Having a CB radio while traveling can be an invaluable tool for
emergencies and for keeping up on road conditions, and the Midland
75-820 40-channel handheld CB is one you should definitely consider. It
comes with everything you need to get started in a hurry, including a
battery pack for times you want to run the unit on six AA batteries and
a cigarette lighter adapter for battery-free operation in your car. The Midland 75-820's design is ideal, with a push-to-talk button on the
side, squelch and volume knobs, and a small LCD screen that displays the
current channel, signal strength, and a variety of other useful
information. Several buttons on the device can be used for scanning,
whether quickly flipping between the emergency channel (9) and the
standard highway channel (19) or activating the LCD's backlight. The
unit also comes with a short, flexible antenna.
Overall, the 75-820's portability is excellent--comparable to a child's
walkie-talkie. Unfortunately, the unit's compactness hampers its
usefulness, because the relatively small antenna has a hard time pulling
in distant signals. In our tests on local highways and on the interstate,
transmissions rarely could be heard from more than half a mile away.
However, when we connected the Midland 75-822 to a whip antenna that was
several feet long, the range increased considerably. As a result, we
recommend investing in a better antenna before using the device in your
car, although the radio still works well for communicating with nearby
semis when you're trying to find out the source of a traffic jam.
We had better luck using the radio to monitor National Oceanographic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio broadcasts, which we
were able to receive from nearly anywhere since Weather Radio stations
transmit at much higher power than mobile transmitters. These broadcasts
are repeated every few minutes, are updated every few hours, and can
help alert travelers to severe weather conditions. It's a nice feature
to have on a portable CB and makes the Midland 75-822 a standout choice
for travelers who want to be in the know. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
- Truly portable
- Car adapter kit included
- Ability to monitor
Weather Radio is a nice touch
Cons: - Short antenna dramatically cuts
down on range
