Midland 42 hand-held CB

[lars]

Hi folks

I've more-or-less given up trying to get a proper CB antenna working on my truck. I have no idea what the problem is, and no way to find out. But I still need some kind of CB.

Does anybody have the Midland 42 hand-held unit? If so, does anybody know what sort of range it gets with only its built-in antenna to a vehicle-mounted CB (or to another hand-held?)

Thanks
Lars

[ur5by9]

Do you have an SWR bridge inline between your radio and antenna to check for antenna resonance?
Did your antenna come pre wired with coax and pl259 ?
A hand held with a small antenna inside a truck cabin will not perform well at all.

Don't give up that easily simple methodical steps to resolve the issues.

[m0lsx]

Back in my shortwave broadcasting days, at one point we used legal & licensed CB's to help us avoid the worst consequences of raids.
I had a handheld CB..A Realistic if I remember correctly & it use to give us a mile or so in most terrains. But that was with the telescopic antenna fully extended. A smaller antenna will obviously reduce that range significantly.
A friend has a QSL he received from a American radio amateur in about 1980, at the peak of the solar cycle. The American station sent a photo of him & the radio. He was using a handheld FM CB that had been modified for the amateur radio band & on that he worked Europe. However the antenna looked to be about 9 foot long, but he still managed to work it pedestrian mobile.
There are SSB capable CB handhelds & with some thought these can work good distances. All you need are good band condition's & the right location, which means height & soil type to give you a good take off.