On Mar 13, 3:44?pm, "Jeff" wrote:
OK, I just passed all the exams necessary to obtain an amateur extra
license. Now I'm thinking I'd like to buy a rig for my home office/
den. The question is...do I buy a new or used radio? I have found
several used that are recommended, but to start out I'd rather not
have to jump right into the repair of my only transceiver. :-{ So,
I'm somewhat inclined to go for a new radio, but then there's the
difference in price to consider. Does anyone have any opinions on
this matter? How tough is it to work on a used radio that may/may not
have some minor/major issues when you receive it? Do used radios
generally have major issues or are the generally fairly cosmetic (i.e.
a meter that's dead, etc.)? Thanks for any info/advice.


Buying new versus used can be a difficult decision. Many used radios are in
fine shape and many are not. What often works is to buy from a local ham so
he can demonstrate it and allow you to go through its paces before buying.
As a new licensee, you probably don't want to have to fuss around repairing
a radio before you can get on the air.

New radios have the advantages of warranties and customer support. They
have the disadvantages of price and complexity. There is also the issue of
selecting among the many different models. Every manufacturer has made
different choices in designing their radios. For example, on my Kenwood
TS-2000, I can set the internal keyer speed and see a digital readout of the
speed. I don't have to guess at it. On my husband's ICOM, he can also set
the internal speed but there is no readout of that setting so one is
estimating their speed. Basically the same feature but implemented
differently. As a new operator, you may not yet know what features you will
like and what features you won't. There's a slight possibility that a
particular new (expensive) radio might not suit you.

Used radios have the advantage of price. However, I'd recommend being sure
that you know it is working before you buy. Either buy it from a dealer who
has gone over the radio or buy one that you have seen to be in operating
condition. If you go this route, I'd suggest getting something new enough
that it is not a tube type radio but old enough that it doesn't have a
complex set of menus and/or buttons. For example a Kenwood TS-440 or Yaesu
757GX would be good. You can find these for under $300 in working
condition. The nice thing here is that since they are inexpensive, you
really don't have to worry too much about doing something wrong and damaging
them since you haven't laid out a large sum of money. And once you have
operated a while and are familiar with the basics, you will be better able
to understand what the ads and reviews are talking about when they discuss
features and performance. This will make it easier to select a radio when
you decide to get something new. And since you won't have that much in this
older radio, you won't feel guilty about retiring it when you buy that new
one. Another advantage of the older, simpler radios is that you can
concentrate on basic operating without having to go through a major learning
curve (some of the menus on the new ones get a bit frustrating).

Welcome to the hobby and above all have fun. Eventually you will look back
at all this and realize it wasn't really all that hard. It was just new.

Dee, N8UZE