I want to get started in amateur radio communication. This is a economical way to do that. I would love to put up a beam antenna and work the world on 40 meters. For me that's not an option. I don't have the money for equipment or the space for a beam antenna. My only option is portable. This radio is small, but able to reach repeaters if necessary to carry it's signal further. I got a programming cable for my computer, and that makes programming easy using free CHIRP software that I downloaded from the internet. Before the cable arrived, I tried my luck at programming the radio manually. The manual that comes with the radio is clear enough. The problem for me is that there are many buttons to push in just the correct order, and I can't remember them all. When I tried doing them as I read them, the timing wasn't right and menu selections would close before the information was entered. The keys are very small and can be a problem to see with bifocal glasses, at least in my case. The display is small, but large enough to see the frequency it seems, until you notice the really small stuff. As small as fine print, is info such as power level, channel number, and what channel or frequency you are on. Slightly larger is battery condition and signal strength. The backlighted display is not up for very long. There might be a way to adjust that time period. I would like to be able to turn the backlight on and off manually. The display is easier to read when backlighted. I have not taken the exam for my station license yet, so I will update when I am in the database, and can begin transmitting. Right now I'm just listening. I got the extended battery. It adds additional length to the radio and makes it easier for larger hands to hang onto. By using an adapter cable, an antenna can be connected in place of the short rubber antenna that comes with the radio. This is an advantage should you want to use an external antenna from your vehicle or home. The antenna for a 2 meter radio is around 19 inches high and can be attached to a vehicle with a magnet, unless you have a plastic or fiberglass car body. So far I'm happy with this purchase.UpdateI have connected this radio to a power meter. I got a reading of 5 watts forward power with a standing wave ratio of 1:1 using a quarter wave antenna. It's advertising claims an output of 8 watts. I think that is wishful thinking. I have taken off a star for this reason.