Review on 📻 Uniden BEARCAT 980: 40-Channel SSB CB Radio with Sideband NOAA WeatherBand and Wireless Mic Compatibility by Greg Mahoney

Uniden's mid-size Bearcat 980 SSB sets the gold standard for today's consumer CB radios. Many features such as scan capability, CB/PA/NOAA Wx, customizable screen colors, built in diagnostics and single band - at least in my area - are typically found in much more expensive radios. The 980's closest consumer-level competitor might be the Cobra 29. The Cobra has many of these features at a similar price, but lacks the sideband that effectively gives the 980 an additional 80 "channels". Signals are incredibly sharp and clear, even at the fringes of reception. The sound quality is impressive, although it's a bit quieter in my convertible jeep. On my first attempt at calling someone on the walkie-talkie, I made contact from my driveway, which was less than a tenth of five miles away. The other participant reported that my signal was strong, loud and clear. (It's a barefoot radio and a standard mic extended to a 4-foot Wilson Silver Load fiberglass antenna.) It's not the radio's fault per se, but I have to keep the noise-cancelling level a little higher than I'd like. for example, to block out radio frequency interference received through the antenna while I'm in town. I prefer to leave the squelch almost all the way down and adjust signal reception with the RF gain control. But since the 980's RF Boost is five steps (one button) and no dial, it's a bit more complicated. As a result, the noise reduction stays higher and the RF gain is slightly lower (setting 3 out of 5) than I would like. When delivered, my SWR was between 1.0 (channel 1) and 1.5 before each setting. :1 (channel 40). I only have two criticisms of the 980: First, switching from night mode to day mode is a bit awkward. The CB-only Bearcat 880 uses a simple button to toggle forward and reverse. On the 980 with single lane functionality, this function has been moved to the menu to make room for the Clarifier knob. It's not difficult, but it's more than I'd like to do when the car might be moving. Second, the plastic used to control the volume and fine-tune the dimmer seems to be of lower quality than I would expect from a radio of this size or price point. They do their job well, but it's a shame that at least one of the controls you're likely to use has to feel worse. All in all, this radio is a steal!