Jopix CB-514 CB Handheld - Mini Review

 

Handheld CB radios appear to be all the rage recently with several models launching in a small space of time. 

The latest one to come through the doors of Delboy Towers is the Jopix CB-514 which is available from Moonraker, here in the UK. 

The Jopix CB-514 is a 40/80 channel multi-standrd radio with both AM and FM and a power output of 4w (High) and 1w (Low). It comes with a 'rubber duck' type antenna which is approximately 300mm long (10 inches in old money). The antenna attaches to the top of the radio via BNC connector. The radio has a good solid feel to it and is heavier than you might expect. All controls and buttons feel good with no wobbly knobs!

It has a backlit LCD display which includes channel, frequency, battery level and a signal meter along with indications for mode, power setting, squelch etc. The backlight can be turned on/off using one of the side keys just below the PTT.

There is a keypad on the front of the radio which is also illuminated so can be used in the dark.

The radio is powered by an 1800mAh lithium battery pack which is located in the rear of the radio. The battery is charged via a USB-C charger, just like those used to charge modern mobile phones. The radio can also be powered via an optional 'car adapter' if required. 

Other features include:

Squelch/Auto-Squelch(ASQ)

Roger Beep

Key Beep

Key Lock

VOX

LCR - Last Channel Recall

EMG 9/19

Scan

High/Low Power (4W/1W)

EXPORT MODE - 25.615 to 30.105 (Via keypress) 

NRC (Noise Reduction Circuit)

Left Side Buttons: PTT - High/Low Power - Backlight On/Off - Monitor

Right Side: Mic/Headphone Socket - USB Charging Socket

A quick word about the Export Mode....

This radio does include an Export Mode covering 25.615 - 31.105 however not all dealers supply the radio with this as standard so make sure you check before you buy. 

Moonraker supply this radio with Export Mode straight out of the box. 

   (Click to enlarge)

Export Mode can be accessed by pressing PTT and FUNC while turning on the radio, you are then presented with 6 options relating to different 'bands'. Option 2 provides the standard export channels (25.615 - 30.105) with option 3 giving the same but with '0' endings (25.610 - 30.100).

NOTE: The supplied antenna is tuned for the EU/UK bands and is not suitable for use outside of those frequencies, the SWR is likely to be very high, therefore be sure to use an alternative antenna if you intend to operate on other bands. 

Noise Reduction Circuit (NRC) - If there has been one real gamechanger in the CB radio world recently it has to be NRC. A type of Digital Noise Reduction previously only seen on Amateur Radio equipment. The Jopix has NRC and boy does it work... Stations down in the noise and barely readable suddenly come loud and clear when the NRC is engaged. Of course there is no miracle solution to all interference problems but the NRC on the Jopix certainly works very well and can make a real difference. 

A video showing what you get in the box:

On The Air:

When operating on a CB radio handheld you must have realistic expectations of what sort of performance you are going to get. The rubber duck antenna is a massive compromise on 27MHz. A half wave antenna on CB radio frequencies is about 5.5m long so a tiny little 30cm portable antenna is always going to struggle. DO NOT expect base station performance from a handheld!

Having said that the Jopix works amazingly well and much better than older CB radio handhelds from back in the day. The receive is excellent and skip contacts can be heard even indoors, although getting out into the open will improve reception massively. 

You can also buy a longer antenna such as the Albrecht CL27 which is about 54cm long or a telescopic antenna which is around 130cm long to help pull in signals. 

Transmission range, once again, is always going to be very limited from a handheld CB radio. On the supplied rubber duck expect a maximum range of 2 - 3 miles in a built up area when talking to a home base station but if you can get to an open space or to the top of a hill the range will increase significantly and users have reported contacts of over 20 miles from a good location. 

When testing the Jopix I received good audio reports from the people I spoke to, indeed they were surprised as to how good it sounded. Of course, don't expect base station performance, handhelds are always going to sound a little quieter. 

For maximum performance you can always connect you Jopix to a mobile or home base antenna using a BNC - PL259 adapter or the optional car adapter. You can also plug in an external microphone. 

Overall this is a very capable and versatile radio, and will surely give you many hours of fun. 

The radio is available from Moonraker in the UK and is priced at £84.95

LINK TO MOONRAKER WEBSITE