Have you ever wondered if there was more to the world of radios than to listen to AM and FM broadcasts? Have you wished you could transmit from your own radio station and communicate with other people over different radio frequencies? Or are you someone who wishes to communicate over devices popularly known as "walkie-talkies" when you need to be actively passing instructions at a work site or at a public service event? The answer to all of these situations is the ham radio which is also known as amateur radio.

As it is true for any device that requires operational and technical knowledge, a certain level of proficiency is required to be able to use a ham radio to its full potential. A ham radio can be used in many different settings and for different purposes. Some people like to use them as a hobby, to keep in contact and to network with fellow amateur radio operators around the globe, some people use it for more practical purposes for example in public service events like a marathon or a fair where it is easier and cheaper to pass information and instructions over a radio than over the phone. Other uses can be to have a mobile, compact device that is suitable for taking outdoors with a long battery life with which you can listen to FM radio broadcasts, light your way in the dark and ring an emergency alarm if you need to.

These are the uses of a ham radio that you can achieve without having to acquire any license. But ham or amateur radios' true power lies in its ability to transmit. With these radios, you can transmit messages from your radio to other ham radio users and talk to them, which does require a license. But do not let the requirement for a license intimidate you, the license can be easily acquired by passing an exam and with a few basic ham radio components, you can start operating your ham radio in no time. Also, during emergency situations like a fire, or natural disasters, you are allowed to use whatever means you have, even without a  license to call for help and ham radios can be a true lifesaver in such scenarios.

​Below, we have selected ten best ham radios that we thought are worth looking into if you are planning to buy a ham radio. Included in the sections below are what we loved about the radios and what we did not, and also the things you should consider before finding a ham radio that is perfect for you.

You can choose to listen to a wide range of radio frequencies, VHF (136-174) MHz and UHF (400-520) MHz, and you can also choose from wide and narrow bands. You can save up to 128 channels in the memory for quick access to those channels, as well as use the Dual Watch feature to keep track of two channels at the same time.

One feature in this radio that we are particularly fond of is the turning knob at the top right-hand side of the radio which can be used to turn the radio on/off as well as to raise/ lower the volume. Many modern radios have switches or buttons for the volume and it can be bothersome to find the right button and go through the screen menu to control the volume. With this radio’s knob, which is a more traditional style, you can easily control the volumes with your fingers while talking over the radio.

The Push-To-Talk button on the side is easy to push and the LED screen lights up when the PTT is activated. The menus items have a built-in electronic announcer that will tell you which menu you are on which is a handy feature to have to help you get used to operating the radio faster.

The screen can be set to light up in different colors depending on which function you are on for example Receiver mode (RX) or Transmitter mode (TX), etc. The auto keypad lock feature will ensure that you don't accidentally activate a function.

The first thing about this radio that will strike any radio users as being impressive is the RF power output that is 8 Watts at its maximum. In other BaoFeng radios, the antenna that came with the radios were dummy-load antennas, which meant that most users who wanted a better antenna had to buy a more efficient one separately. But this radio is unique in the sense that it comes with a V-85 high gain antenna which delivers twice the antenna performance compared to the older models. Combine this high-performance antenna and the 8 Watt power output and you have a radio that at the top level of the competition when it comes to transmittance efficiency. To support this high power output, this radio comes with a battery that has a capacity of 2000 mAh which is a thirty percent increase from the previous versions. If you want to save battery life in situations where you don’t need a high power output, you can simply select a lower 1 Watt or 4 Watts output. A larger battery also means that you will feel more comfortable using the built-in flashlight in the dark or listen to the FM radio for a longer period of time. The battery can be charged through an AC adapter or by simply placing it on the cradle charger.

As its name suggests, this radio will allow you to operate on dual bands, within 400- 520 MHz for Very High frequency (VHF) and within 136 – 174 MHz for Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) and for listening to commercial FM radio channels, you can tune in to 65 -108 MHz. The channels can be programmed through the keypad at the front of the radio, but if you are worried about not knowing how to do so, this radio will still be a great choice because one of the improvements it has brought about is the in-depth, newly written user manual, that the previous models have been lacking. If you still do not want to go through the extensive work of programming, you can always buy a programming cable and let a computer software such as CHIRP to do the work for you.