It's Christmas time again and it's time to think about what you want. I am looking for some Ham Sticks to make a dipole out of. Maybe I will have four 20 meter Ham Sticks make a 2 element ham stick beam antenna. Yes it's a compromise antenna, but something is better that nothing. Just remember some ham radio gifts may not fit in a stocking.
Okay, so the next thing is where are you shopping for Ham Radios and Ham Radio Items. Yes you can shop at places like DX Engineering or Ham Radio Outlet. You can also shop at #Amazon or #Ebay. Yes I know some hams frown on these places on the internet. Mostly it's due to buying something and it being junk. I have also heard people say it's cheaper to go right to ham radio outlet. I have looked into this and the price on amazon and eBay are slightly higher. It looks like it's due to making a small profit to cover the cost for selling on amazon and eBay.Some have complained that they bought something from Ebay and they got scammed. Well on any of my facebook groups and pages, I strongly advise to check out the sellers ratings and reviews before handing any money over. You may search on some of the Ham Radio websites like QRZ or Eham.net to see if anyone has heard good or bad about the seller. If it is an expensive item, you may want to have insurance on it.
Generally on Amazon, the items are New, they can be refurbished. Make sure to change the setting on the right side to New. You can also choose the best gold stars, average sales or the best sellers choice. Ebay is somewhat the same, but is more Used items. You have to make sure what you select, because some are just for parts.
There is nothing wrong with buying a used ham radio. The thing is mainly protect yourself buy check out the seller. Some ham radios are coming from Japan for example. Make sure to check if the wording and controls are in English. One ham bought one and everything was in Japanese.
If you prefer Ebay, JUST CLICK MY AFFILIATE LINK https://ebay.us/ksqWdG
Well that's all for now, so Merry Christmas From Dan KC2YTI
