UNIDEN PRO-505XL: The Most Bang For The Buck;

[Lil'Yeshua]

Can anybody point me towards any info on how to make a rf gain circuit and a ANL/NB circuit for the 505?
One thing else I've discovered today about my 505. I can switch it to PA with an external speaker plugged into the PA jack and still hear the receive on the channel I'm on. If I key down,the 505 goes into PA mode and I hear myself over the PA speaker. With that I can opt out of wiring a resistor across the PA and EXT Spkr terminals especially if I'm testing mic's and want to hear the difference between them but for talkback with cb operations I'll want the talkback mod.
That brings me to this question. If I run two external speakers,one to each jack,them I can have talkback for testing purposes only.

 

[Grogan]

Love the small Unidens!!!!!

I bought a Pro 510-XL and love it. For the price I would never have paid to have it tuned. The radio is a blast to use in the work Van a 2013 ford F350. With a Wilson 1000 mag mount. I cant get any power mic or echo mic to work with it for some reason. How ever many reports say the stock mic does sound the best. A nice small Mic by the way. Might have to buy the 505 and Try one out. Can anyone compare both radios who have owned and tested both. Sounds like a small budget radio shoot out is in order...... huh:redface:

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

I emailed DTB Radio about an ANL and RF Gain mod for my 505. He said it would be cheaper to get a Uniden 520 with those features built in. I did buy a NOS/NIB Realistic TRC-435 that has an RF Gain and ANL. It's a nice compact radio made in the Philippines. I bought that instead an Uniden 520.

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

I bought a Pro 510-XL and love it. For the price I would never have paid to have it tuned. The radio is a blast to use in the work Van a 2013 ford F350. With a Wilson 1000 mag mount. I cant get any power mic or echo mic to work with it for some reason. How ever many reports say the stock mic does sound the best. A nice small Mic by the way. Might have to buy the 505 and Try one out. Can anyone compare both radios who have owned and tested both. Sounds like a small budget radio shoot out is in order...... huh:redface:

Yep,the small radios are versitile meaning you can take them anywhere. Just plug up and go!
A Xtreme 2018 works in my 505 plus it gets me talkback. I also run a Astatic Road Devil on it. I bought my 505 from DTB Radio. That cost me $75 total including the tune but instead of only swinging 8-10 watts PEP, mine does 30ish! The 505 really needs a good power mic to really do the trick though.

I have a post it two on this thread about my 505's performance. I get too much electrical noise interference I. The towns I live close by to make the 505 impractical for everyday radio because I have to drive through 9 s-units of RFI but out in the field or woods away from RFI it works great.
http://www.worldwidedx.com/general-cb-services-discussion/158966-ebay-sellers-19.html

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

Cbradiomagazine doesn't have a product review on the Uniden 520 yet. Maybe somebody who has one can chime in on their experience with one.

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

Just took my Uniden 505 stock mic apart. I was having audio hum and then no audio. I tapped the back of the mic element where the mic leads are soldered on and the hum went away and now I have full loud audio. Funny looking solder but,oh well,it's made in China.
I tugged on the lead with the discolored solder and the hum and reduced audio came back. Looks like a touch up solder job.


P.S. I can't believe the sensitivity(high) of this mic!
I pulled the mic element out of it's rubber doughnut holder. It's a HCM-034 condenser mic element.

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

Gotta take the BC645 mic apart again. I did a little reading on it. Found out it's has condenser mic element in it. Also I read an article on some taking the guts out of a Uniden pc 68 hand mic and transplanted it into a chrome road king shell with a little plastic glueing to adapt the PTT switch and used tin foil for shielding.
I won't do that but do the same mod I did on my CRE-8900's stock mic in enlarging the hole in front of the mic element. Hopefully the mic element is still good. It stopped working soon after I resoldered the lead on the back of the element or just buy a new one for under $15 at Amazon.
I think one thing I did wrong in reassembling the mic element is that I pushed the element too close to the mic grill and not back towards the rear. The rubber doughnut that the mic element is housed in acts like a noise canceling mic in limiting any sound that is not directly in front of the mic.
How I built my Best CB Mic Ever!
Amazon.com: Uniden BC645 4-Pin Microphone for CB Radios: Car Electronics


P.S. I think that the BC645 mic with it's condenser mic element beats out most stock mic's. The only one that I think so far that comes close is the Galaxy/Ranger stock hand mic sensitivity wise

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

I ordered a mic element from Radio Shack for my Uniden mic. One thing I can't figure out. The stock Uniden mic works on my CRE-8900 but not on my Galaxy DX-959. :blink:



P.S. Ok,the Realistic radio was off topic. For now on the focus will be on the Uniden compact radios. Again, if anybody has a 520 and/or wants comment on it feel free.

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

Comments on Compact Uniden's

Again,if anybody has a compact Uniden radio and/or wants to comment on the 505,510,and the 520,feel free. Compact radios have their place and can be utilized in various situations. If anybody has any tips especially on a homebrew NB/ANL circuit that can be added to the 505 would be welcome. Has anybody done any modification work on their Uniden stock handmic? I modified my BC645 last night by drilling a hole directly in front of the mic element. The mic has three small slots where the mic element is located. I think that would hinder the mic's sensitivity. I can always glue a thin custom designed black foam/felt pad over the hole I drilled for stylish reasons. I did the same mod to my CRE-8900's stock mic. Now it's not muffled but clear sounding.

 

[CowboyCody]

I like that TRC-435, i am in a situation where i want to put a CB in the wifes car. i tried a Cobra 25 and then my PC-122 becasue i wanted SSB but both are too big to reasonably fit anywhere. i have reserved myself to some sort of compact radio like a 510 or 505, with maybe a cheap RM Italy under a seat for a little help down the road. so i am thankful for this thread i am leaning towards something older to get away from the china built stuff if i can, but i may do exactly what you did when it comes down to it.

 

[CowboyCody]

I found a Realistic TRC-410 on ebay for $10 i wonder if they are any good, and who made it for radio shack.

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

I found a Realistic TRC-410 on ebay for $10 i wonder if they are any good, and who made it for radio shack.

I wouldn't know myself. Some were made by Uniden,Maxon and Lord knows who else. Is your 410 a new in the box?
I'm thinking about using my 435 in a low mileage '09 Nissan Versa I just bought.
Here's a Rat Shack list of yearly catalogues. Hopefully something to amuse you.
http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/catalog_directory.html

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

This link may give an indication that you can use the Uniden PC33 for tuning info
Realistic TRC-410




Also there are a fewTRC-410 cb tricks links mostly about doing a channel expansion mod on it. Looks like the PLL chip in it allows for that.

 

[CowboyCody]

It's just an old used one I found, there are very few of the small radios out there. I have become interested in all of them suddenly. thanks for the link, I will have to look it over sometime. Rat shack radios are funny in how much they vary in their manufactures.

 

[Carl]

the pll does not allow for any channel expansion. the instructions you quoted are for a crystal expatiation. that takes the base frequency's and multiplies it buy the new crystals resonant frequency's. if the pll could be expanded it wouldn't be needed.

This link may give an indication that you can use the Uniden PC33 for tuning info
Realistic TRC-410




Also there are a fewTRC-410 cb tricks links mostly about doing a channel expansion mod on it. Looks like the PLL chip in it allows for that.