By David D. – Product Specialist

CB radios are popular amongst truck drivers, off-roaders, and even boaters. In more recent years, CB radios have taken a back seat to newer technology such as cell phones and the internet, but when your cell phone doesn’t get reception and the internet is out of reach, you can always rely on the trustee CB Radio. There is a reason they have been popular since the 1970s.

When the Midland 5001Z CB Radio arrived here at Sonic Electronix, I was curious to see how much they improved from the days when I was a kid messing around with my Dads. With its simple installation, I was able to check out some of the features. The 4 watt AM RF output power provides maximum range communication with crystal clear reception. The one feature that caught my attention was the X-TRA talk microphone control, this control boosts the microphone sensitivity and provides improved range and enhanced voice clarity. Midlands 5001Z CB Radio provides 40 channels of communication with automatic noise limiting; this limits the maximum volume level and drowns out all other noise. Another feature I like is the 4-pin front locking microphone connector, this 4-pin connector makes it easy to connect the microphone and locks it in securely to ensure you keep both eyes on the road at all times. A great safety aspect is the instant channel 9, which is the universal channel for emergencies. The Midland 5001-Z provides many other options such as external speaker jacks, PA speaker connector, squelch control that eliminates unwanted background noise, and a dimmer switch that allows you to adjust the brightness of the channel display and signal meter. The one change I noticed the most between this Midland CB radio and the one I used to mess around with as a youngster is definitely the communication aspect, the sound quality is excellent and has improved drastically. All in all I was very impressed.