I'm New At This

[blizzard]

Hello, I am brand new to the ham radio world and I am beginning an operator's class in October. I am interested in purchasing a radio in the very near future. I have done research but there is so much out there and I am not sure what I am doing. Since I am new, I want a radio that is affordable and easy to transport. Do I purchase an HT or UHF/VHF/HF and do I need to purchase an antenna, handset, microphone separately or is it possible to purchase a set with everything I need? I have been looking on cheapham.com.
Please help - any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[W5TFD]

Hello, I am brand new to the ham radio world and I am beginning an operator's class in October. I am interested in purchasing a radio in the very near future. I have done research but there is so much out there and I am not sure what I am doing. Since I am new, I want a radio that is affordable and easy to transport. Do I purchase an HT or UHF/VHF/HF and do I need to purchase an antenna, handset, microphone separately or is it possible to purchase a set with everything I need? I have been looking on cheapham.com.
Please help - any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Blizzard, first let me say...Welcome to the hobby. You talk to and meet a wide array of people. This is a wonderful hobby. For starting out on a Technician license, the decision for which radio to use is really up to you. The first factor is discovering where you live in relation to the closest repeater. Where I live, I have a repeater 20 miles to my south and 20 miles to my west, so for me to talk using only an HT would be perfect. When I started out, I started with just a 2m mobile (RadioShack HTX-212). The radio was a little bit older but it got me into the RF world. Just remember, your average HT is only going to put out 5w or so, where as a mobile rig can put out 50/60w or so. I hope this information helps out. Good luck with your endeavor in amateur radio!
73's de W5TFD

[KK4HBI]

Icoms are good radios. My Uncle, who is my Elmer got me a nice IC-V80 VHF transceiver for Christmas, and it works great. It is a good beginner radio, but you will need a better one for when you take more tests, or just want to access a wider portion of the airwaves. For that, I hear Kenwood is outstanding, albeit expensive. Good luck out there!