Handhelds can be found cheap, and are useful but as you use them you will find their limits. Adding a mobile rig is only a moderate cost and with a decent antenna you get a lot more range, and capability. It's really only when you get into HF that the costs shoot up, and can skyrocket if you go balls to the wall. When or if work improves(currently work under a gun grabbing liberal "Christian", calls to the owner would do wonders to move this idiot out) then I'm going to work on an all out go kit with a portable antenna, coax, etc., and work on an HF rig.