Buying second-hand amateur radio equipment can be a great way to get more radio for your money. Transceivers that cost hundreds or even thousands of pounds when new can often be picked up considerably cheaper on the used market, and there’s a huge selection of older amateur radio equipment still giving good service decades after it was made.
eBay is one of the obvious places to look. At any given time you’ll find used HF transceivers, handhelds, scanners, receivers, SWR meters, antenna tuners, power supplies, microphones and all sorts of other amateur radio equipment. Take a look here: used ham kit on eBay.
But buying a 20-year-old transceiver from someone you’ve never met is rather different from ordering a new radio from a dealer.
Here are some things we’d suggest checking before clicking Buy It Now or placing that tempting bid.
Know What You’re Buying
Before looking at individual listings, do a little homework on the particular radio you’re considering.
Find out roughly when it was made, what bands and modes it covers, what accessories were originally supplied and whether there are any well-known faults associated with that model.
Older doesn’t necessarily mean bad. There are plenty of excellent amateur radio transceivers from Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood and others that remain very capable radios today.
However, an older radio may lack features found on modern equipment and replacement parts for some models can be difficult to obtain. Check that the radio actually does what you need before being seduced by a bargain price.
Read the Description Carefully
With used radio equipment, the wording of the listing matters.
There’s quite a difference between:
- “Fully tested and working”
- “Powers up”
- “Was working when last used”
- “Unable to test”
- “Untested”
- “Spares or repair”
A radio lighting up when connected to a power supply doesn’t prove that its receiver is sensitive or that it produces the correct RF output on every band.
If a seller says something is untested, assume that there is a possibility it doesn’t work. If you’re not prepared to repair it, we’d generally favour equipment that the seller has actually tested.
Ask the Seller Questions
If something important isn’t covered in the description, ask before buying.
For a transceiver, useful questions might include:
- Does it transmit and receive correctly?
- Has the RF output been tested?
- Are there any known faults?
- Have any modifications been made?
- Has the radio ever been repaired?
- Do all of the buttons, knobs and displays work?
- Are the microphone and power lead included?
- Has it been used in a smoking household?
Use eBay’s own messaging system where possible. Apart from being convenient, it creates a record of what you’ve asked and what the seller told you.
Check the Photos (Properly!)
Don’t just look at the first photograph.
Look closely at the case, display, knobs and connectors. Heavy scratches around screws can suggest that the case has been opened repeatedly. Missing screws, damaged sockets, corrosion and improvised wiring are all worth noticing.
For a radio, we’d particularly want to see photographs of the actual radio being sold, rather than catalogue photographs copied from the Internet.
A picture showing the radio powered up is useful, although remember that a working display doesn’t prove that the rest of the radio works.
If you’re spending several hundred pounds and the photographs don’t show something you want to inspect, ask the seller for another picture.
Beware of Smoke Damage
This is an easily overlooked issue with older amateur radio equipment.
Some radios have spent many years in a shack where the operator smoked. Cigarette smoke can leave equipment with a persistent smell and yellow or brown deposits on cases, controls and internal components.
The smell can be surprisingly difficult to remove completely.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that the radio won’t work, but if you’re sensitive to cigarette smoke – or simply don’t want your shack smelling of it – it’s worth asking whether the equipment has come from a smoke-free home.
It’s particularly worth checking when buying older equipment that may have spent decades in the same shack.
Check the Seller, Not Just the Radio
Before spending serious money, click through to the seller’s feedback.
Don’t just look at the percentage figure. Look at:
- How long they’ve been on eBay
- How much feedback they have
- Any recent negative or neutral comments
- What they’ve sold previously
- Whether they’ve sold similar radio equipment before
A long-established seller with hundreds or thousands of positive transactions is reassuring, although no feedback score can provide an absolute guarantee.
Context is useful too. Someone who regularly sells amateur radio equipment and accurately describes its condition may inspire more confidence than a newly-created account suddenly offering several expensive transceivers.
Be particularly cautious if a desirable radio is being offered at a price that seems far below its normal used value. Bargains exist, but so do scams.
Pay Through eBay
Keep the entire transaction on eBay.
For eligible purchases, eBay’s Money Back Guarantee provides protection where an item doesn’t arrive, arrives damaged or faulty, or isn’t as described in the listing.
Pay using one of the payment methods offered through eBay checkout. Don’t agree to send money separately by bank transfer, cash transfer or another off-eBay arrangement simply because a seller offers you a discount.
Moving the transaction outside eBay can mean losing the protection that you’d otherwise have.
If someone advertising a radio on eBay tries to persuade you to complete the purchase privately, we’d regard that as a significant warning sign.
Should You Pay by Credit Card?
For a more expensive purchase, you may prefer to use a credit card through eBay checkout rather than a debit card.
Your card provider may provide additional rights or dispute procedures depending on the transaction and circumstances.
However, don’t try to run an eBay Money Back Guarantee claim and a payment-provider dispute simultaneously. eBay’s rules state that once you choose to seek resolution through your payment provider for the same transaction, the purchase is no longer eligible for eBay Money Back Guarantee.
Normally, if there’s a problem with an eligible eBay purchase, we’d start with the seller and eBay’s own resolution process.
What About Collection in Person?
Collection can actually be very attractive for an expensive radio because you may have the opportunity to see the equipment before taking it away.
If possible, ask to see the radio operating. For a transceiver, seeing it receive a signal and produce RF output is considerably more useful than simply watching it power up.
Complete the purchase through eBay rather than turning it into a private cash deal.
For an official eBay collection transaction, eBay provides the buyer with a QR code or six-digit collection code which the seller can use to confirm that the item has been collected.
When the Radio Arrives
Don’t put a newly-arrived used radio on a shelf for three weeks before trying it.
Inspect and test it reasonably promptly while the transaction is still fresh.
For a transceiver, we’d check things such as:
- Physical condition against the listing photographs
- Display, buttons and controls
- Receive operation
- Transmit operation into a suitable antenna or dummy load
- RF output where practical
- Different bands and modes
- Microphone and supplied accessories
Use appropriate test equipment and a dummy load where necessary. Don’t transmit without a suitable load connected just to see whether the radio works.
Also keep the packaging until you’re satisfied with the purchase. If the radio has to go back, good original packing can make returning a heavy transceiver considerably easier.
What If Something Is Wrong?
First, don’t panic and don’t immediately start dismantling or repairing the radio.
If you’ve bought something described as working and it arrives faulty, damaged or materially different from its description, contact the seller through eBay.
Explain the problem clearly and, where useful, take photographs or video showing the issue.
For eligible purchases, eBay’s Money Back Guarantee allows you to request a return when an item is faulty, damaged or doesn’t match its description. In most cases, a return for an item that’s not as described needs to be requested within 30 calendar days of delivery.
The seller may offer a return, replacement or sometimes a partial refund if you’re happy to keep the item.
If the issue isn’t resolved through the seller, you can ask eBay to step in.
Don’t attempt a repair or modification before resolving the problem with the seller. Once you’ve opened the radio and started soldering, establishing how it arrived can become considerably more complicated.
Private Seller or Radio Dealer?
You’ll find both private individuals and professional radio dealers selling used amateur radio equipment on eBay.
A private sale can sometimes be cheaper, particularly when someone is clearing equipment they no longer use. A specialist dealer may charge more but may have tested the equipment more thoroughly and may offer additional support or warranty arrangements.
Neither automatically guarantees a good or bad purchase. Read the listing, investigate the seller and decide whether the price reflects the level of confidence being offered.
Don’t Forget the Accessories
A cheap radio isn’t necessarily cheap if you then have to buy everything that should have come with it.
Check whether the sale includes the microphone, DC power cable, mounting bracket, manual and any model-specific accessories.
A missing generic IEC mains lead is hardly a disaster. A missing proprietary microphone or unusual DC connector could be much more irritating and expensive to replace.
Used Amateur Radio Equipment on eBay
Buying used can be an excellent way to build a station, particularly when your budget won’t stretch to the latest equipment. Just remember that the older and more expensive the equipment, the more homework we’d suggest doing before buying.
Check the description, study the photographs, look at the seller’s history, ask questions and keep the purchase and payment within eBay.
Most importantly, don’t let the excitement of spotting the radio you’ve always wanted persuade you to ignore warning signs that you’d notice immediately on any other purchase.
Browse used amateur radio equipment on eBay
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