Ham Radio 360

Almost Every New Ham in the US, it seems, begins their jump into the hobby with the Low-Cost Chinese handi-talkie (HT).  In many cases they soon find themselves looking for a more user-friendly option.  What features do they look for? What's important-what's not? Ed Bradshaw, W4EDF, has some well thought out opinions on the subject and shares them with us in Episode 37. You may remember mentions of Ed throughout our programs over the first season.  Well, it's Season 2 and here he is.  Like most of us new guys, Ed's working it all out for his specific end goals-with the obligatory stumbling blocks provided by the Game of Life. This show was not an attempt to disregard the intro-level HT, but a means to help those along looking for an Upgrade.  We all like new toys, right?  After listening to Episode 36, Ed determined it was time to delve into DStar and purchased himself the ICOM I-51a Plus (shown above). From battery chemistry and charging circuits, to display size and memory banks-we discuss the ins and o