Mongoose Maine
Observer
I will be using this radio mostly while hiking or biking as a short range radio, I will be however using a cb/radio antenna splitter for longer distance while I'm in the car.
Midland 75-822 Portable/Mobile CB Radio
- Thread starter Mongoose Maine
- Start date
4x4junkie
Explorer
Just a FYI... Don't expect much range with the handheld rubber antenna or with a car-radio antenna splitter/adapter (I know you did say "short range radio", however I'm not sure if you were expecting as short as only several hundred feet, maybe half to one mile at best on the car-radio antenna).
CB units are better for vehicle-to-vehicle (or vehicle-to-base) communications using hard-mounted radios w/dedicated antennas (with which 5-10 miles is common). For handheld/portable work, a FRS or MURS handheld unit tends to work many times better (1-5 miles is commonly achievable while hiking with the better-quality FRS units that are available).
CB units are better for vehicle-to-vehicle (or vehicle-to-base) communications using hard-mounted radios w/dedicated antennas (with which 5-10 miles is common). For handheld/portable work, a FRS or MURS handheld unit tends to work many times better (1-5 miles is commonly achievable while hiking with the better-quality FRS units that are available).
paranoid56
Adventurer
funny, i just had this arrive at my door today. ran out of space on the dash for my other CB to make room for my Ham and wanted a handheld cb for those people that don't have ham.
Mongoose Maine
Observer
I use the Midland GXT5000 radios for work they are also a decent radio, but I wanted something that I could use to stay in touch with other people other than my own little group.
Rezarf <><
Explorer
I bought one of these and I have found it quite useful for trail work with others. Not everyone has HAM (though they should 
) but most have a cb and this allows me to spot them without having to use a bunch of unfamiliar hand signals to noobs. I like that it hard mounts, I just use a mag mount on the center of the roof and I have the battery pack ready to roll when I hop out of the vehicle. However, like 4x4junkie stated I wouldn't use it as a primary out of vehicle com device. The range will be disappointing. I use a small HAM radio for that when hiking.
) but most have a cb and this allows me to spot them without having to use a bunch of unfamiliar hand signals to noobs. I like that it hard mounts, I just use a mag mount on the center of the roof and I have the battery pack ready to roll when I hop out of the vehicle. However, like 4x4junkie stated I wouldn't use it as a primary out of vehicle com device. The range will be disappointing. I use a small HAM radio for that when hiking.
Airmapper
Inactive Member
I have one of these and have had good luck with it. I sure as heck would not want a larger unit.
I had it attached to a 4' Firestik and could talk to a base station about 20 miles away.
Mine is currently uninstalled until I put the antenna somewhere I like better, but for trail comms it's a handy little unit. However as other said, with the little rubber duck antenna or a splitter, it's going to be junk.
I had it attached to a 4' Firestik and could talk to a base station about 20 miles away.
Mine is currently uninstalled until I put the antenna somewhere I like better, but for trail comms it's a handy little unit. However as other said, with the little rubber duck antenna or a splitter, it's going to be junk.
Mongoose Maine
Observer
after all of the comments I still haven't decided if I'm going to us the the af/fm cb antenna splitter or just go with an external cb antenna but I got the radio and mount pu in I stil need to run a 12v outlet from behind the dash and decided what I'm going to do as far as an antenna.
GORM
Adventurer
I think you will find that rubber antenna is useless unless you are out of the vehicle. I just got same radio and got decent range with the cheap mag antenna I purchased at Walmart. There is thread below in this topic re: front runner roof rack antenna mount. The mag one to me is really temporary. Ultimately, i will put in a permanent one and then I want to use the handheld with the rubber antenna to keep in touch with someone out of the vehicle or have something portable to use with the mag antenna for a buddy whom does not have a CB. With the cheap antenna, I got easily 1+ mile in the woods. Tuning with an SWR is required. If you do not want to get an SWR then don't bother upgrading antenna.
rabbiporkchop
Adventurer
This one is good for 80 miles locally
AimCOtaco
New member
Anybody know how to reset or default the Midland 75-822? Is mine broken or has it just taken weird settings?
It used to be "normal", I use it mobile in my 100 series Landcruiser, now when I turn it on it's in a weird mode where it shows 9 EMG but there is no audio no matter how I set the vol/sql. At this point it also won't change channel or take any input, all keys make a double beep. If I press the band button once then the audio comes back and I can now change channels again. But that's not all, it will show on the graph that it's only outputing about 2 Watts but if I set it to low power then back to high power it shows that it's transmitting full power. On my most recent trip I hadn't noticeed the output issue but I was not easy to hear so I think it is really using 2 Watts at start up even though it's not showing the LOW icon.
Anybody have any 75-822 fix or hack that would correct this? Hoping to hear back from Midland but nothing so far.
Thanks,
It used to be "normal", I use it mobile in my 100 series Landcruiser, now when I turn it on it's in a weird mode where it shows 9 EMG but there is no audio no matter how I set the vol/sql. At this point it also won't change channel or take any input, all keys make a double beep. If I press the band button once then the audio comes back and I can now change channels again. But that's not all, it will show on the graph that it's only outputing about 2 Watts but if I set it to low power then back to high power it shows that it's transmitting full power. On my most recent trip I hadn't noticeed the output issue but I was not easy to hear so I think it is really using 2 Watts at start up even though it's not showing the LOW icon.
Anybody have any 75-822 fix or hack that would correct this? Hoping to hear back from Midland but nothing so far.
Thanks,
Airmapper
Inactive Member
Not sure about other issues, but one sounds like you accidentally hit the lock button, happens to mine when it gets lost between the seats sometimes.
Find the M5 (LOCK under it) button, press that, you may have to hold it a second. That should return it to normal operation.
AimCOtaco
New member
I don't think that's it because it returns to semi-normal when I hit the CB/WX key which should be locked out if it was locked and the LOCK key seems to work normally after I get out of the start up weirdness..
AimCOtaco
New member
Okay I think mines just bad. I can program some memories after I get it running but then after turning it off and back on the memory channels are gone.
I never did get any reply's to any e-mails I sent to midland support so while the price is right I think the service is non-existent. It seems this failure is most likely a component or assembly quality issue, I know I've read about cheap Chinese ham radios loosing their memory chips after some time....
I never did get any reply's to any e-mails I sent to midland support so while the price is right I think the service is non-existent. It seems this failure is most likely a component or assembly quality issue, I know I've read about cheap Chinese ham radios loosing their memory chips after some time....