so I bought a Baofeng UV-5RE

[tipc]

25$ cheap. I'm charging it right now. What should I do with it? These things allegedly have a 10 mile range, all that depending on the terrain I guess. But the guy who declared this in the video was in Colorado I think (most narrow gauge railroads are out there). I may buy more. How's about you?

 

[maxtherabbit]

It's a cheap yet marginally capable HT. Nothing to write home about. For chinese handhelds, I greatly prefer the TYT brand

 

[tipc]

and I take it you have to spend more then twice for the same features? Would a tyt get you better distance, perception? These all require a license, but a 2m ham license is just a test these days, no?

 

[maxtherabbit]

Distance with VHF/UHF is highly dependent on environmental factors. Neither one of them is going to get 10 miles in normal circumstances. The TYT aren't that much more expensive.

The tech exam for the ham license is very easy.

 

[tipc]

I figured out how to p/u fm radio. But it's crappy, and I can't get a Philadelphia station.