New Ham And The First Radio

     All new hams are faced with the same dilemma.  Deciding on that first rig.  I have come across quite a few articles lately that say the humble Handy Talkie (HT) is a bad choice for a first rig.  The popular wisdom says the limitations and lack of power make it a poor choice.  I beg to differ.  Let's think about this for a moment.
      I know there are exceptions to every rule but most new hams receive their Technician license first, and then spend some time studying and learning to go the next levels.  The primary bands the new ham will be experimenting with will be 2 meter (vhf) and 70 centimeter (uhf). For around $150-170 you can have a brand new self contained radio station that covers two of the amateur radio bands (VHF/UHF).  You can get off cheaper than that if you go with a single band 2 meter radio.  Unless you live in the desert or other sparsely populated area, there is at least one club owned repeater in your area and most likely there are a few.  So right out of the box and about ten hours to recharge that new battery the new ham can be interacting with other hams in the area.  He can learn the etiquette for using the local repeater; get used to using his newly earned call sign; and over come the fear of the microphone that a lot of new hams experience.  Ah...nothing like that first contact.
     It won't be long before you are an old hand on the local repeater and while you may later buy another radio, or two or three; that little handy talkie will never lose its usefulness.  Listening in on severe weather nets when you have to disconnect your outside antennas because of the storm.  Communicating with your buddy who's helping you install your new antenna on your roof or tower.  Monitoring the local repeaters while you're working in the yard or drinking coffee at Starbucks.  There are a gazillion reasons to own a hand held radio.
     There are some challenges to using a handy talkie, but most can be overcome.  My first radio was a Yaesu VX-5r.  It was a little pricier than the category I'm talking about right now.  It was also a tri-bander which included six meters.  It also had a ton of bells and whistles on it that I have never used (yes I still have it).  As I said there are some challenges.  Here is a list of the most common challenges and solutions:
     1. Rx/Tx not as good inside the house - A base antenna on a pushup pole or the roof will do wonders for extending the range of your HT.
     2. Operation time is limited by the battery - Some HT's can be operated on an external power supply.  For those that cannot a second battery charging while the first is being used is a simple fix.
     3. HT gets hot during QSO - an external mic and a cell phone holder for cars mounted on some sort of base will make your HT more stable on your desktop as well as take care of the heat problem.  Also with that outside antenna connected you can likely drop your transmitting by half or more.  That will help with the heat problem.
     4. QSO interfering with wife watching Top Model or other program - a headset with a boom mic cuts out at least half of the conversation :-)
     5. Your external mic, a mag-mount antenna, a cell phone holder, and you have a nifty little mobile rig!  I use mine like this all the time and it works great.  It beats hacking up that new car.
     The bottom line is with a little ingenuity and a few accessories you can make your HT work in almost any environment; portable, mobile, or stationary.  While you will probably eventually buy another VHF/UHF rig, your handy talky will always have a place in your radio arsenal.