Amateur Radio

That's a misrepresentation.

800 for the last radio you'll ever need. I didn't say start with it.

4 to 500 for a middle ground radio.

300 if you want to learn to fix it, it's a feature not a bug. And it's not for everyone, I never said it was.

You can get a 5w HF radio for $100, plenty to learn on, but can be frustrating if the solar cycle is down.

If you really want to get your foot in the door, get your foot out the door and over to your local club, they lend you gear, or even give it to you and has happened to me a time or two when I was starting. Or you can use their club station, or go out and do a POTA with someone. That's what I do with my buddies kids, and they love it 🤷‍♂️

There's plenty to do, nobody is trying to gate keep here. It's just a hobby with a very high cost ceiling, and a lot of people who've been doing it for decades and built up equipment stores. It's a lot to come into, and yes we do need to be more welcoming.