Best Radio For a NEW HAM (Affordable 10 watt Radtel RT-470)

Ham radio can be expensive! But it doesn't have to be that way when you're starting out. Over the past couple years I've tried out many of the affordable handheld VHF Ham radios and the one that I consider to be the best first radio for a new Ham operator is the Radtel RT-470. With plenty of transmitting power, very wide coverage, great air-band reception, USB charging and much more... all for around $50. This is a great affordable entry into Ham radio!
This radio: www.amazon.com/Tri-Band-144-1...
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  • @petercarter9034
    @petercarter90343 ай бұрын

    Thanks for posting I have three Radtel radios the 470X the 480 and 890 they are very good radios they are reasonably sensitive and all put out nearly the stated output for what you pay they are great value I got them all from AliExpress they arrive in less than five days to the UK which is pretty good

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    3 ай бұрын

    Thanks for the info!

  • @NortheastExpat
    @NortheastExpat3 ай бұрын

    Great content. Just received mine in the mail the other day. Went with a gooseneck antenna as well.

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    3 ай бұрын

    Excellent! Enjoy it.

  • @mikeyB357
    @mikeyB3573 ай бұрын

    Nice review Max! My first radio was my vx6 r. Very nice radio. Still runs like a champ. But Wouxan and baofengs are in the line up too. Good review as always. Kf7lrr mike.

  • @TheDoug625
    @TheDoug6253 ай бұрын

    I have one of these and I like it a lot, another one of my favorites is the tidradio H8.

  • @theroguetomato5362
    @theroguetomato5362Күн бұрын

    A ham and guitar guy. Great, me too, although I suck at the guitar thanks to nerve damage and age.

  • @ShidPant69
    @ShidPant695 күн бұрын

    Guitar Max is a HAM?! Rad!!!

  • @radtelRadio
    @radtelRadio14 күн бұрын

    Great video,High quality content,Comprehensive analysis,set a high value on radtel two-way radio,thanks for recommending

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    12 күн бұрын

    Glad you liked it! I am looking forward to reviewing more of the Radtel radios.

  • @ExploringWithJason
    @ExploringWithJason2 ай бұрын

    I just got the new firmware from Radtel for the RT470 V2pcb (firmware version starts with 2), #1 key long press switches to AM on any band now, also opens the radio between 18mhz-999mhz 👍🏻, also..the $3 Abbree AR771 Antenna and the AR776 of Aliex are the best performing antennas that I tried.

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    2 ай бұрын

    Oh awesome! Thanks for the tip. I'll check that out.

  • @-Viceroy-
    @-Viceroy-3 ай бұрын

    With that price i need to get one. I normally use SDR to listen air band in my home, but that seems much more convenient

  • @mikepetney8400
    @mikepetney84003 ай бұрын

    I thought I was the only guitar junkie that is also a ham radio jnkie lol, keep rockin' and hamn' brother 🤟

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    3 ай бұрын

    Right on!

  • @sovereignmountain3727
    @sovereignmountain37273 ай бұрын

    Great Video, I just purchaed this radio to replace a dead Baofeng....Wish you would have covered one best features of this radio which is the frequency capture ability. Thanks!

  • @chrissewell1608

    @chrissewell1608

    2 ай бұрын

    That is quit handy!

  • @LEXPIX
    @LEXPIX3 ай бұрын

    Nicely done. I like that USB-C charge port right out from the battery itself. My 600 dollar HT doesn't have that. 73

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    3 ай бұрын

    It's definitely a big plus!

  • @chrissewell1608

    @chrissewell1608

    2 ай бұрын

    The USB charging port is good, BUT it is on the bottom! It needs to be on the side of the battery. I had to lay my 470X on its side to charge it, before I bought the charging cradle.

  • @commonsense4257
    @commonsense425719 күн бұрын

    hi first of all thanks...learned more from you in 5 min than the instruction book...i have the RT-630...somehow i screwed it up and all buttons seemed lock....cannot change anything..according book have to short pust ''2'' but that does nothing ?? any idean""

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    19 күн бұрын

    Hey I'm glad it was helpful. Well the rt-630 has the same key pad as this... and the lock key is the # key, the lower right one. So if you hold that key down, it locks and unlocks the rest of keypad. Try that!

  • @1polonium210
    @1polonium2103 ай бұрын

    Which brand of antenna are you using with the RT-470? 73 KI5KET

  • @markw.4679
    @markw.46793 ай бұрын

    What watch have you got on? ⌚️

  • @NicksStuff
    @NicksStuffАй бұрын

    Is it better than the Tidradio TD-H3/8?

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    Ай бұрын

    This radio has much wider frequency coverage, even stock out of the box. But I will try and do a video comparing those two.

  • @murphmurph2124
    @murphmurph212418 күн бұрын

    Well it looks like it's time to dump the uv-5r

  • @Dennis-y1951
    @Dennis-y19512 ай бұрын

    just purchased the radtel 470x for 29.00 on Amazon

  • @Vasily497
    @Vasily497Ай бұрын

    what is the name of the antenna please tell me

  • @12to3Guitars
    @12to3Guitars3 ай бұрын

    I had no idea you're a fellow HAM operator! I've been using my trusty Yaesu for years. No spurious emissions from a baofeng in my house lol

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    3 ай бұрын

    Excellent!

  • @k4evn75
    @k4evn753 ай бұрын

    It would be cool if the radio included the “rock band.” 😅

  • @johnroberts6695
    @johnroberts669516 күн бұрын

    👍 Great video about a radio that's been all but ignored. I have an old radio with a V. 1.15 firmware. Do you know if it's upgradable? The radio will do simplex communicating, but it won't pick up on the local repeater. I can set one channel on 146.520 and communicate with another radio. I'd like to upgrade my firmware, but I don't want to turn it into a brick (their turn, not mine). It seems to be a great little radio, but I'm wondering if the problem is me, my setup or the radio itself?

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    15 күн бұрын

    I'm under the impression that the radio, even early models, can be used with repeaters. They key is to program the repeater offset and direction, and PL tone. If you can hear the repeater but not talk on it, then it probably does not have the PL / CTSS tone setup correctly.

  • @johnroberts6695

    @johnroberts6695

    13 күн бұрын

    @@HeavyMetalHorizons » With my ver. 1.5 firmware, can it be upgraded to your knowledge? The firmware upgrades, btw, aren't automatically tuned to the radios. In other words, some upgrades can turn your computer into a "brick" if you use the wrong ones (their word). If my 470 will work, I don't really need the newer models. But I can pick up repeater transmissions with all my other radios, but not my 470. Yet I can pick up simplex transmissions, and transmit with no problem. The repeater, btw, has no CTSS settings. My other radios pick up repeater transmissions, but the 470 doesn't. No CTSS settings are necessary. Yet I can't receive repeater traffic. I'm on frequency mode. I set up one channel for tx, 355 and rx, 955. The 355 is set to MAIN.

  • @Vasily497
    @Vasily497Ай бұрын

    Antenna???

  • @mattrox1221
    @mattrox12213 ай бұрын

    Why do you recommend the rt-470 over the rt-470x?? It seems the rt-470x is the latest version of the rt-470 and is superior. Reports show very high spurious emissions from the 470.

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    3 ай бұрын

    I recommend it because of the higher power output than the X version. Also, I am skeptical about the testing methods regarding the spurious emissions.

  • @mattrox1221

    @mattrox1221

    3 ай бұрын

    ⁠@@HeavyMetalHorizonshave you tested to confirm the 10w claim? Also, have you seen the FCC ID for the RT-470? It’s the same as the 470x. It’s the same internal, the same radio. To be skeptical of others testing methods, yet not do/share any of your own is an interesting take. Unfortunately these Chinese electronics companies can’t be blindly trusted.

  • @MattTPlaysMusic

    @MattTPlaysMusic

    2 ай бұрын

    @@mattrox1221 I agree, super high spurs on this one and I'm not a purist by any means. I have BaoFengs, TID Radio, and even Talkpods in my arsenal. This thing is dirty.

  • @Daniel-ci6bj
    @Daniel-ci6bj4 күн бұрын

    If your not transmitting do you need a license for the RT-470 in the UK?

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    3 күн бұрын

    No license needed to just listen!

  • @dannywhaley6255
    @dannywhaley62553 ай бұрын

    We need to go fly and talk music!

  • @davescan5196
    @davescan5196Ай бұрын

    1 correction the standard battery is 2600mAh, the optional is 3800

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    Ай бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @larrygarrett7376
    @larrygarrett73762 ай бұрын

    Sir,I like your video and am a ham operator but here's my question I am also a Volunteer Fire Dept member in Ohio and am wondering if I can use one of this radios to talk on my Fire Dept s repeater which has and output frequency of 151.31000 mhz and a input frequency of 154.95750 mhz with a DPL of152. Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks Larry

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    2 ай бұрын

    Hi Larry. The answer is yes. This radio can operate on those frequencies, it's just a matter of programming that frequency split and PL tone into the radio, similar to how I showed in this video.

  • @larrygarrett7376

    @larrygarrett7376

    2 ай бұрын

    @@HeavyMetalHorizons thank you very much

  • @larrygarrett7376

    @larrygarrett7376

    2 ай бұрын

    Also I would be able by just using the keypad and no other special programming correct?

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    2 ай бұрын

    Larry, yes you can program it manually, with just the radio keypad.

  • @larrygarrett7376

    @larrygarrett7376

    2 ай бұрын

    @@HeavyMetalHorizons Thanks again greatly appreciated

  • @reshmith123
    @reshmith1233 ай бұрын

    What’s the model of the upgraded antenna

  • @davescan5196

    @davescan5196

    Ай бұрын

    RHD-771S

  • @user-oj1iw3lt7x
    @user-oj1iw3lt7xКүн бұрын

    I followed all the instructions from Radtel's youtube channel for upgrading v1.25, I did it right and now I have no screen and tones are heard in the background?

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    Күн бұрын

    Trying loading the firmware again. Sounds like it didn't load properly.

  • @user-oj1iw3lt7x

    @user-oj1iw3lt7x

    23 сағат бұрын

    @@HeavyMetalHorizons Still followed from their official youtube channel, step by step, everything was done except that in the end the screen didn't turn on ;-( arrived 3 days ago...

  • @layedback7338
    @layedback7338Күн бұрын

    will it get police calls?

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    Күн бұрын

    It depends on the police department and what they are using.

  • @dont4450
    @dont44502 ай бұрын

    Can radtel radios be mars modded?

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    2 ай бұрын

    Yes, the firmware, for example, can be changed.

  • @PooNinja
    @PooNinja3 ай бұрын

    Whats ya call sign??? Get a license ya pirates!!!!

  • @kumasu

    @kumasu

    3 ай бұрын

    Refer to 0:05.

  • @PooNinja

    @PooNinja

    3 ай бұрын

    @@kumasuthat was a call out to everyone with license. 🤘🏽

  • @kumasu

    @kumasu

    3 ай бұрын

    @@PooNinja Ah, got it. Have a good one!

  • @PhillRobinson
    @PhillRobinson3 ай бұрын

    Oh dear ...Stick to what you Know

  • @kumasu

    @kumasu

    3 ай бұрын

    He's a licensed amateur radio operator, talking about an entry-level HT. What has he said that is inaccurate?

  • @TheDoug625

    @TheDoug625

    3 ай бұрын

    ​@@kumasuPhill must be a sad ham.

  • @kumasu

    @kumasu

    3 ай бұрын

    @@TheDoug625 Indeed.

  • @makemystronger..freemegapi6800
    @makemystronger..freemegapi68003 ай бұрын

    This a best radtel radio? Or 730 model is best

  • @HeavyMetalHorizons

    @HeavyMetalHorizons

    3 ай бұрын

    I think this one, the RT-470 is the best.