CB radios were very popular in the 70s. 1 in 10 cars had one! In the mid 90s there was some what of a come back that may have lasted for a couple of years. In 2013 there really are not that many CB radios out there. This is the reason I think some of the reviewers think their radio doesn't work, there is just nothing for them to pick up! This being said, CB radio is still alive and used. Truckers use them so you can always find out what the traffic is like, or where a speed trap is, and there are still people out there with base stations and mobile cbs providing for interesting conversation. Just not as many as 35 yrs ago. Having base stations, mobiles, and handhelds in the past I decided to re-enter the cb world with this Midland. It came nicely packaged with everything that is advertised. First I put batteries in it and listened in the house. Heard truckers on 19 plus found that on 20 there is a whole group of locals that talk on their radios nightly. This was just using the included antenna. Next I hooked it up to an old Firestik IBA5 Indoor Cb Base Antenna I had stored away, and I was picking up enough transmissions for the radio to be entertaining! Next day I drove around with the radio in my F150 with the stock antenna and batteries. Nothing. Not a single thing to be heard. Last night I put a magnet mount Midland 18-2442 Mobile CB Antenna on top of my truck, and used the unique cable accessory that came with the radio. You snap it on to the bottom of the radio where the battery pack goes, and you plug one connector into the cigarette lighter and the other to your antenna cable. The radio pack and this device slide off very easily and slide back on securely, so you can attach it to the radio or take it off in a few seconds. I ran the cable from the antenna through the door. Closing the door on it was just fine with no damage to the cable. Now for the big test! I drove 15 miles to work this morning during a major snow storm! The radio worked like a charm. I was picking up all the truckers (a lot of them) and getting reports of conditions around the whole area! The rechargable battery pack allows you to run the radio home off of your AC current, or if you prefer use the regular battery pack for normal batteries, or use the car device with your cigarette lighter. There are also jacks for a speaker and mike. So essentially you can use this radio as a base station, a mobile radio, or as a handheld! Small enough to just slip in your pocket. Also the sound, although not really loud, is vey clear and easy to understand. Radio also picks up the weather bands. I'm very happy with it. I haven't transmitted to anybody yet, but I can tell transmit works well by testing it with an old handheld I had. Distance would be measured by the type of antenna I use and how I tune it. Once I make a few contacts I'll get back here and let you know how far I got. I buy radios for fun and in the week I've had this I have had a lot of fun with it, and would recommend it if you want to have some fun with cb radio.Update: Yesterday I was in a higher area (in my pick up using the Midland 18-2442 antenna) talking to a base station 7 miles away! He said the radio sounded good! So after using it for a few weeks now, I'm very satisfied and really glad I bought it!

I was looking for a radio in case of emergency situations, and this was the perfect solution. More people have CB's then any other type of radio because of the truck drivers, so I know there's a better then average chance I could reach someone else in an emergency with this radio. I live fairly close to one of the busiest freeways in the U.S., and can get a signal with this if I step outside of my house. I purchased a simple magnetic car antenna, and love how easy it is to swap this from car power to handheld power, so I know I'll be ready either way.the sound isn't super loud, but I can drive with the heater on full blast and the windows cracked on the freeway and hear it if it's near my head. I've had no complaints about the sound quality, and get fairly good reception (so far 4 miles with the car mounted antenna for certain)Most CB's require a calibrated antenna of a certain length for maximum range, so I'm certain I could get farther range with a smal amount of effort, this functions as well as my old truck mounted CB I had when professionally driving.Great for camping, we talked the whole way down with the car mounts, then kept in touch in the park with the handheld packs. Has a powersave option that keeps you going as long as your batteries can stand (I had to buy 8 rechargeable AA batteries seperately for the charger pack) We did have a few issues when on the far side of the park from each other, but getting to higher ground put us back in touch again (this was a mapped distance of 6 miles from hilltop to hilltop)I've had otehr small scale cig lighter powered radios and this one has been better in every reguard. The unit doesn't overheat, hasn't blown a fuse, and functions just like you'd expect a quality item to. Standard mounts and plugs for everything but a talk mic. You can purchase a headset unit, or else you'll have to use this as if it were a Standard CB mic, but you can easily plug any headphone jack in for headphone or external speaker sound.Overall this is a really functional, solidly built, hybrid design for the non-professional driver in need of a radio. I'd recommend anyone who doesn't wish to purchase and install a full blown CB in their personal vehicle buy one of these, the more people around you with one, the better off you'll be in an emergency situation.

Decent CB. Not quite what I need but it worked out for a temporary solution. Portability is nice, operation is straightforward. This is likely more for "casual" use. Highly doubt any respectable professional truck driver would choose this. Do a bit of research and try some different options. I recommend this for what it was designed for, not pro use. Judge for yourself

El producto es bueno en funciónamiento pero el material no es muy satisfactorio ya que la tapa de las baterías no cierra bien y plástico que no parce que dure podia ser a futuro se rompa.

Me gusta mucho, funciona muy bien

Awesome, dreamlike performance in a product almost invisible to the Indian eye !Microcosmic ungulate in nature, naturally emits cosmic rays to metamorphosis of halogen elements.Laser ray splitter option creates supradyne illusions in a holistic environment.Greatly recommended for greater Garbo !

Item arrived at my post office and a surprising 18.00 bill for customs to pay. So I didn't accept it. Asked dealer in the states for more information on the cb and then found out it is AM band and 110v which is useless. This was not described on the advert on amazon. A lot of hassle and waited over a month for it to arrive. I could of rowed my boat over quicker. Very disappointed and will never buy from this dealer again.