As you may know, Ham radios are capable of communicating over extremely long distances via satellites and distant relay towers. These radios are popular among a wide range of professions and they are impressively versatile from a technological standpoint. That said, we should point out that Ham radios have come a long way over the years, with the latest versions being far better equipped than their simplistic ancestors.
It is for this reason that you have to take the time and learn as much as you can about each particular model before settling on one to buy. To make things easier, we put together a list of the ten best Ham radios on the market for you to look at.
Our Top Pick
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Top 10 Ham Radio Transceivers
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10 Best Ham Radio Transceivers Review
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Getting Started With a Ham Radio
Step One: Get a License
Anyone can listen to Ham radio broadcasts, but if you intend on broadcasting at a specific frequency, then you are going to have to get a license. However, this isn’t difficult at all and usually just requires a person taking an exam and paying a small fee. There are organizations such as the Amateur Radio Relay league can help a person with the details. And each level of license allows the user to transmit at particular wattages and frequencies. For instance, there are licenses available that allow individuals to broadcast at 100-Watts and at 1,500-Watts on either a limited number of frequencies or on several frequencies.
Amateur Ham radio enthusiasts are allocated 26 different bands which start at 1.8 Megahertz and goes all the way 275 Gigahertz. This allows users to not only talk to each other across the city but to talk to people in just about every corner of the world. And the bands allocated for amateur enthusiasts are only the tip of the iceberg. There are bands specifically designated for government use, commercial radio use and even military use. There’s a whole world just waiting for the amateur enthusiasts and they can discover all kinds of bands used by their local police and fire departments, ships at sea and aircraft, too.
Of course, licensing may not be an issue if you plan on only using the Ham radio in an emergency. If you’re planning on using the radio only in emergencies, then you may not have to concern yourself with getting a license right away. Although you need to keep in mind that you may still be fined by the FCC if you broadcast regardless of circumstances. And that’s not even mentioning that at some point you are going to want to get a license so you don’t miss out on all of the fun of broadcasting.
Like I said earlier, you don’t need an FCC license just to listen to broadcasts. Many people own Ham radios just to listen to a wide assortment of channels. Using it in this way, as if it were a scanner, doesn’t require anything more than owning a Ham radio and you having the desire to spend some time listening to various channels. Just be sure not to broadcast if you don’t have a license because you can end up with a hefty fine, even if it were an accident.
Step Two: Have the Proper Equipment
Depending on how you plan on using your newly bought Ham radio, you may or may not need additional equipment. Many of the highly-rated models on the market today come with everything a person needs. They can include the antenna, a battery pack or other power supply, earphones and even a microphone.
For the basic Ham enthusiast who just wants to listen to channels or don’t need a lot of power for their personal use, then most likely no additional equipment is required. However, for those who are looking for a little more versatility or power, some additional equipment may be needed. Below are just some of the basics that may (or may not) be needed:
Power Supply
Not every Ham radio comes with a power receiver and sometimes the user has to purchase it separately. If yours is such a model, then be sure to get one that will work with your transceiver. Also, make sure that it’s rated with enough power to power your radio but not too much that it potentially blows a fuse. A very good power supply can be purchased for $150 or less.
Antenna
Before purchasing any aftermarket antenna, make sure that it’s not only compatible with your transceiver but that it will also comply with zoning laws when you mount it. A good antenna usually costs under $100.
Tuner
A tuner is a helpful piece of equipment to have when using a Ham radio. It connects the transceiver with the antenna and can be used to automatically or manually scan channels, depending upon which version is bought by the consumer. A good tuner can cost anywhere from $150 to $300.
Microphone, Earphone & Keys
If the Ham radio you purchased already had a microphone and/or earphone, then you don’t have to worry about purchasing one. However, some standalone transceivers don’t come with these pieces of equipment, and they need to be purchased separately.
Another piece of equipment that almost always has to be purchased separately is a Ham radio key. This device, if used, allows the user to transmit messages using Morse code.
Miscellaneous Equipment
You should also familiarize yourself with some of the miscellaneous equipment used to operate the radio. This may include cables, wires and other parts that can be used to connect some of the above pieces to the radio transceiver.
Final words
Now that you’ve learned about some of the best Ham radio and phone radios currently available, learned how to set up your unit to be used as a scanner or for broadcasting, and have learned what it takes to get licensed and start broadcasting, we have just one question for you:
Why haven’t you bought your own Ham radio, yet? As you can clearly see, there’s a whole world out there waiting to not only open up to you but are also waiting for what you have to say. So get out there and join the Ham radio community
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