Which HT to Buy?

Price points can be a barrier to entry for our hobby. Picking up an Icom radio as your first HT could deter great people from enjoying our hobby. And for this reason, I don't have a problem with $25 Baofengs. Whatever can get you hooked on the hobby and get you on the air, I'm down for it.

You get what you pay for, and a Baofeng is no exception. It's cheap and it works. I have to admit, it was my first radio. You can snap these up on Amazon for nothing and there is no shortage of accessories (also cheap). They are easy to program, and you can get Chirp to program them for free.

I have seen a few operators using Baofengs at special events, and they get the job done.

I'm a fan of these radios. They are rugged, feel good in the hand, and are better radios all around. They cost between $100 and $250 for an HT, which is not cheap. Wouxan radios have nice displays and solid functionality.

While the accessories are common across the Wouxan brand, the batteries are not. Do some research.

As a new ham, don’t get caught up in the digital modes right now. I jumped on a DMR radio early on, and unfortunately, no one uses DMR in my area. Wait and see what your community uses, and then you can explore the digital world. All digital modes have a place in amateur radio, but your ability to use digital modes may be limited.

Famous for their DMR capability (read more below), They are solid HT investments. They are similar to the Wouxan but are a little more robust in terms of features and functionality. There is only a single HT, the 878, which costs around $250.

One of my favorite brands. Icom's flagship HT, the ID-52, is a highly capable and robust platform. Its digital mode is D-Star and is a great analog platform as well. At $700, it is a hefty price to pay for your first HT.

D-Star is Georgia's Auxcomm choice for the state.