:43 My mobile radio recomendation?
34:10 Good radios for packet radio?
36:10 VHF/UHF Base station radios?
39:24 HF Radio recomendations
41:30 Start with a base station HF radios
43:00 My pick for 100 watt base station
44:23 "Buy once cry once"
44:28 100 watt base station alternatives
53:30 Xiegu G90
54:40 QRP for beginners?
56:02 QRP recommended radios
58:35 Used radios can be a good deal
59:25 Buy used?
1:00:45 Good used radios to buy
1:01:40 Shrine of radio
1:02:50 Talking about the ICOM IC-705
1:06:40 Elecraft?
1:07:22 Websites for finding used radios
1:21:30 SUS FT-450D?
1:23:45 Questions?
1:30:15 Thank you Patrons!

[SGB]

Thanks for the video. I grew up in HAM household (mom and dad) and never got a license. I started studying CW in the early eighties to get a license but lost interest. Years later now, I have an interest and see why my parents were so into this. My dad sold these radios for a living/managed Universal Radio in Columbus, Ohio, so its really cool to hear you talk about all of these manufactures as it really brings back memories of helping my dad sell them at ham-fests. Thanks for your input and explanations!

[rxpusher]

I’m thinking of getting into ham, watching you video makes me want to continue down this path

[fghi]

I found out about your channel from your video with Fieldcraft Survival and I already love your content. I love the fact that you put so much effort into your descriptions. I am very much "long video averse" and the fact that you put time stamps allows me to quickly drop in where I want to listen and makes the information easy to find. Subscribed.

[mumi]

As a beginner i bought and still use an ICOM IC-7200. It is very rugged and portable (but not necessarily man portable). It has a built-in sound card so no audio interface is necessary for digital modes and is very easy to set up for digital modes. One (USB) to rule them all. It has a good DSP and analog knobs that are very sturdy. A dual pass band filter, too. It is an HF and 6 meter 100w rig. The radio is no longer in production, I understand. I bought mine for about 800 bucks new. A newbie will not be overwhelmed, yet the radio has always given me very good signal reports. it's a keeper.

[EverydayTCK]

Just getting into radio. Started with GMRS and discovered that Amateur Radio has so much more, and am preparing to take my Tech and General exam. I would save my Chinese New Year money (per your recommendation) for an expensive 7100, but as I'm now married, I no longer *receive* CNY money and am now expected to *give* CNY money to my younger unmarried relatives.

[opticchild]

No one on my local repeaters hate on Baofeng. Most of us have one even if we've quickly upgraded to something else. They are honestly a GREAT jumping in price. The scanning thing? I didn't know they were slow either, and the 128 memory channels is no where near enough.

[mumi]

The Baofeng UV5R Plus is a great HT. It costs between 25 and 35 bucks. The ones I own are open for TX on the whole bands, 70cm and 2m. They pick up NWS and NOAA frequencies as well as emergency frequencies, assuming the services in one's area are still analog. AND it brings in FM broadcast stations, also important in emergencies. The HT is easily programmed with CHIRP. I have connected mine to a Diamond X300N antenna for great contacts. I have also used one successfully for satellite RX with my log periodic antenna. With the cheaper Arrow antenna or something similar and two Baofengs you can do RX and TX.

[SteveGergetz]

Awesome video, thank you so much. But I have to say, as a newbie where every single model number and feature and price and brand and protocol are all swirling together in a big gooey mess, it would have helped immensely if each time you mentioned a radio you also gave a very approximate price range. You actually started doing that when talking about some of the much more expensive stuff... Base stations and whatnot... But there were almost no mention of approximate prices for the HTs where most noobs are going to be looking initially. I'm confident that many, if not most of the radios you touched on in this video I would summarily dismiss based on the higher prices, which would make it so much easier for me to focus my attention on the ones that are in my price range. And conversely I'm sure there are many watching this video who have a higher budget in mind and similarly would summarily dismiss the ones much cheaper or much more expensive than their budgeted range. Just a thought for future videos. Thanks for everything!!!

[snatr]

I picked up a UV5R and eventually set it up as a scanner. My problem with that was the fact that if you inadvertently hit the PTT button, you broadcast on that channel 😬 Probably not that big a deal because of tones, but still scared the hell out of me. I eventually used Chirp to turn off the duplex setting on all of them. I highly recommend that.
But I wanted to talk on the radio somehow all the same, so I ended up picking up their GMRS version for that reason. It was either that or go for a HAM licence instead of the GMRS one. The nice thing about those is that they won't transmit on anything non-GMRS. Even in frequency mode 👍

[cowetareserve]

Got myself a boafeng to listen locally. Hearing that people like you have made contact with the ISS is AMAZING! I’ve been scanning all morning. I’m hoping to get my technical then General license.

[JamesHannibalKHSR]

hey Josh, just watched you on the Science Channel "Phantom Signals"! Great job and congrats, that was AWESOME! 73

[Outcaste]

No BS I bought a b1 plus and its awsome. I working on getting my ham license but wanted a radio to get started with. I work a crap ton of hours so finding I test that's within my time off is hard right now but I'll get there.

[campingadventures]

Hi, I really enjoy watching your video, I’m @ the very entry level, I have no knowledge, on Ham radios, but I’m doing my best and learn to get at least my technician license.Ivan from Puerto Rico watching you. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge.

[mumi]

The Wouxun KG-UV9K is full duplex AND does (AM) air band at 8.33Khz spacing for listening to aircraft. Also very cool.

[Soladaddy]

Has to be the longest video I've watched. I enjoyed hearing your opinions.

[uMalice]

The best UV-5R replacement is a Radioddity GT-5R. Same radio as UV-5R but within transmit spec . Nearly same great price!

[TomsLife]

I have two UV5Rs and two UV9Rs and the 5R interface is a bit better because it has an A/B button to switch between top and bottom channels and a VFO/MR button for switching between channel mode and frequency mode. With the 9R you use the Exit button to switch between top and bottom channels, and you have to actually turn the radio off and start it up while holding a particular button to switch between channel mode and frequency mode, a bit of a drag if you are switching often. On the bright side the 9R waterproofing is quite good and has survived a few dunks in salt water (I added an O-ring under the antenna for extra security). They work very well for jet skis as the swivel clip is perfect for a life vest. they also have a bigger battery than the 5R

[walterp]

I like that you combine appreciation of Hops with HAM

[robertfwagnerjr]

iCom-7300 transceivers are now backordered about 3 months. Be prepared to wait! To get on the air in the mean time, I bought an open box iCom 718 just to have something.

[mlr]

You’re looking for ALMOST 10 MINUTES in!