Ham Radio Operators are a passionate group of people who love to tinker, and geek out! It’s a hobby that presents a truly great opportunity for gift giving holidays and special occasions.
The world of Ham Radio can be confusing to outsiders. Our team of dedicated researchers has found some of the the most epic Ham Radio Gifts out there, and presented them below to help you find the perfect present for the amateur radio lover in your life!
Whether it’s Ham Radio related gadgets, books, or novelties, we’ve got something for everyone! Good luck, and happy gifting!
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Ham Radio Gadgets
If they love amateur radio, there’s a much better than average chance that they love to tinker and play with gadgets. We’ve found some truly epic items that’ll engage their mind and provide hours of entertainment.
These are our favorite Ham Radio Gadgets you can give as gifts:
- Arduino Super Starter Kit
- Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit
- BaoFeng UV-82HP Two-Way Radio
- ICOM 144MHz Amateur Radio
- Baofeng UV5RA Ham Two Way Radio
- Midland 50 Channel GMRS Two-Way Radio
- All Band HF VHF Ham Radio Portable Antenna
- Tram Amateur Ham Dual-Band Magnet 19 Inch Antenna
3D Printer owners love to tinker, and an Arduino project starter kit is a great way to help them scratch that itch! This kit has everything they need to build dozens of awesome projects, or add lights and sounds to one of the prints!
The Raspberry Pi 3 is a super powerful computer that's the size of a credit card. The kit is perfect for anyone who loves to geek out on electronics (as most 3d printer owners do). Perfect for any gift giving occasion, bring one home this Christmas, Father's Day, Birthday, or any other!
The UV-82HP is the most powerful BaoFeng capable of transmitting 7 watts! This radio is one of the most popular on the market due to it's high power, full set of features, and reasonable price.
Great for those getting started with the hobby, or more experienced operators! The amateur VHF FM transceiver has 207 alphanumeric memory channels, built-in cuts and dices encoder/decoder, 3 inch LCD, multiple scan functions, all in a compact case!
The Baofeng UV-5RA is a compact, economical HT covering 2 meters and 440 MHz. It has special VHF receive band from 65 - 108 MHz which includes the regular FM broadcast band. Dual watch and dual reception is supported.
Gear up for the outdoors without sacrificing communication with the Midland GXT1000VP4 GMRS Walkie Talkie. It is a waterproof radio that provides clear point-to-point communication, with superior reception, transmission, and sound quality.
The popular portable ham radio antenna for transmitting and receiving on HF and VHF bands. Rated #1 in the HFpack Portable Antenna Shootouts. Great for keeping a low profile, taking an antenna with you, or in place of a permanent outdoor amateur radio antenna.
This new Tram UHF 2.5 dBd VHF Unity Gain Magnet Mount Antenna Kit with BNC Connector is a great gift for the Ham operator in your life.
Ham Radio Books
The typical Ham can’t get enough of their favorite hobby. If this sounds like the one you’re shopping for, consider any of these fantastic amateur radio books:
- The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual
- Arduino for Ham Radio
- 200 Meters & Down: The Story of Amateur Radio
- Morse Code Operating for Amateur Radio
- Portable Operating for Amateur Radio
- More Arduino Projects for Ham Radio
The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual 4th Edition is all you need to become an Amateur Radio Operator! It features easy-to-understand bite-sized sections. If you know someone working towards the Ham license, or who just wants a handy reference, this book is a great choice!
This book is packed full of Arduino Microcontroller Projects your favorite Ham Radio Operator can build today! The Arduino has become widely popular among hobbyists and ham radio operators. Hams are exploring these powerful, inexpensive microcontrollers, creating new projects and amateur station gear. With its Open Source model, the Arduino community freely shares software and hardware designs, making projects easier to build and modify.
This fantastic book chronicles the exciting evolution of Amateur Radio from the pioneers who perfected the wireless art through the technical advances of the mid-1930s. A great gift for anyone interested in the history of the hobby! Check your favorite coupon sites, because this item often goes on sale for 5% off.
Tune in to the low end of any HF band, and you ll find it populated with ham radio operators using Morse code for casual conversations, chasing DX or fast paced contests. They enjoy practicing a skill that they worked hard to obtain a skill not everyone has. Help your favorite Ham learn this awesome skill with this book on your next gift-giving occasion!
Amateur Radio stations traditionally have been associated with a table full of gear in a home station. In recent years, that has changed with the increasing popularity of operating portable, away from home. A new generation of compact, full-featured, portable radios combines with modern battery technology to make it easier than ever to set up your station and enjoy Amateur Radio in the great outdoors.
Building on the success of Arduino for Ham Radio, this book More Arduino Projects for Ham Radio includes 15 completely new practical and functional Arduino projects for the Ham shack. This time, they branch out to use some of the newer Arduino variants and devices.
Ham Radio Novelties
Novelty gifts are a staple of the amateur radio scene, and for good reason. From puns to awesome displays of their accomplishments, there’s something here for everyone!
- Ham Radio Operator Cap
- Ham Radio World Map
- Ham Radio Operator Parking Sign
- Telegraphy Unframed Patent Print
- Morse Code Coffee Mug
- Phonetic Alphabet Mug
- I Tinker With Radios Past My Bedtime T-Shirt
Help them show off their passion for their hobby with one of these great hats that reads "Ham Radio Operator". It's fashionable enough for daily wear, and perfect for long tinkering sessions in the garage!
An accurate and up to date ham radio prefix map, maintained and kept current by experienced Ham operators! This makes a great gift for hanging on the wall wherever your favorite Ham spends his time tinkering!
This great parking sign is perfect for the "Ham Shack", and makes a great gift. Whether it's Father's Day, a Birthday, or Christmas, their face will light up when they see this fantastic gift!
Bring a vintage twist to any room! This is a real photographic print, not just a simple inkjet print, and is sure to be a great addition to your decor. The original artwork of this print has been reimagined and brought back to life by a team of creatives to live in your home.
Help them show off thier Morse Code knowledge with one of these great mugs! It features the alphabet in Morse Code, and is a great conversation starter!
This Novelty Military Aviation Phonetic Alphabet Mug makes a great gift for Ham Radio operators! It features the full Phonetic Alphabet commonly used in Ham Radio operation, and is perfect for any occasion.
This humorous tshirt is a great Christmas or birthday novelty gift for telegraphy fans, CW operators, SWL, science & telegraph enthusiasts, garage tinkerers, and amateur radio operators. It features the phrase "I tinker with radios past my bedtime" and has a graphic featuring a vintage radio.
The Best Gifts For Ham Radio Enthusiasts
Amateur radio operators are a breed of their own, and generally fantastic people. If there’s one on your gift list this season, our guide can help you find just the right thing to please them. Whether it’s Christmas, Valentines, a Birthday, or just because… we’ve got you covered!
Here are our favorite Ham Radio Gifts:
- Handheld radio units
- Books about Ham Radio
- Themed Hats and apparel
- Novelty Mugs
- An embedded computer kit
- Maps and logbooks
- Portable Antenna
- Ham T-Shirts
How To Pick The Best Gift For An Amateur Radio Operator
While there’s no one perfect gift for every person, our guide can help you come up with an idea they’re sure to love. Each person is unique and special, and the perfect gift for them may not be what’s best for someone else.
There are a ton of opportunities to show them you care and help take the hobby to the next level. There are so many unique gift ideas out there so there’s no excuse for not being able to com up with something! Here are some ways to get your creative juices flowing:
1) Check their social media…
Pinterest, facebook, the people and companies they follow on instagram are all good places to start with. Maybe they follow particular brands or pages that would have some great ideas on them.
2) Ask their friends…
If they share their passion with anyone else you know, ask them what would be the best gift! They know the hobby inside and out, as well as what your recipient might have his eye on.
3) Ask them directly…
Sometimes the best way to figure out that tricky gift is just to ask. Try to be sneaky about it, or come right out and see what they’ve got their eye on. Risking the element of surprise in exchange for a surefire hit may not always be the best way to go, but it works in some situations.
Our Time Tested Gifting Principles
Beyond the brainstorming basics, there are a few guiding principles you should keep in mind:
- Price isn’t everything - sometimes the best gifts are handmade, inexpensive, or free.
- Practical isn’t always best - treating them to something they may not buy for themselves is always a good idea.
- Give from the heart - something that holds deeper meaning is sure to make a lasting impression.
- Be inventive - truly unique and creative gifts mean thinking outside the box.