UNIDEN BEARCAT 980SSB "Cracked."

[Sonar]

The stock mike is junk it makes you sound like you are talking into a pillow, no punch, bass, or top end in it. Good enough for the channel 19 crowd, understandable but not going to win any awards for sound quality.

Replaced it with an Astatic 575-M6 hand held power mike, huge improvement in ssb audio quality. Pity the crap receiver in it wasnt so easily fixed.

It stumps me why builders of CB radios put out products that are sub par. There's a local in NJ who uses a 980 and with the wireless mic it sounds nice. I can't speak for the recive. I myself aren't in the market but noticed a president Lincoln ll on eBay (UK seller.) If I'm not mistaken the original Lincoln was/is a good performing radio right out of the box. And once modified for 11 meters makes for a nice CB radio. I would think the that bearcat and other producers of CB radios would want to create a very good product. That's what gets people to buy them. Maybe the market is so dead that they really don't care about producing a good product. I don't know much about the new president Lincoln ll or even if it's new as advertised. As far as I know it could have been on the market for a year or two. It certainly looks from the pictures supplied by the eBay seller to be a radio that I have never seen before. I hope it is new and I hope someone purchases one shortly and does a review on it. As I said it really looks nice but when it comes to transceivers looks can be deceiving. It's all about what's inside and the fact that it has a lot of fancy lights and buttons really doesn't amount to much when it comes to receive and audio. 73

 

[w9cll]

It stumps me why builders of CB radios put out products that are sub par.

The MFG's have no respect for the end users, CB's are the same as cheap cell phones, functional but leave a lot to be desired.

 

[Sonar]

The MFG's have no respect for the end users, CB's are the same as cheap cell phones, functional but leave a lot to be desired.

It's sad but I guess you've summed it up. I'm guessing there's just not enough people in the market to warrant producing a high quality CB transceiver. It's probably why there's so many 25 + year old radios on the air. And why eBay listings for radios built during the craze get scooped up so quickly. IMO it's also why so many chicken banders bye HF transceivers and mod them for 11 meters. I don't blame them. For around $600 on could purchase a ft 950. That rig will run circles around any newly produced 11 meter SSB radio. With a bit of time to make the proper adjustments they sound good on AM as well. I guess the days of compaines making excellent CB radios are long gone. It's ubsurd to have to spend $300 + on a CB then have to open it in order to get it to work the way it should've when it was removed from the box after purchase. The cobras, unidens, trams, Browning's, sonars ECT ECT will be used for years to come. If I have to send a radio out to be refurbished as opposed to sending out a brand new one to correct the lack of quality, I'll choose to refurbish every time. Besides having to mod a Stryker or the like for CB use there's always something else I read about what their lacking. Oh well. Thank goodness there was a craze that forced companies to complete for buyer's. That what made many oldies outstanding performers right out of the box. 73

 

[ExitThirteen]

Now you know why I'm always trying to save the old radios... superior quality, performance, and honestly, they look good too. I wish I could restore every vintage radio I laid my eyes on, but I just don't have the time to do it. Sadly.


~Cheers~

 

[w9cll]

Now you know why I'm always trying to save the old radios... superior quality, performance, and honestly, they look good too. I wish I could restore every vintage radio I laid my eyes on, but I just don't have the time to do it. Sadly.


~Cheers~

This is why I keep my Uniden Grant. I may never use it again but its not going anywhere.

 

[kaos513]

This is the future of electronics

 

[TheSpaceMann]

There is now an "expansion board" for the 980??

 

[nomadradio]

For one of them, IIRC.

There are two 980 radios. Both look the same on the outside, but the circuit board for the second version is completely redesigned.

Probably affects how this trick will work on it.

Mark doesn't seem interested in promoting this gadget, so it will probably be tough to obtain.

73

 

[Hotdog505]

I see where LesComm has figured out how to get an extended frequency range on the Uniden 980 ssb rig. Trouble is ... good old Lester is too selfish to share with the rest of us how he did it. What's the matter, Les ?? I remember when you were in the Navy and the editor of SECRET CB, and how you used to make mods you developed public knowledge. Wassa matter ... No mas ??? Come on, man. Share your 980ssb freq mod with the rest of us so we can enjoy dxing on 27.415 to 27.785 with our 980s. Eventually someone else will figure it out, and then they'll end up getting the credit. So give it up and make yourself a hero. Thanx and 73s.

- 399

I see where LesComm has figured out how to get an extended frequency range on the Uniden 980 ssb rig. Trouble is ... good old Lester is too selfish to share with the rest of us how he did it. What's the matter, Les ?? I remember when you were in the Navy and the editor of SECRET CB, and how you used to make mods you developed public knowledge. Wassa matter ... No mas ??? Come on, man. Share your 980ssb freq mod with the rest of us so we can enjoy dxing on 27.415 to 27.785 with our 980s. Eventually someone else will figure it out, and then they'll end up getting the credit. So give it up and make yourself a hero. Thanx and 73s.

- 399

 

[Hotdog505]

There is a board swap that will give you 26505-28505 after 99 display goes to 00,the freq counter still shows actuall freq.just made up my mind between the galaxy 979f and bearcat, bearcat seems to be more stable and tunes nicely with nice usable functionality, especially on frequency.

 

[guitar_199]

Is that right???? Uniden has quit making them???? Seems like they were held in pretty high favor.....

If you scroll thru the comments of his video, you'll see where he admonishes someone whom complained about modifying a CB for 10 meter. He replied about how hams have always tinkered with CB's for use on 10 meters, myself included. So, in keeping with his reply, then he should willingly share his find. Instead, Les is thinking commercially. Kinda like the dudes that took over HRD. $$$ makes the world go by.

Uniden doesn't even make the 980 anymore. Moot point, really.

 

[Handy Andy]

At the risk of being redundant...

Mikes' Radio Repair did a You Tube Vid on this

But also - just google what Mike talks about...

Good luck in finding it though...

 

[Hotdog505]

I've seen it,been out of this hobby for 17 years. Been trying to decide between galaxy 979f or bearcat 980. After seeing Mike I believe 980 is my choice. Just wish I still had all my equipment. Will have to start small and build slowly.

 

[Hotdog505]

Also Mike seems like a true electronic theory person.the test equipment he uses is the "correct" way to analyze and tune.

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

I've seen it,been out of this hobby for 17 years. Been trying to decide between galaxy 979f or bearcat 980. After seeing Mike I believe 980 is my choice. Just wish I still had all my equipment. Will have to start small and build slowly.

Welcome!