I'm surely not the only one...

...who likes looking at pictures of radios.

Left to right in both pictures:

• Yaesu VX-6R (144/220/440 MHz) with a Diamond SRH320A tri-band antenna
• TYT TH-UVF9 (144/220 MHz) with a Nagoya NA-702 VHF/UHF antenna
• Baofeng UV-5R (144/440 MHz) with a Nagoya NA-701 VHF/UHF antenna and high-capacity 3800-mAh battery

Radio #3: Yaesu VX-6R

After juggling the UV-5R and TH-UVF9 for a few weeks, I became aware of the VX-6R. It is a "tri-bander," programmed for 2 meters, 1.25 meters, and 70 cm. It became readily apparent that it would be much more convenient to carry one radio, under normal circumstances, than two (as mentioned previously, I had bought the other two radios so that I could have access to the three bands). I got hold of a nice secondhand VX-6R for a very reasonable price on eBay. It is very rugged (and submersible). It is also very small, which is not obvious from the photo.

I use a Diamond SRH320A tri-band antenna with this radio.

For the time being, I am keeping the other two radios as backups. I may soon sell them, though, to offset the cost of another radio I'm considering--a Wouxun KG-UV5D which is programmed for the 6-meter band (50 MHz), in addition to 2 meters. With that purchase, I would have the capability to operate on four bands with only two handheld radios.

I'll start thinking about base and/or mobile radios after I get my General Class license.

Radio #2: TYT TH-UVF9

This radio was also an eBay acquisition. It cost approximately twice as much as the UV-5R. I bought it because I wanted access to the 1.25-meter (220 MHz) band; it's programmed for 2-meters, as well. The photo is somewhat misleading as to the size of the radio--it's actually quite small.

1.25-meter activity is pretty sparse here in my part of Northern California but I like having the capability of operating on the band.

The antenna is a Nagoya NA-702, tuned for 144 and 220 MHz.

Radio #1: Baofeng UV-5R

This was my first handheld transceiver. I won it on eBay for $32. After realizing that I needed an FCC license to be able to anything more than just listen to it, I finally had the motivation I needed to go out and get my Technician Class ticket (discovering that the Morse Code requirement was gone helped, too).

The radio is programmed for the 2-meter and 70-centimeter bands. Optional accessories seen in the photo include an authentic Nagoya NA-701 VHF/UHF antenna (tuned for 144/440 MHz) and a larger, 3800 mAh extended life battery.

I have heard and read many disparaging remarks about this and other low-price Chinese radios. I really have no complaints, though, especially considering the price. It seems to perform well, so far.

Better Late than Never

On December 18, 2015, at the age of 47, I received my Technician Class amateur radio license. I recently started studying for my General Class license and hope to take the test sometime in the near future.

The Baofeng UV-5R Demystified

Anyone who finds manually programming the UV-5R daunting should find this blog post by WP4AOH useful. He also goes through the various menu settings that are appropriate for amateur radio use.