There is no single best APRS radio. There are good answers for "best for backpacking", "best for a car", "best for a desk", and "best for a balloon", and they are different radios. This guide walks through the realistic options, what they actually do, and the trade-offs you accept with each. It is a buyer's guide written by operators, not an affiliate page; we do not link to product purchase pages and we name trade-offs rather than only features.
Before you buy any of this gear, you need an amateur radio licence — APRS transmits on shared amateur bands, and unlicensed transmission is illegal in nearly every country. Spectators can use the APRS World live map freely without a licence; transmitters need a ticket.
Every APRS station collapses into one of three architectures:
Most beginners start with option 1 or 2. Option 3 is for specific use cases.
The FT3DR and its successor FT5DR are dual-band (144/430 MHz) handhelds with internal GPS, internal TNC, and built-in APRS firmware. The FT5DR adds Bluetooth, USB-C charging, and a slightly improved screen.
Strengths: solid build, mature APRS firmware that supports SmartBeaconing, multiple beacon profiles, and APRS messaging. The screen is colour and large enough to read traffic comfortably. Internal GPS acquires reliably outdoors.
Trade-offs: APRS messaging editing on the small keypad is slow. Battery life with APRS beaconing on plus occasional voice operation is in the 5-8 hour range on the stock pack. The rubber-duck antenna is short; expect to upgrade.
Kenwood's flagship APRS handheld, the successor to the long-running TH-D74A. Dual-band, internal GPS, internal TNC, large colour screen, D-STAR digital voice (a separate digital-voice mode unrelated to APRS), and full APRS feature set including station list, message list, plot screen, and tactical callsigns.
Strengths: best-in-class APRS UI on a handheld. Kenwood's APRS firmware is widely considered the most complete on any HT; the plot screen and station-list views are quicker to navigate than Yaesu's. Excellent receiver.
Trade-offs: price — typically the most expensive option in this category. D-STAR is a separate paid ecosystem that not everyone wants. The radio is also slightly heavier than the Yaesu HTs.
Older model, discontinued, but still common on the used market. Triple-band (50/144/430 MHz), internal GPS optional via a separate module, internal TNC, APRS firmware.
Strengths: rugged, simple, often available used at reasonable cost. The 6 m (50 MHz) band is included, which the newer Yaesu HTs dropped.
Trade-offs: discontinued, so firmware updates are not happening. The APRS UI feels dated compared to the FT3DR / FT5DR. GPS was an optional add-on; not every used unit includes it.
Inexpensive Chinese HTs (Baofeng UV-5R, UV-82, Quansheng UV-K5, Btech UV-2501) do not have internal TNCs or GPS. They can carry APRS only as a "dumb modem" paired with an external TNC and a phone or PC. This is genuinely viable and a popular beginner path — see Path 2 below.
Strengths: very low cost (often under USD 30). If you already own one, you have most of what you need.
Trade-offs: build quality varies. The internal speaker-microphone arrangement complicates connecting a TNC; an external speaker-mic with a TNC-compatible interface is usually required.
The long-standing reference for in-car APRS. Dual-band mobile, internal TNC (the famous "1200 baud / 9600 baud" KISS modem), GPS via an external HMG-7 puck or via NMEA from the head unit, full APRS feature set with tactical callsigns, weather-station integration, EchoLink integration, and a detachable head unit for clean dashboard installs.
Strengths: still the most capable APRS mobile on the market. The TNC is robust, the menus are familiar to anyone who has used Kenwood radios, and the EchoLink integration is unique in this class.
Trade-offs: discontinued in 2024 in many markets (the GA variant remains in some regions). Used units are still common and well-supported. Older D710 variants (G, A) are also usable.
Yaesu's current flagship mobile, dual-band with internal GPS, internal TNC, large colour touchscreen, and System Fusion (separate digital-voice mode, unrelated to APRS). APRS support is full-featured including SmartBeaconing, multiple profiles, messaging, and station list.
Strengths: modern UI, touchscreen makes message editing tolerable, large display readable at arm's length, internal GPS works well.
Trade-offs: price. The touchscreen is glove-hostile in winter. System Fusion is a separate ecosystem.
The smaller sibling of the FTM-500DR. Dual-band, internal GPS, internal TNC, smaller screen, full APRS support. Often the price-performance pick when an FTM-500DR is overkill.
Strengths: smaller form factor fits in tight dashboards, capable APRS firmware, lower cost than the 500DR.
Trade-offs: smaller screen makes the station list harder to scan. No touchscreen.
Triple-band (or dual-band depending on variant) mobile with DMR digital voice (separate ecosystem, unrelated to APRS) plus APRS. APRS firmware is less polished than Yaesu/Kenwood but functional.
Strengths: full DMR support included for operators who use that mode. Bluetooth on some variants. Lower price than the Yaesu or Kenwood equivalents.
Trade-offs: APRS UI is the weakest of the major brands. Documentation is uneven. If APRS is your primary use case, the Yaesu or Kenwood mobiles are friendlier.
This path uses any HT or mobile as a "dumb modem" and offloads the APRS intelligence to a separate TNC and a phone. Once configured, it is often the most flexible and most enjoyable APRS station — the phone screen makes everything readable, your existing radio is reused, and upgrades happen on the phone, not in the radio.
A pocket-sized Bluetooth-connected KISS TNC. Pairs with any phone running a KISS-aware APRS app (the APRS World mobile app and APRSdroid both support it). Connects to a radio via the speaker-microphone port using a model-specific cable.
Strengths: small, light, well-built, mature firmware, supports both 1200-baud APRS and 9600-baud packet for other modes. Mobilinkd's documentation is excellent and the maker is responsive.
Trade-offs: an extra device to carry and charge. Cable selection depends on your radio model; check compatibility before ordering.
An open-hardware KISS TNC built on a Microchip MCU. Designed for fixed installation with a serial-USB interface; less of a portable solution and more of a base-station or iGate building block.
Strengths: open hardware, fully documented, well-suited for 1200/9600 baud packet and APRS, low cost relative to commercial TNCs.
Trade-offs: not Bluetooth; uses USB-serial. Better suited for a desk or iGate than for backpacking.
Free software TNC that turns a PC or Raspberry Pi soundcard into a KISS modem. Pair with a sound-card-coupled radio interface (SignaLink USB, RIGblaster, or a home-built cable with a USB sound dongle).
Strengths: free, very capable, supports 1200 and 9600 baud, runs on Linux/Windows/macOS, the standard for home iGates.
Trade-offs: needs a computer running 24/7. Setup involves audio levels, PTT wiring, and rigctl — not a one-evening project for a beginner.
When you do not want to send and receive — just beacon — a tracker is the smallest, lightest, cheapest option.
A wifi-bridged variant of the original LightAPRS. Tiny board with GPS, USB-C charging, half-watt 144 MHz transmitter, and battery support. Beacons unattended for many days on a single 18650 cell.
Strengths: very small (~30 g), very low power, ideal for high-altitude balloons, weather payloads, bicycles. Open hardware.
Trade-offs: transmit-only — does not receive APRS messages. Half a watt is low; reach depends on antenna and terrain.
A complete pocket APRS handheld — the smallest fully-featured APRS radio on the market. Internal GPS, transmit-and-receive, screen, full APRS messaging.
Strengths: pocket-sized complete APRS station. Useful for SOTA where weight matters but you still want bidirectional messaging.
Trade-offs: small screen, small battery (hours not days), single-band, premium price for the size.
Long-running tracker boards from Byonics and microSAT. Pair with a separate VHF radio and a GPS module. Designed for vehicle, balloon, or fixed-station use.
Strengths: simple, well-documented, robust for unattended use. Lower-cost than fully integrated trackers.
Trade-offs: not standalone — you bring your own radio and GPS. Setup involves a serial console.
WIDE3-3 or WIDE7-7 paths. The modern default is WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1. Longer paths flood the network and are considered bad practice.Buy the radio that matches your use case, not the most expensive option. A USD 200 HT with a USD 30 whip on the right frequency works better than a USD 800 HT with a stock antenna on the wrong frequency.