Yeah I agree with most of the comments. Radio is fun stuff, but you have to figure out what works for you. For me, when I had an APRS radio in the car, that was fun, and listening to some local and regional chatter. I'd also be able to receive ISS transmissions and such when it was overhead.

Mostly I do HF digital stuff, seeing how far around the planet my signals get and do some chatting that way. That's something that attracts mostly the younger (under 60) crowd, which are more open to pleasant chatter and less get off my frequency. I still need to get my damn antenna ran since I've moved...


As for the comment about what's better than Baofeng, once you've used a nice Icom, Yaesu, or Kenwood, it will quickly make sense. I have an HT made by Icom, and it's relatively nice and easy, has great audio in and out of it, and feels like it's quality when you pick it up. I'd recommend for anyone looking to buy something new to hit the QRZ for sale forums, and pick up something used. That's what I've done over the years and gotten good experiences.