Harvard 410T was my first ever handheld CB radio, as a kid In the 80's all my pocket money went on AA batteries for it. 🤣🤣🙌

I had a similar idea to make my Midland M30 CB rig portable for hours banging out at 4 watts, powered by a single Halfords 12v (12ah) lithium (3L) car jump-starter pack. The obvious advantages being the built in charge/discharge/protection circuits and the added bonus of phone charging from USB sockets and an integrated LED torch. 😉👍

Took your idea one step further and powered my Midland CB with a small inexpensive 20,000 mAh rechargeable car jumper.

I got my Midland Portapak somewhere in the loft.. Loved it that's where it all started with radios for me! Our ice cream man back in the early '90s had a CB and I use to call him up... Looking back think I've had one too many 🤣 but seriously good fun. Best quote "I've got the Randy between my legs" 🤣

I had the Tandy/Realistic TRC-210 40 channel 5W handheld transceiver back in the 80s aged around 10 !! fantastic portable CB radio!

Is the CB radio making a comeback? I never would have imagined a demand coming back for it. Pleasantly surprised.

You can actually turn any mobile CB into a portable rig with battery packs , Some of the micro rigs would be brilliant used like this .

Fantastic Andy is making CB radios fashionable again.

Thanks for making CB COOL again! I just modified(snipped blue wire) my Alinco 10 meter...now 11 meter(and now using with my cross band repeater(UHF), don't tell the ham Nazis!)👍 I'm currently waiting on my Anytone 5555N for mounting in my Peterbilt. ....have sunglasses, cowboy hat, and a modified radio, doing my part at making it cool again!😎 All I need now is a black Trans Am.

I've just subbed to your channel after watching this,I've been subbed to Lewis' channel for a while, I hope CB does make a comeback👍

My Hand held CB radio took 12 AA batteries back in the day looks like a brick like you said. The Randy III looks like a good piece of kit some good testing guys.

Audio on that porta-pak sounds really good!!

After my tenth ebike build thru your channel you have now sent me back to 1980 and looking for a tripple star 777 great stuff

I really like the way FM sounds on CB in this vid. FCC recently approved FM for the States. I also looked at vids for the FCC Randy. Impressive little radio. The Midland Portapack is something I have wanted to see for decades. Hopefully soon it will be available over here. Great work.

Was always goin up to the mountain tops or down by the boat ramp for best propagation. Large bodies of water seem to help but can be directional.

a great video and two great cbs and lots of good info just like it used to be started Am and Fm And still at it this will bring them out lofts and boxes

Andy..I still have the Midland pack...its now a classic and still works a treat...

I did a pl259 Bnc right angle to telescopic ht whip and my swr was 3.1 added a 9 foot counterpoise to the rigs chassis and it was 1.2. I got a 12 mile contact from table height in a 200 foot deep valley. Potential.

Which Battery do you use for the midland Portable Radio 📻 ? Link ?

Having recently got back into this lark after 40years I got a TTI H100. What I didn't expect was such a rugged little handheld build around a metal chassis giving full 4W only slightly larger than my PMR's. On receive the battery lasts for about 3 days and comes with a handy little charging station you can plug into the car. I took it to Scotland in Sept and one eve could here a group in Tunbridge Wells, I tried to respond but the were a bit disrespectful and didn't believe I was actually in Corpach. So something's about C haven't changed ha ha, but things have come on. So I bought another with an ear piece and a clip on window antennae as my car roof is plastic.

Really wish you could have done it in a buttoned up vehicle. The difference between outside and buttoned up in a vehicle is much different of a test. But, at least this is a test of sorts. If you'r in the business, do one on the highway all buttoned up in vehicles. Open air radios work well, but when you get interference like car metallurgy interference really obstructs your signal. Easy to do when paying attention to mile markers like we have in the US. Thats the real life test I was looking for. Love your work, Chaps. Appreciate the test!

Nice collaboration video and the audio on the two radios sounded good 👍 There's an upgrade TNC available that's about 53cm long (Knights CB do them) which works great on my Maycom AH-27 although, having said that, the standard antenna on that radio does look particularly poor! Regarding the old portapack, it does have a long centre-loaded antenna which works very well, but is fragile, so probably why they're like hen's teeth to get hold of now!

Awesome, Thx! I've wished for FM CB since I was a kid 50 yrs ago!

I'm from the U.S. and waiting for the new FM radios too come out as they gave the OK here for FM. nice test.

Both radios sound great

2 marys playing in the field waiting for mum to bring some Tea and proper biscuits

Ive been on and off CB since 1979. (Mainly on) Im using a PNI Escort 6500 (CRT Millenium clone) in my van with a 40 year old modulator knock off antenna Im good for around 10 miles on 4 watts. I still have my 80's Rotel 240 and Audioline 341 but hiding an 80's rig in a modern vehicle is no joke. Ive never been interested in DXing, the little PNI rig recieves great, there seems to be an awful lot of alligator stations... You know the ones, pushing out 500+ watts, RF gain off and squelch up, talking to their mates 2 miles away.

I’m literally just about to buy a CB, I’ve had a scanner now for a few years and always wanted one as a kid but my mum and dad would never let me have one. I do miss the 90s when the police could be picked up on a scanner

Subbed to both your channels already! Nice collab lads.

Your making me want to get my old cb gear out the loft lol Thanks for your videos

Great video Andy. I’ve been very pleased with my President Randy. Also use a Midland 88 mobile. How about a 27/81 net on FM? I’m based in Loughton.

I think both radios are great! The PRESIDENT is quite loud, and could be boardering on being distorted. The MIDLAND is very clear sounding without the extra noise.

If I understand correctly, you guys are surprised you can communicate over a flat long distance with no obstacles which are ideal conditions? Did I miss something?

The 11 meter band (26,27 MHz ) isn't very good for a walkie talkie for range. Here in the US you can use FRS which can give you good range on 400 MHz. The hand held CB is still fun to play with. just not a dependable source for constant communications.

I saw this video and had to try it. I have one of those same telescoping antennas, I put it on the back of radio and it actually had a very low SWR.

Hi Andy, i fancy making a wee Porta-Pack exactly like yours, where did you get the battery storage pack from, what type of battery and size did u use? @andy kirby Cheers bud.

Found this channel from Lewis channel and it looks great. I now subscribed 👍

Thanks guys , excellent review, I was really interested in that radio, on the strength of your review I’ll be ordering , thanks very much 👍🏽

CB has ALWAYS BEEN COOL 😎 TO ME…anyone who disagrees has a right to but can keep away from me!

try the test again with the new Thunderpole T-X and compare it to that President handheld.

I’ve got the portable midland still in the loft, might have to dig it out

The Sound is Digitally!!???

Not a bad set of radios, ive just got the new thunderpole TX and love it. What battery pack and connectors is on the midland? Did you not need a counterpoise for it that small setup on the midland. Thanks

Wow! I'm in the market for a hand held I'm going to have to look at that.

Hi can you please provide any specifics on that battery pack and which radio you used, model number please.

In USA cb radio is slow to come back to nightly tag chews and people don't use handheld cb "s . It would be nice to have chats I instead of sporadic are skip.

where can i get that battery accessory for the Midland?

When can we have CB transceivers where all signal processing is done using DSP processing chips.

Any chance of an extended range test? Or even an urban trange test?

Nice little telescopic antenna .

"Roger diddly"? Nice video. Just waiting for the FCC to approve the FM version for the US market now that's FM is legal.

Very fine Randy III !! What is this module placed just below the Portapak please ? 😀

What telescopic antenna did you use on the President Randy if I may ask? Nice video!

Andy that portapak cab you had can I buy one. Paul

the president randy radio is ok, but the antenna falls apart. I have six radios and all the antennas they are not soldered welded or crimped. I had to buy tnc to bnc adaptors and use Midland antennas on each radio.

If you're looking for a "PMR446 style" CB walkie-talkie, your best bet is probably the TTI TCB-H100.

Youse don't seem to realize how superior world AM ( Eu CEPT) is compared to FM. We run with the squelch off and modify reception with the RF gain knob if necessary. I've talked 160 miles ground wave with Polytronics Labs Polycomm 1's. Transistor sets can give similar results. A PDL2 or Moonraker beam? Fuhgeddaboudit. cheers.

I've got the Randy 3, love it, can you let me know where you got the telescopic antenna from, the rubber duck is ok but I'd like to have the option of the telescopic

Any vhf can work with base station tower 🗼 only long range up to 70 miles I heard don't know if base station is 25 Watt or more.

What telescopic antenna connects to midland m mini and external battery Pack thanks

Andy Kirby, can you put the link up for what you used for the portable battery pack and connectors please?

How we used to play tunes on the airwaves back in the day

I like the five decimal places on that President, not often you see that.

wow. blast from the past. I had a midland portapack. it needed something like 12 AA batteries

'I don't think it comes apart' 😆'Welcome back to the channel guy's, I've taken that Randy apart and........😂👊

Do you have a link to the battery pack you're using. I'm searching Amazon without success.

Will any of the CB radios stop on channel 40 at the end or channel 1 of the beginning? I am blind and I do not expect these radios to talk to me but would be nice to know if the menu was wrapped around again and again and again otherwise I’ll never be able to tell what channel I’m on damn I hate all the screens!

You should check out the TTI-TCB-H100. Baofeng sized handheld CB with a 2 cell lithium battery like the baofengs.

Just subbed, great video,where did you source the battery pack and how is the antenna grounded?73s 29TM063

I would like information or a link of the battery pack you installed under the midland cb ??? thank you!

Wish they would incorporate a world band receiver only into this also.

How about the swr report on the midland working with the telescopic antenna without ground????

Great video :-) What airfield was that on BTW?

love your radio vids

What DIY battery pack is that ?

I have the same CB as your Midland Mini, but it's branded a PNI escort hp 6500, they can be hi powered to 8 watts. Then I have to give my call sign of course. Interesting, thanks.

ALBRECHT AE-2990-AFS handheld fm,am ssb,lsb. 25-30Mhz.

Maycom AH-27 wasn't so massive... and after a but adjusting modulation was ok. Audio sent from Randy was clean and clear, and on telescopic antenna noise level decreased very notceably. (transmitted signal was stronger) I allways wonted a handheld SSB CB radio but it was too expensive for me that times. Miss my Jackson... stolen.

What thqt was distance mate between You And your mate?

Hi is the mind land portable cb wireless

question whar are the difference in the randy fcc, randy II fcc and Randy III fcc?

wow holy makarooni

How can I get VOX to work,on my Randy 3 ??

Qyt has a new cb radio handheld You should test out. Its called the qyt cb 58

I tried to get a K40 for my car. Are they worth it to todays twigs

Done 15 miles on a pmr 446 argos special at 0.4w (I think) but I did build a very long 2 mtr yagi with 9 elements.ita all about hight though you can cheat with a rediculas extention arial

It'd be nice if that Randy had sideband

very surprised you didn’t run it on lithium ion pack given how many you must have lying around

roger diddly, wow CB chat.

Midland sounded best but hand held top buy

Ay, my boys!

I'm at werneth low now. Chucking out 9lb to North Wales.

So I guess this was Randy Andy in the Midlands 😂🤣😂 Or was it up north.

Good test.

I was thinking about getting either of these or poss both maybe!!! But, i don't find them available on AMAZON WHY NOT ? As i deal with Amazon a fair amount & wasn't thinking of having to go elsewhere to get them & having to pay a lot, lot more for them 👎😠 EEERRR!!!! NO THANKS!!! So, Andy can you find out as to why Amazon don't sell these sets or at least find a cheap place that does have them at a nice cheap price ( or what you would call cheap). That would much appreciated. 🙄🤔

Standing on top of mountain isn't a test

Cb? 26.9650 - 27.4050 mhz is cb. Video is missleading.

Can we have links to both please.

I’d be very disappointed if I didn’t get 2 miles with any CB really , especially on that flat ground

Tandy / Realistic radios 😎