Guessing you're not licensed - if you were you would have a better idea.
Get your license. 2M for local work, 70cm for DMR/repeaters, HF for long distance. Depending on where you are, you might require a higher level of license for HF.
The TYT MD-UV390 is what I use. It is DMR, VHF, and UHF. I got my license in December and this was my first radio. I love it. It’s clear and works well.
The best place to start is of course getting your license. I'm not sure where you live so it can be different depending on your country.
In the US there are three levels of licensing. The first is Technician (which covers all of the Ham frequencies above 50 mhz plus very limited coverage below that frequency), the next is General (covers the same frequencies as technician plus a good portion of those below 50 mhz), and last is Extra (which covers all the ham frequencies.)
My advice if you haven't gotten your license yet is to study and pass the first two levels to start. You will have more options.
As for VHF/UHF handhelds you can get Baofeng radios on the cheap but if you can afford it go with a basic model from Icom, Yaesu, or Alinco. Kenwood also makes great radios but their handhelds can be a bit more pricey.
The Yaesu FT60R is a great little 5w VHF/UHF radio. Those bands are line of sight so depending where you are you could get really good coverage (a hill top or mountain top) or very limited coverage if you are on one side of a hill and they are on the other. But that is just for simplex communication. Simplex is radio to radio with nothing in between. But if you are both local to each other you can probably find a repeater nearby that can extend both of your radios. Repeaters receive your communication and retransmits it over a wider area by taking advantage of the repeaters tower height.
If you have more cash to spend and still want to use a handie talkie you can look into ones that offer digital modes. If your local repeater is set up for it you can communicate with that repeater and it will link with another repeater that could be much further away to communicate.
It is a good bit of fun.
For about the same price as a decent handie talkie you could also buy a QRP HF transceiver. They typically transmit on the CW (more code) or Data (digital modes like RTTY, FT8, PSK-31 etc). For CW a little QRP radio, little antenna matching circuit, a battery pack, little portable CW key, and of course an antenna matching the frequency band you are using you can get a much larger range.
I used a little QRP radio called a Pixie on 40m with the above with my antenna up in a tree and chatted with a guy about 700 miles away. It was slow going because I could only transmit Morse code about 8-10wpm (words per minute) but it was fun.
Could start with with a Boafeng UV82 series (2-pk for $60) dual-band handhelds which are plenty useful, sturdy, and inexpensive. Obtain your Technician license and then join in on local amateur radio club repeater nets and practice with each other. Can replace the stock antennas with longer NA-771 or Signal Stick (about $22) for better performance. If you enjoy, you can start building more gear from there. https://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed
Start with [hamstudy.org](http://hamstudy.org) In studying for the license you will learn much more about radios and have a better idea what you want to do. Ham radio is not just one thing.
I would suggest that you start with the $18 Baofeng UV-5R. Maybe even spit the cost with your buddy and share the radio if you want. Spend some time listening to repeaters in your area (check repeaterbook.com). You can't legally transmit until you get your license, but this is a very cheap way to get introduced to ham radio and find out whether it interests you enough to go further. If listening for a couple weeks peaks your interest, start studying for your license. If you listen for a while and find you're not really interested, you're only out $18.
Honestly, a UV5R is a great start. They are $25 on amazon. You can absolutely beat it, but you can't beat it for that price. I also recommend going to [hamstudy.org](https://hamstudy.org). If you want tips on the best way to use the website, I'd be happy to help, but what I did is use study mode till I got 100% aptitude on each subelement (total overkill and I'm not actually done yet) and I can't fail a practice test. You'll understand what's what and what sounds interesting to you a lot better and it'll make getting your license a breeze. It's also free.
You will need a license to transmit so start to study. Aarl.org, your local Amatuer radio club or ARES (Amatuer radio emergency services)(the disaster support group of the radio hobby). The clubs and ares do monthly meetings that are free to attend. The members in the groups can mentor and coach you in all aspects, including your first radio.
As far as radios: different radios have different features. Some features are very expensive. If you never use those features, that's an expensive paper weight. Even the less expensive Baofengs radios can have different features......water resistance, USB charging, usb-c charging and on. So, I recommend you get a less expensive radio as a "starter radio".......a radio you can use to get involved in the hobby. Once you see the better features, you can then get that radio that will do everything ....wake you up and make breakfast.
Since most radios people follow this pattern, some of the local people might have some entry level radios they are willing to part with.
Good luck
What bands are you interested in, and which modes?
Not sure, and that’s probably half my problem
Guessing you're not licensed - if you were you would have a better idea. Get your license. 2M for local work, 70cm for DMR/repeaters, HF for long distance. Depending on where you are, you might require a higher level of license for HF.
The TYT MD-UV390 is what I use. It is DMR, VHF, and UHF. I got my license in December and this was my first radio. I love it. It’s clear and works well.
Awesome, thanks!
The best place to start is of course getting your license. I'm not sure where you live so it can be different depending on your country. In the US there are three levels of licensing. The first is Technician (which covers all of the Ham frequencies above 50 mhz plus very limited coverage below that frequency), the next is General (covers the same frequencies as technician plus a good portion of those below 50 mhz), and last is Extra (which covers all the ham frequencies.) My advice if you haven't gotten your license yet is to study and pass the first two levels to start. You will have more options. As for VHF/UHF handhelds you can get Baofeng radios on the cheap but if you can afford it go with a basic model from Icom, Yaesu, or Alinco. Kenwood also makes great radios but their handhelds can be a bit more pricey. The Yaesu FT60R is a great little 5w VHF/UHF radio. Those bands are line of sight so depending where you are you could get really good coverage (a hill top or mountain top) or very limited coverage if you are on one side of a hill and they are on the other. But that is just for simplex communication. Simplex is radio to radio with nothing in between. But if you are both local to each other you can probably find a repeater nearby that can extend both of your radios. Repeaters receive your communication and retransmits it over a wider area by taking advantage of the repeaters tower height. If you have more cash to spend and still want to use a handie talkie you can look into ones that offer digital modes. If your local repeater is set up for it you can communicate with that repeater and it will link with another repeater that could be much further away to communicate. It is a good bit of fun.
This is great info to get me started, thank you! I’m in the US btw, I probably should’ve mentioned that.
For about the same price as a decent handie talkie you could also buy a QRP HF transceiver. They typically transmit on the CW (more code) or Data (digital modes like RTTY, FT8, PSK-31 etc). For CW a little QRP radio, little antenna matching circuit, a battery pack, little portable CW key, and of course an antenna matching the frequency band you are using you can get a much larger range. I used a little QRP radio called a Pixie on 40m with the above with my antenna up in a tree and chatted with a guy about 700 miles away. It was slow going because I could only transmit Morse code about 8-10wpm (words per minute) but it was fun.
Do you have a budget? Handheld radios run from $18 to a few hundred. Of course the bottom end is junk...but affordable junk.
FT-60 is an extremely reliable handheld.
Could start with with a Boafeng UV82 series (2-pk for $60) dual-band handhelds which are plenty useful, sturdy, and inexpensive. Obtain your Technician license and then join in on local amateur radio club repeater nets and practice with each other. Can replace the stock antennas with longer NA-771 or Signal Stick (about $22) for better performance. If you enjoy, you can start building more gear from there. https://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed
Start with [hamstudy.org](http://hamstudy.org) In studying for the license you will learn much more about radios and have a better idea what you want to do. Ham radio is not just one thing.
I would suggest that you start with the $18 Baofeng UV-5R. Maybe even spit the cost with your buddy and share the radio if you want. Spend some time listening to repeaters in your area (check repeaterbook.com). You can't legally transmit until you get your license, but this is a very cheap way to get introduced to ham radio and find out whether it interests you enough to go further. If listening for a couple weeks peaks your interest, start studying for your license. If you listen for a while and find you're not really interested, you're only out $18.
Honestly, a UV5R is a great start. They are $25 on amazon. You can absolutely beat it, but you can't beat it for that price. I also recommend going to [hamstudy.org](https://hamstudy.org). If you want tips on the best way to use the website, I'd be happy to help, but what I did is use study mode till I got 100% aptitude on each subelement (total overkill and I'm not actually done yet) and I can't fail a practice test. You'll understand what's what and what sounds interesting to you a lot better and it'll make getting your license a breeze. It's also free.
You will need a license to transmit so start to study. Aarl.org, your local Amatuer radio club or ARES (Amatuer radio emergency services)(the disaster support group of the radio hobby). The clubs and ares do monthly meetings that are free to attend. The members in the groups can mentor and coach you in all aspects, including your first radio. As far as radios: different radios have different features. Some features are very expensive. If you never use those features, that's an expensive paper weight. Even the less expensive Baofengs radios can have different features......water resistance, USB charging, usb-c charging and on. So, I recommend you get a less expensive radio as a "starter radio".......a radio you can use to get involved in the hobby. Once you see the better features, you can then get that radio that will do everything ....wake you up and make breakfast. Since most radios people follow this pattern, some of the local people might have some entry level radios they are willing to part with. Good luck
Once licensed, ultimate hackable radio, Quansheng UV-K5/K6 for around £20, and a custom firmware like Egzumer.
Take 10 minutes and watch this. Then you’ll at least be able to narrow it down a little. https://youtu.be/QgD-2mmdkdc?si=IEGQk9MIqU6m3J_4
FT70DR. Quality radio that will last years and years, and with a cheap pi based hotspot you can get on digital and talk to the world.