HAM advice

[Defender]

I’m looking for a mobile that covers all the ham bands and can also be used as a base station.  I’m studying for my license but trying to acquire some gear so I’m ready when I get it.  I have some GMRS Baofeng GM-15s, a UV82, a BTECH BF-F8HP Pro and a Yaesu VX-5R.  I’d like to start with something that will work in my house for now with a view of either moving it to my truck later if I need to or buying something later for my truck, but I’m thinking I want as many bands as possible.  Also interested handheld recommendations as well.  Can anyone give me some advice, please?

[Photoguy67]

Finding the radio isn't the biggest challenge here, it's going to be antennas. HF antenna are huge, but you can get some but most will only cover one or two bands. Not trying to "challenge" you, but why do you want all bands? Most hams only use 2 meter and 70cm mobile. To answer your question though, icom 706, yeasu ft-891 both come to mind with several others as possibilities. 

 

[Jackalope]

The Icom IC-7100 covers all the HF bands, 2 meter band, and 440 band.  It has multiple antenna ports.  It is still in production.  I’ve used one mobile, and it works well.

[Defender]

12 hours ago, Photoguy67 said:

Finding the radio isn't the biggest challenge here, it's going to be antennas. HF antenna are huge, but you can get some but most will only cover one or two bands. Not trying to "challenge" you, but why do you want all bands? Most hams only use 2 meter and 70cm mobile. To answer your question though, icom 706, yeasu ft-891 both come to mind with several others as possibilities. 

 

Well, not sure.  Just wanted to cover all the bases, not knowing which ones I’d need. So;robably I should just look at those two, then?

[TGO David]

2-meter is still king for local mobile communications and the antennas aren't ridiculously large.  Once you start getting into longer distance comms, the antennas get a lot larger which then becomes challenging and (in my opinion) aesthetically unpleasing on mobile platforms. 

If you've seen cars with enormous "screwdriver antennas" on them, you've seen someone running an HF rig.  And that link is honestly one of the cleaner, nicest looking setups I've seen on a vehicle.  Most of the time they are far more conspicuous, like this one.

2-meter radios compatible with digital network gateways give you the opportunity to talk with people in other parts of the country and/or world, but you won't be able to count on those gateways being available in an end of the world as we know it scenario.

For me, I prefer a 2-meter mobile with digital capabilities and then an HF setup at home as a base station.

 

[TripleGGG]

My advice is to go slow.  Right now you don't know what you don't know.  Ham radio has so many directions you can go it will take you some time to figure out which area you like the most.  My problem is I like almost all of them.  Watch tons of YouTube videos.  Join a local club that is active where you can get hands on with radios.  You may be surprised what resonates with you.  Also, please be cautious of anyone who bogs you down with minute details and says you need this, that, and everything in between before you can go radio.  That is not the case.  Below are four of my favorite YouTube channels.  They tell it like it is but more importantly they tell you to go get on the air. There are plenty of others but these four guys will get you on the air.  They have real life reviews of portable and HF radios.  KM4ACK is local in Murfreesboro area.  You really start learning once you start getting on the air and trying.  

https://www.youtube.com/@COASTALWAVESWIRES

https://www.youtube.com/c/K8MRDRADIOSTUFF

http://www.youtube.com/@KB9VBRAntennas

https://www.youtube.com/@KM4ACK

For local communications, as stated, 2m is what you will want.  There are so many great, quality handhelds on the market today it really is amazing.  In the world of 2m there are many directions.

The same thing applies to HF.  You can purchase a Xiegu G90 with built in tuner for about $400, add a hamstick or 17ft collapsible antenna ($25-$70) and you can work the world.  The G90 will tune just about anything you can hook it up to for an antenna.  LOL.  You can use it for a "shack radio" or take it portable.  Don't let anyone tell you 20watts isn't enough.  I have literally worked most states and probably 40 countries with this exact setup from my truck and had a blast.  With other setups I have now talked to about 150 countries.

I have everything from $20 Baofeng handheld radios and up.  My main shack radio now is a Yaesu FTDX-101MP but many times I will hook the Xiegu G90 or the Yaesu FT-891 portables up on a 12v battery at my desk and chat around the world.

You can go to my QRZ page here and see a list of most of my radios and antennas.

Shoot me a PM if you like and I can share more with you via text, email or phone.

My last piece of advice, since you are studying for your technician license, once you get it, immediately jump on getting your General license.  It opens up a whole new world of bands and is much easier to get it right after your technician as a lot of the questions are the same.

Edited May 12 by TripleGGG
updated youtube link. Had two that were the same.

[Defender]

17 hours ago, TripleGGG said:

My advice is to go slow.  Right now you don't know what you don't know.  Ham radio has so many directions you can go it will take you some time to figure out which area you like the most.  My problem is I like almost all of them.  Watch tons of YouTube videos.  Join a local club that is active where you can get hands on with radios.  You may be surprised what resonates with you.  Also, please be cautious of anyone who bogs you down with minute details and says you need this, that, and everything in between before you can go radio.  That is not the case.  Below are four of my favorite YouTube channels.  They tell it like it is but more importantly they tell you to go get on the air. There are plenty of others but these four guys will get you on the air.  They have real life reviews of portable and HF radios.  KM4ACK is local in Murfreesboro area.  You really start learning once you start getting on the air and trying.  

https://www.youtube.com/@COASTALWAVESWIRES

https://www.youtube.com/@KB9VBRAntennas

http://www.youtube.com/@KB9VBRAntennas

https://www.youtube.com/@KM4ACK

For local communications, as stated, 2m is what you will want.  There are so many great, quality handhelds on the market today it really is amazing.  In the world of 2m there are many directions.

The same thing applies to HF.  You can purchase a Xiegu G90 with built in tuner for about $400, add a hamstick or 17ft collapsible antenna ($25-$70) and you can work the world.  The G90 will tune just about anything you can hook it up to for an antenna.  LOL.  You can use it for a "shack radio" or take it portable.  Don't let anyone tell you 20watts isn't enough.  I have literally worked most states and probably 40 countries with this exact setup from my truck and had a blast.  With other setups I have now talked to about 150 countries.

I have everything from $20 Baofeng handheld radios and up.  My main shack radio now is a Yaesu FTDX-101MP but many times I will hook the Xiegu G90 or the Yaesu FT-891 portables up on a 12v battery at my desk and chat around the world.

You can go to my QRZ page here and see a list of most of my radios and antennas.

Shoot me a PM if you like and I can share more with you via text, email or phone.

My last piece of advice, since you are studying for your technician license, once you get it, immediately jump on getting your General license.  It opens up a whole new world of bands and is much easier to get it right after your technician as a lot of the questions are the same.

Thanks, all, for the advice.  TripleGGG, I will take you up on your offer. I’ll PM you my number and email.  Thanks.  

[TripleGGG]

13 minutes ago, Defender said:

Thanks, all, for the advice.  TripleGGG, I will take you up on your offer. I’ll PM you my number and email.  Thanks.  

FYI, I just updated my message.  I noticed I had one youtube channel listed twice.  I added the other one Mike K8MRD.  He has a fantastic channel.  https://www.youtube.com/c/K8MRDRADIOSTUFF

[Thearmededucator]

In gun circles, my first question is always: “Well who do you plan to talk to? And do they have a radio”

if there’s not an immediate need for long range, then HF can wait on the mobile for now. 
 

I have a 50 Watt dual band Yeasu 7250 in my vehicle and another one in the house, and that can reach out a good bit across western TN. I would like an HF base eventually, but to me it’s not as pressing 

[Darrell]

And for me, HF is way more interesting than VHF. I enjoy talking to people in Europe or Asia, but if I want to talk to someone nearby I can call them on the phone.  That's one of the cool things about Ham radio: there are avenues to persue a wide variety of interests. 

[tnhawk]

On 5/10/2025 at 9:52 PM, Jackalope said:

The Icom IC-7100 covers all the HF bands, 2 meter band, and 440 band.  It has multiple antenna ports.  It is still in production.  I’ve used one mobile, and it works well.

I have two IC-7100 radios, one with an amplifier at home and another I use with ham sticks when on the road.

[Defender]

Well, I’m probably getting way ahead of myself but I have acquired two Yaesu radios in addition to my several Baofengs, LOL.  I had a Yaesu VX-5R, an older radio  but supposed to be a good triband, I think.  Yesterday I got a great deal on a Yaesu FTD3DR dual band from an older lady who had bought it for her husband.  It’s brand spanking new, and came out of the box when I got it.  Played with them both some today as far as programming, scanning channels, etc, and I see that there will be a huge learning curve.  Although I want to learn how to program from the radio, I want to also get programming software.  For my Baofengs, I ordered a cheap Bluetooth device that allows me to use an app on my phone to program.  I’ll be trying that out when I get it.  I really need to get a mobile that I can use as a mobile and base station. But Right now, though, I need to concentrate on studying to get my license.  I put off getting my license for years because of the code requirement, and now that they took that out for technician,  I have discovered that, now when i have time for this hobby, for some reason, crap doesn’t stick with me as much when I read as it used to.  But I’m determined to get at least my technician if not the next one up.  And to top,it all, my diving into radio has rekindled my scanning attraction as well.  I dug out all my shortwave and scanner radios and am making myself a little ham shack. In my office area.  I know many departments and agencies have encrypted transmissions, but hoping there are enough that are not keep me interested, LOL.  And I was worried about being bored in my retirement. More to follow…

Edited 22 hours ago by Defender

[TripleGGG]

You did well on Yaesu's. I have both of those Yaesu's and they are excellent radios. I have my FT3DR with me all the time. I use RT Systems to program them and all my other radios. Easy to copy and paste from radio to radio. 

I use Chirp software to program Baofengs. Many use it to program other radios but it doesn't always play well with others and there are reports of it bricking Yaesu's etc. No personal experience on that. 

 

Edited 21 hours ago by TripleGGG

[leroy]

I used ta use marine band radios in my work years ago.   Later, I used VHF portables n handhelds in the train photo hobby. 

I like the radios as tools, but I ain't interested in talkin to anybody unless it's absolutely necessary. 

What I've learned from my radio experience ( VHF ) is that the best thing ANY RADIO can have is a good antenna. 

I've used Kenwood, Yeasu,  ICOM, Standard Horizon, even Baoefeng.  They all work well, and are worth worth what ya pay for em.   

Again, the antenna makes the radio, not the radio itself.

I just never could get into the talkin to the world thing, but I understand the attraction.  I also have looked at the HAM Study Guides.  The radio and the electrical physics I understand; I just hate the HAM Radio jargon n definitions.

" hamless " leroy...

Edited 19 hours ago by leroy

[TripleGGG]

18 minutes ago, leroy said:

I used ta use marine band radios in my work years ago.   Later, I used VHF portables n handhelds in the train photo hobby. 

I like the radios as tools, but I ain't interested in talkin to anybody unless it's absolutely necessary. 

What I've learned from my radio experience ( VHF ) is that the best thing ANY RADIO can have is a good antenna. 

I've used Kenwood, Yeasu,  ICOM, Standard Horizon, even Baoefeng.  They all work well, and are worth worth what ya pay for em.   

Again, the antenna makes the radio, not the radio itself.

I just never could get into the talkin to the world thing, but I understand the attraction.  I also have looked at the HAM Study Guides.  The radio and the electrical physics I understand; I just hate the HAM Radio jargon n definitions.

" hamless " leroy...

My favorite part of the hobby is testing antennas. I love building antennas and seeing how I can make them work to my advantage. I also buy a lot of antennas for the same reason. Testing them from home and then portable and seeing the difference is fun. While on vacation in the Outer Banks I went to 13 different State and National Parks working antennas for fun. Great way to get out and see the parks and see what works and doesn't. 

Making a quick contact is all I need for testing. "Ragchewing" is definitely not my thing but every now and then a neat conversation happens that is cool. 

 

 

[Darrell]

9 hours ago, TripleGGG said:

My favorite part of the hobby is testing antennas.

I keep trying to find a compact, portable QRP antenna that works as well as a five-element yagi tri-bander at 60 feet. No luck so far, though.

[TripleGGG]

6 minutes ago, Darrell said:

I keep trying to find a compact, portable QRP antenna that works as well as a five-element yagi tri-bander at 60 feet. No luck so far, though.

Let me know if you find that antenna. I'll buy 10. Lol

[Defender]

11 hours ago, TripleGGG said:

You did well on Yaesu's. I have both of those Yaesu's and they are excellent radios. I have my FT3DR with me all the time. I use RT Systems to program them and all my other radios. Easy to copy and paste from radio to radio. 

I use Chirp software to program Baofengs. Many use it to program other radios but it doesn't always play well with others and there are reports of it bricking Yaesu's etc. No personal experience on that. 

 

When programming the Yaesus, did you have to buy the software and cable for both of these radios or were you able to use the same cable for both and/ or the same software for both?

I played around with chirp a little bit yesterday on some of my Baofengs.  Couldn’t get it to work with any of them yet.  Not sure if my issue was with the cable or the software or the radios, I kept getting errors when trying to copy the radios to the computer.  Got com port error messages too.  My tiny brain can only struggle with trying to figure this stuff out for a limited amount of time at one sitting. I started out in the back yard in the shade, reading manuals and trying my hand at programming on the radios.  Then moved inside to try the computer part.

[TripleGGG]

1 hour ago, Defender said:

When programming the Yaesus, did you have to buy the software and cable for both of these radios or were you able to use the same cable for both and/ or the same software for both?

I played around with chirp a little bit yesterday on some of my Baofengs.  Couldn’t get it to work with any of them yet.  Not sure if my issue was with the cable or the software or the radios, I kept getting errors when trying to copy the radios to the computer.  Got com port error messages too.  My tiny brain can only struggle with trying to figure this stuff out for a limited amount of time at one sitting. I started out in the back yard in the shade, reading manuals and trying my hand at programming on the radios.  Then moved inside to try the computer part.

I'll have to double check and get back with you on this. I cant remember off the top of my head if the cables and software are the same for the two Yaesu radios or not.

Sounds like maybe the wrong cable for the Baofeng. Some won't transfer data.