Comment on Amateur Radio Has Never Been More Affordable — So Why Do Some Things Seem So Expensive?

xSikes@feddit.online ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

• fullsquare@awful.systems ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

  Depends on what you want to do. UHF/VHF handheld radio can be had for 20-30, uSDX or QMX type small low power HF radio is closer to 100. You’ll also need battery, antennas (perhaps tuner) and something to put data in and out (headphones and microphone or cw key or audio interface to laptop) (no idea if it’s good but people use it)

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  • xSikes@feddit.online ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    What’s the most engaging? UHF is TV, right? Not sure what you can do much with that except watch I Love Lucy ha.

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    • fullsquare@awful.systems ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      It’s up for you to decide. On U/VHF you can talk to other people directly (locally) like on HF. But you can also do things that HF can’t provide, like talk through repeater (uncommon on HF), or to ISS, or through satellites (HF bounces from ionosphere) or do longer distance communications from mountaintops, or do image transmission or packet radio (HF has less bandwidth). On receive only you can also download NOAA weather satellite images. You can make your own repeater from two baofengs. HF gets affected by space weather, U/VHF is not, and we’re entering solar minimum. 6m will take you far further than 2m but it’s usually bundled with HF radios

      On higher end there’s also moonbounce, but it’s not in the budget category

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