Buying your first handheld Amateur radio can be a pretty intimidating task. The latest top-of-the-line radio can cost you several hundreds of dollars, and sometimes it's hard to tell if you're even getting everything you really need. Fortunately, if you mainly intend on using this radio for emergency communications, a fairly simple radio will do.
What you really need
Since we're likely to be using these radios in high-stress and emergency situations, it's best to get all the features you need with as few of the features you don't need in a simple and easy to use package. So here's some of the features we're going to need in our radios:
2m(144mhz) band
Beaverton CERT primarily uses the 2 meter band for both simplex and duplex(repeaters). In most cases, a single band 2m radio will be sufficient.
Minimum 5 watts on VHF/2m/144MHz, 4 watts on UHF/70cm/440MHz RF output power
The more power, the better. In a serious disaster, if repeaters are down, this could literally save your life. There are some radios out there with as little as 300mw of power, I would highly recommend avoiding these.
Repeater offset
This means the radio needs to be able to listen on one frequency and transmit on another. Some radios have an “automatic” repeater offset and some have to be programmed. Either one will work. Sometimes called “duplex”, “half-duplex”, or “semi-duplex”.
CTCSS (Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System)
This is a sub-audible tone system used to operate some repeaters, including the repeater we use most often. Sometimes called “PL tones”.
Headset jack
Some people may disagree with me considering this a “must have”, but for anyone who might be using their radio during a disaster, It could prove to be an absolute necessity. I've yet to see a radio without a jack for a shoulder mic or headset, but some of them use very uncommon connectors, which make buying accessories both difficult and expensive. I strongly encourage anyone looking for a radio to do some research before buying and find out how common the headsets, shoulder mics, and other accessories are for your radio, and how much they might cost. Just as an example, a shoulder mic for theYaesu VX8R is around $50, while a shoulder mic for the Yaesu FT-270 is about $25.
Extras that come in handy
These are some of the bells and whistles you can get with your radio. I couldn't possibly list them all, but these are a few that would come in the most useful for us.
VHF/2m/144mhz and UHF/70cm /440MHz Dual-band
While a 2m radio will be sufficient for most basic CERT communications, there are times when 70cm frequencies may be used as well.
DCS (Digital Coded Squelch)
This is similar to CTCSS, and used in exactly the same way. It isn't quite as common, but you will find some amateur radio repeaters using DCS tones.
Weather Radio/Weather Alert
Some radios can receive constant weather reports and weather alerts. For obvious reasons these can be very handy.
Submersible and/or military grade construction
Some radios are submersible, and some are “ruggedized” and built to MIL810E or MIL810F specifications. These types of radios are far more likely to survive an earthquake or other harsh conditions.
Alkaline Battery Pack
Some radios can use AA batteries instead of their regular battery pack. This is another one of those things that can be very useful for CERT members during a disaster. Most radios limit the transmit power when you're using these types of battery packs, but there are a few that don't. Either way it's better than nothing.
