Warning to candidates that passed the RAE.

When I decided on a name for this topic I was rather concerned about the word, warning.  I could have used advice, recommendation etc.  I however chose the word warning as I want to warn new radio amateurs about buying amateur radio equipment that is priced far more than the current trade value.  I am going to be hated by some for bringing this to the attention of new radio amateurs.  Be as it may it is time that we look after new radio amateurs and their interests.  Yes, I know sellers can ask what they want for amateur radio equipment.  It is a free market and there is no price regulation.

I would like to give new radio amateurs a few pointers on what to lookout for when buying new or second hand equipment:

1.  Do your homework very well before buying any equipment.  The mere fact that an item is in its original box does not guarantee that it is working 100%.  All looks great and new from the outside but how does it look on the inside and how does it work/perform?  If you fork out a big some of money, obtain a guarantee against defects from the seller and ask him to disclose any defects.  If he is unwilling or he indicate that he did not test the item, the red light should go on.  If you have an experienced radio amateur living in the city or town where the item is located, ask him if he would "check-out" the radio or equipment on your behalf.  If the seller does not want to schedule a practical demonstration, do not go ahead with the purchase.
2. I have experienced the following in purchasing an over priced radio and by this I mean a new radio amateur is very keen to get on the air.  No matter what he pays for the radio or equipment, he buys the radio only to find out a few months later that he paid far to much for the radio or equipment.  This he discovers when he want to re-sell the radio or equipment again soon after purchasing it.  He now finds that nobody is interested in the radio or equipment and that he has no other choice than to reduce his asking price dramatically and suffer a substantial loss.
   
3. Be very careful in buying older to old radio equipment unless you have an interest in restoring/collecting old radios and equipment.  You may find that older equipment cannot perform certain functions that you would like to have in a radio.  If I look at how the technology raced ahead of many of us, then be careful what radio/rig/equipment you buy.
4. Do not jump in and buy everything you think you need to setup a "full" shack in a short time-span.  You will find later that you jumped head over heals into the hobby and that you could have purchased better and even cheaper equipment on the long run.
5. I received good advice from an Elmer years ago.  He advised me to buy a brand new dual band handheld radio from a reputable dealer and use that for a year or two.  After getting the hang of things and gaining more experience, I can start lookout for other equipment.  Very good advice and I was able to decide which aspects of the hobby I would like to explore.  I used the handheld on many repeaters before moving onto HF.  In some cases radio amateurs might not be in reach of a repeater and this will unfortunately not work for them.
6. I learned through the years that you must never be in a hurry/over excited/to eager when buying amateur radio equipment.  Take your time.  Do not be fooled by the first come first serve slogan or any other sales gimmicks.  I hear you say but I may loose the item if I do not jump in and buy it immediately. Remember, you will always find another item at a later stage, sometimes even better priced and in perfect condition.  Remember this is a hobby and we are not competing against the Jones's.
7. Do not be shy to "hackle" about the price of amateur radio equipment or ask the seller to carry the postage and packing.  In many instances you will find that the seller is willing to come down in price or carry the postage and packing.
8. Ham- and Public flea-markets or auctions can be a great source to buy equipment if you know what to look-out for. It can also be a source for gathering "rubbish" or filling up you junk-box or garage.  No guarantee or return of equipment is clearly stipulated.  If you not technically minded then flea markets and auctions might not be for you.  I just love ham- and technology flea markets and auctions.  You also find something nice to eat and drink at some flea-markets!
   
9. Scrap Metal Dealers is also a good source to salvage amateur radio equipment, electronic equipment and even components.   Yes I have bought amateur radio equipment from a Scrap Metal Dealer on a few occasions.   I know the dealer well and he is always looking out for radio equipment for me.  He then phones me when he received electronic equipment.  I once bought a No19 First World War Transmitter from him.  As stated I know the dealer well and asked him what the reason was for people to "dump" radio equipment at his premises.  He indicated that you will find in many cases that a person died and that the children has no contact to sell the equipment locally as they might be from elsewhere.  I once also bought a fully galvanized amateur radio tower from this dealer.  Apparently nobody was interested to buy the tower from a deceased estate and the children just dumped it at the dealer.  Another regular pickup at the dealer is C42 C11's etc.  People sell these old radios as scrap metal.  And so I can go on and on.
   
10. I talked about public auctions earlier.  Twice a year I visit a large auction locally.  Here I picked up VHF/UHF  HT's, Mobile Radios etc.  Although commercial equipment it also operates on the amateur radio bands.  Other equipment bought on these auctions include old computer servers, PC's, Laptops, WiFi Equipment, Transformers etc. to many to mention them all here.  Now what must I do with all this "junk",  I call it "white gold".  Hint: I buy the equipment and then resell it again.  This dealing is not for everybody especially if you a new radio amateur with limited electronic knowledge and experience.  I then use that money to buy decent amateur radio equipment.  Sadly Covid19 has put an end to it, but who knows one of these days things might change for the better.
11. Finally:  Look for good rugged and tried and tested equipment.  I buy many Chinese products that I use in amateur radio but be careful.  Look for good quality products from Japan, USA, UK, Germany etc.  It will last you a lifetime.
    

I have many more pointers but this will make this post very large and I find that some people do not like to read long essays nowadays.

So my new fellow radio amateur be very careful out there.  Do your homework and learn the ropes before just jumping in and spend you hard earned money only to find out later you payed far to much for amateur radio equipment.  You might also find that you do not like a certain aspect of amateur radio and then you sit with all those expensive equipment only to sell it at a substantial loss.