Hello. I have been away from amateur radio for many years but now I am retired and want to get back into the hobby. What would you all recommend for a new HT. Analog? Digital? Thanks in advance for your advice. N9VMQ
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Great to hear you’re getting back into the hobby, and congrats on your retirement!
As far a new HT, that’s really going to depend on what’s popular in your area. Check out RepeaterBook and plug in your city/county/grid and see what types of repeaters are up. There will definitely be some analog FM, but usually each city has a preference on either DStar, Yaesu System Fusion, or DMR. Reaching out to your local club is also a good idea too, since they likely have nets on the big repeaters. Once you figure that out, it’s just a matter of cost and desired features. Maybe you want APRS, or full duplex for working satellites, or bluetooth to link up to your phone. Check out this video for a nice overview of the 5 best HTs on the market now.
Do you have your general or extra? HF is very popular right now thanks to being at the peak of solar cycle 25, so if you have antenna space for HF, I’d definitely recommend that too. 73 de Max N4ML
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