I have NEVER dabbled in HAM radios before. Would this be a good beginner?
1955947
It depends on what you like. I was very captivated by the idea of ham radio as a child in the 1950's and when I was most active in the hobby it was because I liked working ships at sea, people on other continents, the Amazon, Antarctica etc. Cellular phones and the internet have taken away a lot of the thrill for me for that sort of thing now. For you, it may depend on what you like to do i.e. do you like to chat with people in public conversations that anyone can listen in on. Unfortunately for me personally, it's not my thing. I bought the Baofeng Radio mainly for emergency use and, sadly perhaps, have talked on it very little. You might want to seek out a local ham radio club and see if they are the kind of folks that you would enjoy chatting with. If so you might enjoy the VHF/UHF thing like the Baofeng. If you are interested in DX (HF) that's another story. I hope this is helpful to you. I would be happy to try to answer any other questions you may have.
1324109
An amateur radio license is required to transmit with these radios. FRS radios would be better choice for your needs.
626265
Yes. But you might need the assistance of a ham radio operator if you are not familiar with programming radios.Chirp is a software package. You do not need it if you are just programming a couple of channels.
904533
as a 40 year shortwave listener to world band radio. having a table top that cost over $1,000 and several portable shortwave radios, you truly get what you pay for. the sony is rated top in it's class, and i agree with this. sounds good, work great if you want to put head phones and tune in fm. i have grundigs, but they were made in germanyand cost $500. get on the net and type in "best shortwave radio" and you will find the sony icf-sw7600gr at the top of most list.doc russ
1559337
Yes it would work just fine. It comes with everything you need to enjoy the radio.
1947066
Likely won't need tuning but has two simple roatating rings near base and simple instructions included if you need to tune it; my brother is using his with a 1976 23 channel radio with no problems (he regularly talks skip); I believe it is good for 10 meter ham (might need retuning, though). I've had great results with mine on a Cobra 142 GTL. Hope this helps.
1109989
If recommend a good pair of HT ham radios with external antenna mounts. Very versatile as they can send/receive over a large range of frequencies.
640980
This plane is a good start if you are a beginner. You will not be able to fly this without some help from an experienced flyer. You will need a radio system an help to set up an trim the airplane.
2216373
I haven't had any issues with this radio. There is a little bit of a learning curve with it, but that's true of most radios nowadays. It really is a pretty good radio for the money...
1837733
You really don't need instructions or a manual. It's not that confusing. Just plug it in, set the station at something there isn't a major local radio station on and tune your radio to that frequency.
499552
You don't need a ham license for CB radios. Go with that. They carry pretty far & good for emergency help if you need it. -KD0ZYG
1999141
This is ham radio not CB. You need a license as do others that use ham equipment.
451863
Yes, very easy to install however there are complaints about this radio and mostly about customer service. Perhaps you should look for one with similar features and choose a more reputable brand.
2172674
Personally, I don't know much about ham radio, except that one of the requirements used to be that you build the radio yourself. If that's still the case, you would have a better idea of the power requirements than most people here. I'm guessing, though, that the power requirements for an amateur short wave set would be pretty high. With this model, you're going to get 5w of power, with a total capacity of 9200 mamp hrs. Probably far short of your requirements. There are suitcase sized devices available which deliver wattage inthe 100 to 120 range (but cost 1000s of $). That's probably what you should be looking at. Personally, I don't know much about ham radio, except that one of the requirements used to be that you build the radio yourself. If that's still the case, you would have a better idea of the power requirements than most people here. I'm guessing, though, that the power requirements for an amateur short wave set would be pretty high. With this model, you're going to get 5w of power, with a total capacity of 9200 mamp hrs. Probably far short of your requirements. There are suitcase sized devices available which deliver wattage inthe 100 to 120 range (but cost 1000s of $). That's probably what... » Read More Personally, I don't know much about ham radio, except that one of the requirements used to be that you build the radio yourself. If that's still the case, you would have a better idea of the power requirements than most people here. I'm guessing, though, that the power requirements for an amateur short wave set would be pretty high. With this model, you're going to get 5w of power, with a total capacity of 9200 mamp hrs. Probably far short of your requirements. There are suitcase sized devices available which deliver wattage inthe 100 to 120 range (but cost 1000s of $). That's probably what you should be looking at. « Show Less
2220873
It has everthing to start playing around with it, giving the batteries as the exception. But you may consider options such as an additional antenna (rubber ducky), the ac charge/adapter, the programming software and cable (makes it somewhat easier). There is also other advanced options such as a external home/car antena, cable, bnc adapter etc. All in all it is fun straight out of the box, slap some batteries and read read read the instructions and you will be glad you did. Consider also information via web and even Ham radio operators in your area. Have fun but don'get stupid chasing ambulances and stuff, you could end up in jail.
350534
You have to take it to a CB shop and have the radio converted then aligned.This radio is actually an amateur ham .
390276
These are probably too complex for the casual user. You might might consider good quality GMRS walkie talkies, which will have about the same range as these.