About Your First Radio

Your First Radio exists because the first question a new radio buyer asks, "which one do I need?", has a wall of answers and none of them start with the rules. A handheld that costs less than dinner can talk on ham bands, GMRS channels, marine channels and the fire department's frequencies, and only one of those is legal for the person holding it. The hobby forums assume you already know that. The sellers would rather you didn't ask.

This site is the version we wanted to find: the three services a beginner actually chooses between, what the licence for each one involves, the first radio and antenna for each, and what to do the week it arrives.

How the guides are written

We work from what manufacturers publish about their radios and from the Code of Federal Regulations (47 CFR Parts 95 and 97) for the rules, and we say where each fact comes from. The writer spent a career in telecom and holds an amateur licence. We use the kind of gear we recommend. We don't run lab tests, and we don't claim to.

How the site is paid for

Product links go to Amazon, and Your First Radio earns a commission on purchases made through them. The details are on the affiliate disclosure page.

Contact

Corrections and questions: [email protected].

Your First Radio is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the FCC, the ARRL or any manufacturer.