Economical Handhelds

I've defined Economical radios as those costing less than $100. If you are new to amateur radio, these handhelds are a great way to get started.

These radios also can be great as second or third radios to be used for a specific purpose:

You might want a waterproof radio for use on the water or if you are often outdoors in a rainy climate
These radios are great for go bags
They make a great backup when providing communication support for event. Two is one and one is none.

You should plan on figuring out the programming software for your radio. Almost all the radios allow you to change their settings and save frequencies in memory from the keypad on the radio, but it's faster and easier to use programming software on your computer. Most handhelds in this category require a K1 USB programming cable to connect with your computer. You'll need to purchase the cable separately, and prices range from $7 to $25.