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2m vs 2m/70cm for New Ham

Mar 13th 2016, 14:08

AJ2E

Joined: Feb 7th 2016, 03:33
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Hello all. I'm new to Ham Radio and this forum. Just passed my Technician Exam last week and I am shopping for my first radio. I've gotten several opinions on where to start but I am unsure which radio to choose to get the most bang for the buck. One instructor I spoke with suggested a 2M radio. Another said ideally I would want a dual band, 2m/70 cm. But the radios I've been looking at almost double in price to go from 2m to dual band. (From $170 for 2m, to the $300 ballpark for dual band)

Is it worth it to make that jump in price range for a beginner or will I be sacrificing versatility in the near future? I have a fair number of repeaters in my area so I am assuming most of my use will be on VHF for the time being. Is it worth the price jump to be able to use UHF as well? I still have an antenna and other gear to by as well.

Just looking for a quality starting radio that will last me a while. Not looking to go cheap. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Mar 13th 2016, 17:36

W1VT

Super Moderator

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Depends where you live. In some places there are hasn't been a new 2M repeater for a long time--so active clubs have had to go to 70 cm. In other areas, there is no need to go to 70 cm because all the activity is on 2M.

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