As long as the seller on Amazon is Btech, it’s coming from the manufacturer. Radioddity also sells through Amazon. Here’s the GT-5R: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VNM1CX4. It’s got a 10% off coupon making it about $25 Right now.

I also have to suggest a cheap Baofeng. The UV-5R is less than $30 on Amazon or the GT-5R is about the same price but is supposed to have fixed several of the things that people have issues with like the spurious emissions.

You should also check out EchoLink. It's software that lets you use connected repeaters to talk to other hams from your computer without having to get a radio.

Please use clean amazon links to prevent your message from being caught in the spam filter. Thank you.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VNM1CX4/

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I own a BF-8HP that I bought just before passing my Tech exam. They're cheap, crap radios. I agree with everyone who says consider a better radio from Icom, Yaesu, or Kenwood.

That said, I get that most people coming into the hobby are looking to initially spend as little money as possible, wanting to limit financial risk if they lose interest. If you're absolutely looking to buy a Baofeng, consider a GT-5R, as they actually meet the appropriate FCC regs, and transmit a clean signal which does not splatter into non-ham frequencies. They're cheap, not great radios, but better than the UV-5R and BF-8HP.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VNM1CX4

If you're willing to invest a little more into something you're not going to just throw away after a few months, you can get a good Yaesu FT-65R for under $200.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06VSNWYYX

Amazon links for convenience. You'll find similar prices at the Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) website, DX Engineering, or GigaParts.

Welcome to the hobby!