handheld cb

[SCPD]

I'm looking to get a little handheld cb for road trips.
Something small, something that will scan all 40 channels, something that takes regular batteries, don't need to keep track of a wall wart to keep it charged.
Something with a rubber duckie antenna, not looking to run a mag mount with it.
Just something laying on the seat or dashboard, for longer trips.

Any recommendations?

 

[teufler]

Several are available through Amazon, at $95.00 or less. Cobra and Midland have most. Radio Shack has a couple Midland models. They have a couple that have the radio "guts" in the had mic, which makes them pretty small and easier to handle. A pure HT, with out a wall wart, you are going to own stock in Duracell because 8 batteries, every few days, will take away from your beer money. When I first got into radio, I had a cb ht when I lived in KC. After a week, I always wanted to hear miles down the road instead over over the hill so I went to an external antenna. Then I had to have a power source because I was always going to low voltage. An HT cb is like a lap top computer. They are convienent but you enhd up having wires all over the place because what you need is only a cable away. There are designs that aree small, plug into the cig plug, have a mag mt antenna, that are light and small.

 

[sloop]

I have a Cobra 38 wxst, great little radio. I do keep the cig. lighter cord in the glove box for when the batteries get low. The radio scans and has weather channels, great when you are traveling. Only problem is, if you want to hear futher than you can see you will need an external antenna!

 

[menkes]

I have a Midland 75-822, love it! It come with cases for alkaline and rechargeable, a BNC antenna and the adapter to use vehicle power. The adapter also can take a external antenna. $80.00 or so on Amazon.

 

[SCPD]

Thanks for the help.
Both the Cobra and Midland look like what I was wanting.
Thanks again.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Still waiting for them to come out of the 70's HT form factor...

Had a maxon with a mobile cradle mount that was handy but the handheld was still massive.

 

[PrimeNumber]

Don't forget about the Midland 75-785. It's bare-bones, but it works great and is only about $33 over at Amazon. I really like mine, it stays somewhere within reach on road trips. It won't work inside the car (11m wavelength + 1m window size = radio in a Faraday cage), but when traffic backs up I can hold it out the window and usually get word on what's ahead.

It runs on plain old AA batts. If you find that you're ripping through these too fast for your wallet, look into a good set of rechargeables.

ps: Reviews that go something like "Even driving on the freeway with trucks around me no one could pick me up. I could only hear talk from a few hundred feet away" are pretty darned funny. WAVES people. Radio waves in a steel box.

 

[jonwienke]

For CB, an external vehicle antenna is mandatory if you intend to broadcast beyond rock-throwing distances.