Would the perfect title for the blog post I hope exists somewhere. I, like a few other posters, just grabbed one of these things. I also took the step of reading through a good chunk of Ham Radio For Dummies just to get a handle on the basics.

  • What can I (legally) do with this thing without a license?

  • Any pointers for learning the basics on this particular machine?

  • I should read the manual cover to cover, right?

  • Looks like it’s easier to program from a computer, any tips on that?

  • @qjkxbmwvzEnglish
    2•1 year ago

    As the above said, listening is about all you can do without a license. And as far as listening goes, depending on your location you may have some ham repeaters that you can hear — repeaters are often the most reliable way of hearing anything.

    If you’re near the coast or maybe a large lake, you can also pick up the marine channels.

    I would recommend getting the programming cable, programming in the local ham repeaters, marine channels (if applicable), FRS, and maybe emergency services or anything else you think of. Then just set it to scan and listen!