this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2025
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Make it affordable isn't a reasonable request...
How about don't trash talk inexpensive equipment. "This $4k radio is what you need, not that Chinese junk." Watch the majority of people will just walk away.
My unused general license is a perfect example. The multiple free HF antennas and free LMR400 run to my free 30' antenna mast I was given didn't even put a dent in offsetting the cost of a radio to use the equipment I have rotting away.
I'll keep my dual band tyt and my 2m Kenwood. If there's an emergency where it is useful, I'll use it.
The problem is that cheap equipment literally performs worse, for you. And can make the frequencies around you worse, because of poor filtering or bad circuit design.
I'm not saying $4000 needs to be spent. You can get all the radio you'll ever need, for $800-900, with an icom 7300. Now that's not cheap, but it's definitely in the realm of feasibility. People pay more for cell phones in some cases.
But, if you want a more manual experience, and save some money, you can get older Kenwood hybrids for $500-600. Heck I bought my ts530s for $300 when I first started, it had an issue where it was partially broken, but I was able to fix it just by cleaning a few switches with deoxit.
But baofengs, while they can work, and heck I own them. Some of them are pretty poorly built. I definitely experienced issues with mine, adding more antenna started making my signal reception worse! I later learned it was front end overload, from cheap filtering. But that's besides the point.
I'm sorry your experience was so bad, and that people were rude to you. And it's a shame you never got to put that donated equipment to use. It really is a fun hobby if you can get into it.
That's a misrepresentation.
800 for the last radio you'll ever need. I didn't say start with it.
4 to 500 for a middle ground radio.
300 if you want to learn to fix it, it's a feature not a bug. And it's not for everyone, I never said it was.
You can get a 5w HF radio for $100, plenty to learn on, but can be frustrating if the solar cycle is down.
If you really want to get your foot in the door, get your foot out the door and over to your local club, they lend you gear, or even give it to you and has happened to me a time or two when I was starting. Or you can use their club station, or go out and do a POTA with someone. That's what I do with my buddies kids, and they love it 🤷♂️
There's plenty to do, nobody is trying to gate keep here. It's just a hobby with a very high cost ceiling, and a lot of people who've been doing it for decades and built up equipment stores. It's a lot to come into, and yes we do need to be more welcoming.
At $20 you can maybe buy a burrito, while you tune into a webSDR
(And lay off the salt, you're being unnecessarily hostile)
Kind reminder that words have meaning, and your tone, to me at least, is coming across very combative. I'm just trying to have a conversation 🤷♂️
I'm sorry that $100 is out of your reach. The economy isn't getting any better, it seems.
Truly it seems to me that based on your requirements for hobbies, this is one you may have to pass up. Which stinks, but sometimes that's how it goes.
For a lot of people, $100 is still a lot of money, but not out of the realm of possibility for a hobby startup. If they were interested, that is.
All that said, going to a club and hanging out with people who have the equipment and would love to share and teach you, is completely free, and a valid option. My club's radio room is open every Saturday for anyone who wants to warm some clouds with RF. If you're not licensed, someone will sit with you so you can use their callsign.
There are some crusty old curmudgeony farts in this hobby, sure. But if you only ever look at the negative, you'll never see the positive. Lot of chill people, some normal, some weird, all harmless, who want to help you 🤷♂️
@Earflap Saved you $4.
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