"Dave or Debby" wrote in
:

The MAIN reason is that Hand helds are NOT for car or mobile operation
is that (a) NO microphone to put up to your mouth, (b) antenna gets in
the way (poke a hole in your headliner), and (c) it was NEVER designed
to be used IN a vehicle !
Dave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hmmm...it looks like I did a poor job of making my point in my last post.
I suspect most people got it. Having said that, I'm going to re-state it
in an effort to clear up any possible confusion that you and others may
have:

In my last post, I asserted that a handheld transceiver could fufill many
roles, i.e. base, mobile, hiking/walking operations. I didn't give a
specific example, when perhaps I should have. For this discussion, have a
look at the Midland 75-820 for reference:
http://www.bills2way.com/equip/mid75820.html

I'll address your three points made above using this radio as an example:

(a) The Midland has provisions for an external microphone, negating the
need to hold the transceiver up to your mouth
(b) The antenna on this and other modern handhelds is under a foot
long, unlike the 4 foot monsters on handhelds of yesteryear. It can also
be detached (read - no poking through the headliner or your passengers
eyes). More on that in a second. Keep reading.
(c) Midland has designed this radio to be used in a vehicle with the
addtion of the 18-821 mobile-comm adapter.

The 18-821 mobile-comm adapter replaces the battery pack and provides for
an externally mounted antenna and power source when used in a vehicle.
The existing rubber-duckie style antenna can be removed when the mobile-
comm adapter is attached. Neat, huh?

This, combined with an external microphone, allows the radio to be used
in a vehicle in the same manner as a traditional mobile radio. What's
more, a VOX headset could be added allowing for hands-free voice
activated operation. This is kind of cool, because with it a guy like me
could use it on his motorcycle. Traditional mobile radios aren't
particuarly well suited to operation on a motorcycle because they are
difficult to mount and require that the rider use one hand to key the
mike. Heck, I could put this radio in my jacket pocket.

It gets better. Midland is selling the radio and the mobile-comm adapter
as a package deal - the 75-822 - for under a hundred bucks. Imagine that:
a radio that works at home, in the car, on the motorcycle, or out hiking
for under a hundred bucks. What a deal.

Consumers want versatility and manufacturers are delivering. We have alot
more technology available to us then we did some years ago. We no longer
_need_ 3 or 4 different radios to fufill different roles. Some of us only
_want_ them (myself included).

It's funny - in the process of researching handhelds to try and
illustrate my earlier point, I found this Midland. Neato. I'm going to
buy one now. Finnaly, a way I can use a CB on the scooter


--
Alan Strawinski

http://alan.strawinski.net