Uniden BEARCAT 980 40- Channel SSB CB Radio with Sideband NOAA WeatherBand,7- Color Digital Display PA/CB Switch and Noise Cancelling Mic, Wireless Mic Compatible

I feel like its my duty to comment. Take note that the LCD display failed just after the warranty expired. And, apparently, this is not unusual. It cost me $82.00 for the repair and shipping to and from Uniden. Ok, they fixed it and well see how long it last this time. The issue driving my comment is the lack of care for my radio during the repair. How is it that the technician would not take the time to wipe his finger prints off of the inside of the display screen? Im stuck looking at this now. Of course I called and only got an Im sorry from them. Hacks!!!

This CB works quite well. It receives signals better than I thought it would, and seems to be putting out a decent amount of wattage with a variety of antennas. a Cobra unit had outrput problems, so I had to send back...twice. It has a load of features, including weather and SSB, which I have yet to use. The only complain I have is that the readout is a bit dim to be seen in daylight, no matter what color you put it on. Too bad as it has a nice look t it at night. I was also able to figure out a way to mount it in a 2014 F150.

What I don’t like is the display. I have it set at its brightest level (15) and have trouble seeing the channel number and swr and s/rf levels. I drive a dump truck and when you swith between pits/jobs and certain drivers are on certain channels, you struggle to see it at times during the day, which is very distracting. Shouldn’t have to struggle seeing the display during the day time. Please fix that area!!!! Other than that, it works great!

Good cb, I installed it in less than 5 minutes to my semi. I have it paired with a Wilson 2000 antenna, I don’t have the charger and antenna tuned in all the way yet but I can still reach 1.5-2 miles without a problem, the noise block and anolog noice block don’t work the best but not bad for a off the shelf cb

I really like this radio. Much better than I expected. Not quite the equal of my vintage Grant radios, but not as far short as I expected. Blows away Cobra. Stable and fairly sensitive. Good reports after removing paper inside mic. Really like the feel of mic and cord. I use the heck out of the handy and fine performing weather radio. For me, the best performing colors are the palest blue in daylight and the darkest green at night. The red puts out a bit less light but is not as readable to me. Get a clue and save the menu functions for when you are parked in a safe haven. Youd be better off texting than messing with menu functions while driving. Not designed for modifications, but R M Italy makes some dandy accessories that have been perfectly compatible with the fully factory stock and unmolested radio, at least in SSB, with a very low SWR(read on a separate highly accurate meter).

PROS: - Super sensitive receiver - Digital display - PA and speaker outputs (I have a AUX speaker and the fidelity is superb!) - Scan function (can scan LSB, USB, and AM) - SWR and antenna calibration is awesome - Mic gain for adding accessories and cutting down on noise - Microphone clarity is very clear - RF gain Local button is spectacular for knocking down DX noise - Display color changes CONS - Annoying beep on every button (there is a video on You Tube to remove a small chip and this loud beep will go away)I did the mod and the beep is about 98% gone...barely audible. Easy. - Weather station call up seems to be a tad on the weak side OVERALL - Been working with CBs since 1975 and I can say this one is by far my favorite. In fact, I am using it solely for my base station with a small 12v battery and Battery Tender charger (works awesome!). I am running a Firestik II (4) on top of my chimney about 30 up and I can pick up DX on skip and local traffic with ease. I live about 1 mile from the interstate and I can pick up chatter crystal clear. - ANL/NB seems to be a little weak, but does cut down on noise

Unidens mid-size Bearcat 980 SSB sets a gold standard for modern consumer-grade CB radios. The array of features, such as scan functionality, CB/PA/NOAA Wx, customizable screen colors, on-board diagnostics and single-sideband, are -- in my area, at least -- usually found in much more expensive radios. The 980s most direct consumer-grade competitor might be Cobras 29. The Cobra has many of these features for a similar price, but lacks the sideband that affords the 980 effectively 80 additional channels. Signals, even at the edge of reception, are incredibly crisp and clear. The sound quality is impressive, if slightly soft in my soft-top Jeep. In my first attempt at raising someone on the radio, I made a contact from my driveway that measured less than a tenth of a mile shy of five miles. The other party reported my signal was strong, loud and clear. (That’s a barefoot radio and the stock mic, pushing out on a four-foot Wilson Silver Load fiberglass antenna.) Its not the fault of the radio per se, but I do have to keep the squelch up a little higher than I’d like to drown out RF interference picked up via the antenna while Im in town. Id prefer to keep the squelch almost all the way down and use the RF gain control to dial in signal reception. But, since the 980s RF gain consists of five steps (push-button) rather than a dial, its a bit more difficult. As a result, the squelch stays up higher, and the RF gain a bit lower (setting 3 out of 5) than Id like. Out of the box, before any adjustment, my SWRs ranged from 1.0 (Channel 1) to 1.5:1 (Channel 40). Ive only two complaints with the 980: First, switching from night to day mode is slightly cumbersome. The CB-only Bearcat 880 employs a simple button to toggle back and forth. With the 980s single-sideband functionality, this is moved into the menu to make room for a clarifier knob. It’s not complicated, but it’s more than I’d like to do when the vehicle is potentially in motion. Second, the plastic used for the volume and fine clarifier knob feel of lesser quality than Id expect in a radio of this size or price range. Theyre holding up just fine, but its a shame that at least one of the controls youre most likely to use should feel inferior. Overall, this radio is a bargain!

DO NOT TRUST the built in SWR meter! More than one person has reported the SWR meter reads 1.00 on all channels which just isnt right. Three will always be at least a small variance between 1 and 40 and it certainly wont read 1.0 across all channels. Buy yourself an inexpensive SWR meter or have a competent shop check it for you before you transmit out. Other than that this is a decent CB. The stock mic worked well enough on a mic gain of four. I got good reports with it. The sound was a bit tinny I thought. I now have a D104-M6B. I set the mic gain to one and turned the mic up to about three and it modulates very well. This is my first CB and I am enjoying it. Ive had this for about 9 months and no problems to report other than the SWR meter.

I operate this unit barefoot as a base station connected to a Tram 1499 antenna mounted about 25 feet above ground. This radio is priced cheap but has excellent performance. Without getting technical there are a lot of factors that contribute to reception and transmission distance but I can say that from my location I am able to consistently speak with people as far away as 15 to 20 air miles while operating on standard CB AM mode. But this radio also functions in (SSB) single sideband mode so dont be surprised when you realize that youre talking with people in other states and other countries, so enough said about that. I could go on and on about how good this radio is and how much sweeter it is because of the low price but I wont. If youre into CB, curious about CB or just want a radio around for a possible emergency then you shouldnt hesitate to order this one. This is a great unit and I without a doubt recommend it and would purchase it again. *I did hold back a star only because the knobs feel a little flimsy but its not something to stress over. Purchase this radio and youll be as happy as I am with its performance. This is a great CB radio.

The Uniden Bearcat 980 SSB is a good sounding radio with exception reach with a GOOD antenna. I spoke with a man in Georgia from Phoenix. (Conditions we’re right) Accurate SWR built in with fine tuning adjustments. Many features you won’t need and it has “beep” canceling. STRONGLY RECOMMEND