Hi i'm new. I need someones expertise please

[nathan_1998]

I want to get into amateur radio. I am not sure whether I should join the Ham radio community or not. The alternative I was thinking was CB radio. If i were to go for my HAM radio licence could someone please give me tips and info about it (price to get into it, good starter kit, licensing). If i am going to go into cb radio could someone please give me some information on it. Also could you please give me some information on good cb radios to start off with that aren't expensive but not so cheap either. Thanks in advance

[Phantom]

Howdy

Where are you located?

What do u want to do with the hobby?

Basically, CB radio, you are limited to the CBRS band (477MHz) and AM (27MHz). Limited to 5w on UHF and there is a reason they call it the chook band....

Wi amateur radio, you have many bands (dependant on licence) from HF right thru to microwave (including VHF and UHF). Power levels are dependant on licence. 10w for basic licence thru to 400w of the advance licence.

It all depends on what you want to do with it all. Personally, I would get a foundation licence (completed over a weekend) and then you can get a feel for Amateur radio as well as CB.

CB stuff is typically local, however if you are seeking interstate/overseas contacts, then amateur radio is where you are wanting to go.

Auteur radio starter would be a 2m radio and you can grab a new one for less than $300. This will open up IRLP and local repeaters - depends on what is in your area.

Before getting a radio, get in touch with you local radio assessor and they will point you in the right direction for a radio to suit your needs.

Where are you located? Might be able to point u in a direction to someone

[Vkfour]

If you are genuinely interested in radio, then Amateur is the way to go. As Phantom indicated, there is a lot more to be done with amateur radio, FM, SSB, local, DX, digital and the list goes on and on and ever on. Best part is, a foundation licence is easy, and once you get into it, a standard licence isn't that hard. Let us all know what you decide.

[nathan_1998]

Howdy

Where are you located?

What do u want to do with the hobby?

Basically, CB radio, you are limited to the CBRS band (477MHz) and AM (27MHz). Limited to 5w on UHF and there is a reason they call it the chook band....

Wi amateur radio, you have many bands (dependant on licence) from HF right thru to microwave (including VHF and UHF). Power levels are dependant on licence. 10w for basic licence thru to 400w of the advance licence.

It all depends on what you want to do with it all. Personally, I would get a foundation licence (completed over a weekend) and then you can get a feel for Amateur radio as well as CB.

CB stuff is typically local, however if you are seeking interstate/overseas contacts, then amateur radio is where you are wanting to go.

Auteur radio starter would be a 2m radio and you can grab a new one for less than $300. This will open up IRLP and local repeaters - depends on what is in your area.

Before getting a radio, get in touch with you local radio assessor and they will point you in the right direction for a radio to suit your needs.

Where are you located? Might be able to point u in a direction to someone

Im located in Sydney around 15 k's south of the city (Bexley if you have ever heard of the suburb). Im 15 and I'm prepared to spend around 300-350$. I was thinking to buy a CB to get a feel for radio. If I like it and i want to pursue it I will do the coarse and buy a ham radio and sell the CB.


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[chrisco]

Nathan definitely contact your local club they should have some radios to use and see what the Ham radio scene is like. Uhf cb is a good start find some cheap units give one to a friend or family members use it to find commercial users, shopping malls, rsl's, road workers, etc. Or another world out there is pager decoding and scanning.

Chrisco

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[brianWE]

another thought...get a cheap scanner, first. Tune in as many ham frequencies as you can find,,,,I suspect you will get suggestions, here. That way you will be able to monitor ham and CB conversations to get a feel for both.

The controlled amateur environment is, for some, a bit highly regulated. For many, the CB world could do with some of that discipline.

[Spectre]

Personally the rubbish on the chook bands can be a real turn off to new comers in the radio scene whilst on the other hand some of the monotonous dribble on the ham bands can be equally unappealing.

A hobby in radio is whatever you make of it, I'd recommend getting in contact with your nearest amateur radio club and maybe dropping in on club activities (as invited) to get a feel for what they actually do... Short Wave Listening can also give you a feel for international DX activity.

[brianWE]

Personally the rubbish on the chook bands can be a real turn off to new comers in the radio scene whilst on the other hand some of the monotonous dribble on the ham bands can be equally unappealing.

Absolutely!!!

That said, where I live (Northern Rivers NSW), UHF CB is pretty good.
Plenty of vacant channels at any time and very little of the acrimony I have heard in Brisbane.
The repeaters are, mostly, useful, too.