| Most new hams start out with a VHF or UHF hand-held transceiver or a mobile radio which costs anywhere from $100 to $300 ...even less if you buy a used one. The VHF and UHF bands allow you to chat with other amateurs through repeaters which -- by retransmitting your signal using higher power and gain antennas installed at lofty sites -- greatly extending the communications range of low-powered transceivers. Multi-band transceivers which require separate antennas are more expensive.
Most ham operators purchase their transmitting/ receiving equipment from other operators ...or from commercial suppliers. You will find a list of dealers here.
Licensed radio amateurs may design, construct, modify, and repair their own stations. The FCC equipment authorization program does not generally apply to amateur station apparatus.
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