Getting into HAM in 2024?

[cyberham]

An elevated vertical using a telescoping vertical element is cheap and efficient. It can be adjusted in length to tune for HF ham bands. You need two tuned radials with the same length as the vertical element. So, for 20m, the vertical and radials need to each be about 16 feet long.

I use this one for remote operation and can install it in minutes. The parts are available on amazon. I just slide the telescoping element a little shorter for higher frequencies and fold back the radials to match.

 

[jayn_j]

I live in an apartment these days, and only get on the air to talk to old friends on 2M. I have had good luck using a 5/8 mobile whip in front of a window. I bought a 30" galvanized feed dish at Tractor Supply, and found that it makes a good ground plane for the mobile. No muss, fuss or visibility to the neighbors.

 

[Radioguy41]

10M has been wide open. Since the beginning of Nov I've made 142 contacts in 60 countries from as far east as Cyprus all the way west (as the sun moves) to Hawaii and as far south as Argentina and Chile and southwest into Oceania as far as Norfolk Island. I'm using an old Icom IC-735 (100 watts) coupled to a simple 20ft vertical.

 

[Radioguy41]

Upgraded the shack a wee bit. I added a Kenwood TS-570SG to the Icom IC-735 so now have two stations plus I built a Hamclock using a Raspberry Pi 4B.

 

[HipKat]

Upgraded the shack a wee bit. I added a Kenwood TS-570SG to the Icom IC-735 so now have two stations plus I built a Hamclock using a Raspberry Pi 4B.

View attachment 179373

Funny, I was JUST talking to an old friend of mine about his setup and losing an antenna in the wind last night.
This is HIS setup.
You guys do spend some money....

 

[reubenray]

From the pictures getting into HAM radio is too expensive for me

 

[harshness]

From the pictures getting into HAM radio is too expensive for me

I think you may find that the antennas is where most of the expense and complexity lies these days.

 

[cyberham]

From the pictures getting into HAM radio is too expensive for me

Like everything, there are many ways to enjoy amateur radio. You can build simple wire antennas (dipole, inverted vee, or even a homemade vertical) for low cost. You can buy simple kits and assemble them yourself. Lack of a big budget doesn't need to prevent you from enjoying the hobby.

 

[TRG]

From the pictures getting into HAM radio is too expensive for me

I was lucky when I got my license. I was gifted some used radio gear and got on the air with very little cost. As time went on and I acquired new radios I donated my older radios to new hams.

Check to see if there is an amateur radio club in your area. Most are open to allowing people who are interested in the hoby to sit in on their meetings and ask questions. You can get on 2 meters or the 70 cm band for less than $100 these days. Yes the fancy HF gear gets expensive. But you don't need fancy to enjoy the hobby.

 

[Radioguy41]

Everything you see in my pic, and it's a lot of stuff, adds up to considerably less than $1300 so maybe not as expensive as it might look. Best bet for reasonable prices are hamfests and as for an antenna, my 20' vertical that has gotten me confirmed contacts from as far east as Cyprus and as far west as Hawaii cost $110 on Amazon. As mentioned earlier, find a nearby radio club and sit in on a couple of get togethers. Those folks would be more than happy to help get you set up.