Feedback for a Hand-held CB?

[kny2xb]

Good Morning/Evening;

I've been out of CB since the mid 80s, so I'm obviously behind the times a bit.

I'm going to get back into it, I intend to have base, mobile, and portable.

In another thread, current Cobra CBs are getting thumbs down votes,
while Unidens seem to be popular rigs.

Has anyone tried the Uniden PRO401HH?
Likes, dislikes, criticisms?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[SB-Wi]

I've seen good reviews for the Midland 75-785. I ordered one but haven't received it so I can't speak from experience. They're running around $35-40 online at http://www.provantage.com/midland-radio-75-785~7MDLD006.htm
https://midlandusa.com/product/75-785cb-radio/

 

[PrimeNumber]

I've seen good reviews for the Midland 75-785. I ordered one but haven't received it so I can't speak from experience. They're running around $35-40 online at http://www.provantage.com/midland-radio-75-785~7MDLD006.htm
https://midlandusa.com/product/75-785cb-radio/

I have a couple of them and like very much. They're basic rigs, no bells or whistles and of course AM mode only. The rubber ducky antenna kind of stinks, but it works. It's on a BNC mount, so you can pull the antenna plug the radio into a mag-mount roof or a base antenna if you want more range. It's about as powerful as any other CB.

With the ducky antenna, friends can reach my base antenna (A99 on a 20' pole) a couple of miles across town. That's useful during hurricane season, and why I have a couple of them to loan out. Also at $38 on Amazon, I can afford to hand them out.

They don't need any external power, they just run on 9 AA batteries. Another big plus come hurricane season.

I also carry one on road trips. It won't work inside the car (11m wavelength + inside car = Faraday cage), but if highway traffic stops I can hang out the window and get a read on what's going on up ahead.

 

[KC2GIU]

Cobra products were good in the old days. It seems they have lost their way and lost their cutting edge.

I do have a pair of Cobra Handheld 33HH 40ch. They do use the AA or AAA batteries, but don't depend on those batteries for more than 30-mins as they go dead. Sure, these hand-helds have a 12VDC automotive jack. They work best this way. FRS radios for energy use and clear FM quality is the way to go with batteries. Not so for CB.

It would be nice if these hand-helds were battery case packs. Thus, the battery pack could be un-clippped from the radio to use in a vehicle or home setting. Then for walk-about mode, clip on the battery pack of AA's or AAA's. In a home setting, the radio would fit into a power cradle.

 

[SB-Wi]

It would be nice if these hand-helds were battery case packs. Thus, the battery pack could be un-clippped from the radio to use in a vehicle or home setting. Then for walk-about mode, clip on the battery pack of AA's or AAA's. In a home setting, the radio would fit into a power cradle.

Midland 75-822 is a portable with packs for alkaline, rechargeables, and a mobile adapter for around $80. https://midlandusa.com/product/75-822cb-radio/

 

[BBB007]

I have the Midland mentioned above and a few of the Cobra "Road Trip" HTs. They are only as good as the antenna they are attached to. As others have mentioned, I agree that the antennas supplied with the units are pretty much useless.

A good magnet mount antenna is paramount if you want to use an HT in your vehicle and don't want to add holes in your roof, SIRIO and Stryker make some very nice mobile antennas. Stay a way from the Wilson Antenna brand as they were bought out a few years ago and the function/ quality is not there at all anymore. Sad but true.

Big Bad Base Station CB radios are nice to look at, but truth be told I use a mobile radio as my base station most of the time. You just need a suitable 12-15 VDC power supply of sufficient amperage to run the radio off a standard 120 VAC outlet. 10 amps will run most standard "type classed" CB radios. 20 amps is better if you upgrade your radio. Power supplies have dropped quit a bit in price due to the use of electronic switching units instead of the heavy transformer based units.

You could get a really good mobile CB/Amateur radio and use it in both the car and home to start out with. Stick an Imax antenna on the roof of the house with some good LMR400 coax and your good to go (unless your better half shoots it down, haha. It happens)