bep

baofeng uv-5r if you're cheap

sony icf USB radio if you want to listen to milcomm

First HAM radio for the car..

That would be a portable ham radio connected to the power outlet of the car

Consider this one with a car charge kit

http://www.dx.com/p/baofeng-1-5-lcd-5w-136-174mhz-400-470mhz-dual-band-walkie-talkie-w-1-led-flashlight-black-129389

And a programmable cable for the channels etc.

And yes, it also has a fm mode

>>53537623
You need to get your ticket first.

>>53537947
FM broadcast? I didn't see that in the spec.

>>53538346
Fm reciever

It would be too good to be true if that were the case..

It also has a flashlight feature in case you lost your primairy source of light

>>53538346
>>53538745
Oh, by the way OP
You need a technicians licence to operate on most of the spectrum of these ham radio's

There are however channels/frequency you can use without the need of a licence

The other frequencies you need a licence for you can listen to free of any "charges"

who /sdr/ here?

>>53538807
What is sdr

>>53537623
Tech license is ridiculously easy to obtain. General is a bit harder, but a weekend of study should be enough. Extra is hard, you will have to study if you are no EE or similar previous knowledge.

>>53538807
Tracking local airports and 860mhz security traffic. Need to build an antenna.

>>53538813
Software defined radio.

https://wiki.installgentoo.com/index.php/Software-defined_radio

>>53537941
>sony icf USB radio
Model?

>>53537623
Get a cheap Baofeng UV-5r (you can get one for just over $20, don't get one of the cheaper ones without the screen as you will want to be able to set it to scan the frequencies) first and make sure there's actually regular radio traffic in your area first, otherwise you'll be very disappointed and it's better to spend ~$20 on something you end up not using than it is to spend $150+. In my area next to no one talks on the normal simplex frequencies and there are only about 2 conversations over the 11 repeaters in the area each day. You may be better off with a CB radio.

>>53539411
Thank you for clearing that up

You're not going to get both in one that work appreciably good. Get a handheld, either a Baogeng UV-5R or if you want something with better build quality the Wouxun UV5D is also a good choice.

If you don't have a ham license I wouldn't even bother yet, honestly. Since you'll probably have to go find a club that proctors the tests every so often to get your license, you can talk to them for more ideas. Maybe even get into a local club.

I always wanted to into CB radio for my car but I don't know shit about it. Does this cheap Baogeng require fuckhuge antenna on the car?

>>53543752
This is good enough for now

You need to get more into amateur radio before you get the big boy stuff

Chances are, that there is a repeater nearby, so.. You wouldn't even need a bigger antenna anyway

>>53543752

No, 2m (VHF, 144-148MHz) and 70cm (UHF, 420-450MHz) use small antennas, particularly 70cm, and they make very low-profile antennas for these bands that are quite small - of course, the smaller it is, the more of a compromise it is performance-wise. If you are close to the repeater all of the time it probably doesn't matter.

>>53543752

CB and ham radio are different. CB equipment is much more restrictive on power, restricts you to an HF band (hence the larger antenna requirements) and does not require a license.

Ham radio requires a license because power and spectrum limitations as well as the kind of equipment you are legally allowed to transmit with are significantly looser. The discussion on ham radio repeaters isn't typically the same either, partially due to community differences but also the fact you are not permitted any legal anonymity to operate on ham frequencies.

That said, handhelds (the cheap ones) will get you on the 2-meter and 70cm bands which a technician license is sufficient for access to them. Special antennas are not required to use these handhelds although a cheap 5/8 wave antenna on a mag-mount on the roof of your car can do wonders. They aren't particularly expensive, and they aren't quite as massive as CB antennas are.

Again, you really should be asking a local club about ham radio if you plan to do anything at all. They are probably going to give you your test in the first place, after all.