Portable CB?

**Ven0mizer** · 02-16-2008, 11:52 AM

My family will be renting a van to go to Florida in...I really want to be able to receive bear reports, but not so much transmit...are the handheld CB radio's worth it? or...are there any other portable options?

**RW'07** · 02-16-2008, 12:01 PM

http://www.midlandradio.com/comersus...?idCategory=41

Been using the 75-822 with a Wilson 5000 for over 2 years now

**SuperDave** · 02-16-2008, 12:04 PM

If you get a portable you have to get an outside antenna. I bought a $35 Cobra CB and a $10 magnet antenna at WalMart and it does fine. You can wire it to a cigarette lighter plug if you want to move it from vehicle to vehicle. From what I have read the antenna is the most important piece of the equation. You can have a crap CB but great antenna and you will be fine. (I don't go on that many long trips hence mine was only $10 but...) Wilson antennas are best. Supposedly the average hand held CB's get MAYBE a mile or so range, a couple of miles at best. Not near enough to do any good. A good CB with a good antenna can get 10+. Again I dont have a hand held one but this is what I have read over and over...

**SuperDave** · 02-16-2008, 12:06 PM

Let me clarify - I am talking about if you use a hand held with the small antenna ONLY inside your car - the range will be horrible...

Not bashing your unit RW'07! With that Wilson 5000 I know it's a good set up. I just said that b/c a lot of people buy the portables and try to use only the small antenna attached - no good...

**RW'07** · 02-16-2008, 01:23 PM

The antenna makes all the difference... CB radio, any functional one would do the job... that handheld Midland 75-822 ain't cheap at all, you can get CBs way cheaper than the one I'm using... the average CB range is about 10 miles, open road with lots of buildings and up/downhills around, but on a terrain like Texas btwn El Paso and SA you can easily get 20+ miles :wink:

**EvilCelica** · 03-06-2008, 12:17 AM

Originally Posted by RW'07

the average CB range is about 10 miles, open road with lots of buildings and up/downhills around, but on a terrain like Texas btwn El Paso and SA you can easily get 20+ miles :wink:

what that be a CB with a large external mount antenna?

**RW'07** · 03-06-2008, 02:33 AM

Originally Posted by EvilCelica

Originally Posted by RW'07

the average CB range is about 10 miles, open road with lots of buildings and up/downhills around, but on a terrain like Texas btwn El Paso and SA you can easily get 20+ miles :wink:

what that be a CB with a large external mount antenna?

http://www.wilsonantenna.com/w5000.htm