geojunkie wrote:

snip. My question is whether a vintage tranmitter, such as an HT32
would be appropriate for a novice HAM? I actually have an SX-101a
(from ebay) on the way and I think they would make a great pair.


The HT-32A or B is a nice transmitter, but a beginner may have some
trouble setting the mic gain correctly. There is no
Automatic Level Control (ALC), so it is possible to hit
the finals too hard on voice peaks, causing splatter
up and down the band. The key is to take it very easy
on the audio gain. Asking someone for an audio check is practically
a waste of time: most fellows can't widen up their receivers
enough to be able to give you a useful report.

73,
Ed Knobloch K4PF