I have been reviewing amateur radio transceivers since 1987. I have seen some really great radios over those years and I have also seen some real garbage. Back in the 1980's and further back in time, radios were built really well. Most were made of some form of metal for the case and they seemed to have heavy duty parts. Today, it would seem that metal has given way to plastics and while I miss the old days, these new radios, even though they are made of plastic, are not a joke.
If you have spent any time in amateur radio, you know the BIG 3. Yaesu, Kenwood and Icom are very well know in the amateur radio world along with Alinco bringing up number 4. These radios have always been reliable and well built. The trouble is they are not inexpensive.
New ham operators are in a very nice place these days because they can get radios that do as much or even more than those radios of the past but at a major difference in price. There is no longer any reason to purchase a radio for 400 dollars when you can pick up a radio that does nearly the same things for 35 dollars. Sure, the new plastic radios may not last as long as the heavier duty ones of the past, but they will get you on the air and enjoying a hobby for a fraction of the cost that it would have set you back in the 1980's or 90's for that matter.
The new radios are so cheap that you can get more than one and still have money left over to take the kids to Disney land. Ok maybe that's a stretch but you will have some money left over.
Don't overlook the new "Chinese" radios as they are really starting to make some amazing radios. I will leave links below so you can see exactly what I mean. In fact, most of the radios you will see below come with desk chargers! That is not something the bigger dealers do and that saves you money.
https://baofengtech.com/ref/HamRadioToday/
https://tidradio.com/?ref=chbxrnmq
https://www.baofengradio.com/?ref=kmpviayy
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