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

It works better than I expected.

Display panel is too light in daytime, hard to see.

This is a nice looking radio with a lot of options. First Ill explain a problem that I had because I didnt understand very well about single sideband transmission. When I installed my radio I ran it through the Diagnostic feature that is built into the radio (nice feature!). This feature allows you to test the Antenna load mismatch, RF power level and battery voltage. When I checked the RF Power output on the amplitude modulation function (normal CB mode) of the radio it showed a PASS in the diagnostic mode. However, when I switched to either the Upper or Lower Sideband function, the RF Power showed a Failure. I called Tech Support at Uniden and they said the radio must be bad and that I should return it. So I did. But, the second radio did the same thing. So I went to Amazon and asked a Community Question about what I was experiencing. Several knowledgeable people responded and educated me about SSB. Bottom line is that when the radio is in SSB mode, there is no RF Power produced until you speak into the mike. Consequently, the diagnostic will show a FAIL when testing SSB transmissions. The other thing that has been mentioned in many of the reviews is the brightness (or lack of brightness) of the digital display. And, this is a very real problem. While it is nice to have seven color display options, only one option (white) even comes close to providing enough illumination to be used in daylight, and it is still not quite enough. And that is after turning LCD Brightness and Contrast to the maximum levels. The fact is that on a sunny day, it is hard to read the display. Doable, but difficult. Another complaint in many of the reviews is the beep that occurs every time that you change something on the radio. But, that beep can be shut off!!!! (if your radio was manufactured after 2015). However, I have not found the beep to be annoying. In fact, since it is hard to see the display in bright light, it is convenient to hear the beep to know that you made what ever change on the radio that youre trying to make. And here is a comment about the Single Sideband function. I decided to get the 980 ssb because it was only about twenty three dollars more than the Bearcat 880 . And I figured that I might find the ssb function useful at some point. And while that may someday prove true, right now Im discovering that there is not much benefit in having the ssb function. If what you really want is just the CB and the 880 already puts you at the extreme of what you want to pay for a radio, but you are struggling because you think you might benefit from having the 980ssb, rest assured, at least from my point-of-view, you will not miss the ssb function. This 980ssb seems like a really good radio overall and I do not hesitate to recommend it or its non ssb counterpart the Bearcat 880 (which is exactly the same radio less the ssb function.)

I am a Ham operator and wanted to pick up a cb for SSB work. Most are well over $200.00 US, I found this one and tried it out. I have been using it for months, no issues, no complaints, no worries. Great features, easy to read display and buttons. The mic is better than what I am used to on a cb. I am running it barefoot (no amp), and they tell me I sound fine . I can only get out about 1-2 miles with it, but that is my antenna, not the radio. I can tell you, the first day I picked up skip from about 5 states away, I knew it was money well spent.

This new uniden 40 channel cb ssb mobile radio is no doubt a winner except for the annoying beeping when performing functions as simple as changing channels . Radio output was down 2 watts on am and 6 watts on ssb as others have mentioned. We easily found the 2 pots inside the radio to adjust both power levels am to 4 watts and ssb to 12 watts . I will give it a 8 out of 10 and is a definite keeper .I now have plans to purchase another just to keep in the house sometime after xmas 2012 . We was very happy to find that the sideband frequencies were aligned properly at the factory on lsb and usb. I left the radio on for 48 hours to burn it in and there was no drifting period on sideband. The receiver was very quiet and when needed the noise blanker took out any noise . We easily heard a station on 38 lsb 50 miles away on our base antenna at the house for those wanting to try sideband at home. While trying to talk locally in the midwest we had several stations in california commenting about the transmit audio quality of this 4 lb radio .Yes it is very light weight and will be a easy install in the car. Below is a added plus in my book ........ Having the 7 noaa weather channels will be a plus on long trips to keep track of changing weather conditions on vacations with the weather alert function .We took a vacation trip to Wyoming last year and ran right into bad weather up in the high country of NW Nebraska 80+ mph winds . Had we had the weather warnings we could have avoided the 2 lane highway and stayed on the major I 80 interstate instead we was 50 miles up the road in the middle of no where before we seen what was headed right at us. !!!If you want a radio that can be modified for extra illegal channels This is not your radio !!!

The display is a black background with illuminated lettering. Most displays are background lit and black lettering. Very easy to read in full sunlight and great in night time use. It wont blind you at night! Weather alert works and SSB and AM are clear and sharp. I like that you can simply push a button for the PA. I did not that while in PA mode, if there wasnt anything being received over the CB, it acted like a PA. But, if you received a broadcast while in PA mode, it would go out the PA speaker also. Mic feels good in the hand and feels like it is well made. The radio seemed to meet the FCC specs properly. A very nice mobile CB/SSB!

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

Uniden pulled out of the am/ssb market a long time ago leaving a large vacant hole. Evidently they have decided to return to the market with the Uniden Bearcat 980SSB mobile. Initial impressions (just looking at the pictures) are that it looks like the typical cheap looking chinese stuff Ive seen pushed on us for decades. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer a analog s/rf meter vs. the digital ones. Like many CBs sold today, you can play around with color schemes to find one that suits you. It doesnt have any great mods and reminds me of Radio Shack CBs which were pretty darn hard to modify, if at all, keeping their nose clean with the Feds. It does come with weather bands (Ooooooh). Personally, Id rather have a smaller meter and a frequency readout rather than channel numbers, but thats just me. From reading about half the reviews and doing some digging around I came to three conclusions: 1. The BEEP is annoying, but apparently there is a fix for that out on the internet 2. Most of these seems to arrive dead-on frequency which youd really (REALLY) want if you couldnt mod the clarifier for SSB transmissions, otherwise youd get a bunch of sidebanders kinda angry at ya. 3. Unless someone comes up with anything else, the Beep mod is it. Okay, Review Part 1 is over. Expect updates to occur from time-to-time as I find things I like or dont care for, not to mention performance. Ill also keep updates fresh on my Blog. Nuff Said, Woody UPDATE: 031813 Were on PART II of this review, and I expect it to have many parts [ed. - many = more than 3]. In my haste to get Part 1 off, I should have proof read it AND used my reading glasses because I never saw the tiny frequency readout under the large channel number, so I sit corrected. Ive yet to dive into any reading material, so I may have to correct myself another time - well have to see about that, or what time I will have to read. The radio has a channel 9/19 push button switch, which has been around forever (or maybe it just seems that way), and except for traffic from Mexico or further South, Ive never heard anything useful on channel 9 for decades. Some radios Ive run across let you set another channel for channel 9, like the local hangout channel, and I do like being able to jump to 19 for a quick update on traffic from time-to-time. With this rig, being computer controlled, it would have been nice if you were (for example) on ch.38 LSB and switched to channel 19 that it would be smart enough/or programmed to change the mode from sideband to AM for you automatically and then back again when you return to 38 LSB. Much like a Blogger, or anyone who writes regularly, they should have proof-read the box the radio comes in. For instance it has three modes: AM, USB, and LNB. I know Ive been away from buying new rigs for awhile so maybe there is an LNB mode, but I doubt it. As far as the color schemes go, to be specific, you have 7 options, and I like the fact that it has a 9 cord on the hand microphone. While were on things I like, I may as well mention the adjustable Backlit control. As for the physical outlay it is just okay. Depending on how and where you mount it depends on whether or not it is more-or-less okay with you. The ON/OFF, squelch/volume control is located on the top left side of the front panel with the microphone jack being just below which is convenient but I would have arranged the placement of the push buttons differently. Along the bottom of the panel you have push buttons for: S/RF/SWR Calibration CB/PA Mem/Scan 9/19/Normal ANL/NB, and AM/USB/LSB Above the AM/USB/LSB button youll find buttons for: Weather Mic Gain RF Gain, and Talkback These are farthest away from your reach, in a typical under the dash mount so I would have preferred the bottom row to be (in this order): AM/USB/LSB ANL/NB Mic Gain RF Gain, and 9/19/Normal With the remaining buttons along the right side, farthest from your reach, but not necessarily often used, and Im torn between leaving the on-off/squelch/volume to being on-off/clarifier/volume, and yeah, Im being a bit picky now. On the box it mentions that the radio is wireless microphone compatible and directs you to learn more about it on their website. I learned that theres no picture of it, that its not available yet, and costs $99.99. A very nice surprise is the warranty - 2 years. Its not very often youll see that, so I suspect they dont expect to get many sent back within that period, and I was also surprised to see that they furnished you with a 6-pin to 4-pin microphone adapter as well. There is some slight confusion regarding the clarifier. On the box it states that its 1.0khz clarifier (+/-), but in the manual it says its 1.5khz (+/-). As far as the scan feature goes (usually not any farther than I could throw it), you do get the option to select certain channels for it to scan, thus making the feature worthwhile. Adjacent channel rejection as stated in the manual is 60dB which is better than many CBs made in the last 20 years or so. And that my friends, ends Part 2 of the review. Ill have to make some room in the truck and figure out where to mount this before proceeding. UPDATE: 032413 [Part 3 & 4] One of the first things you notice when taking the radio out of the box is its size (smaller than a Grant), in fact, it reminded me of another radio Ive owned and reviewed in the past - Midlands 79-290 AM/SSB mobile rig. I didnt have the actual size of the Midland to compare with, but I think these two are fairly close in their respective footprint. While the 980 does not have a removable front panel, the layout is strikingly close as well. Both radios have the Volume/Squelch control at the top-left of the front panel and the microphone plug below it. A set of horizontal buttons run across the bottom where, in the bottom right corner, youll find the coarse/fine clarifier control and above it the channel selector knob. I guess if youve never held the Midland the similarities in physical size and control layout wouldnt be so obvious. Im not inferring that these are the same radios on the inside - The 79-290 came out in the early/mid 1990s, had dual finals, and a removable faceplate; features completely different than the 980, as well as being fairly easy to modify for expanded frequencies, FM, and a open clarifier. Nonetheless its something to wonder about.....Did the company that won the bid to make the 79-290 also win the bid to make the Uniden Bearcat 980? As others have commented before, this is a good looking radio - right out of the box, but doesnt have that rugged feel to it. Give it six months in your vehicle and it wont look like the girl you took to the dance, the black plastic will show dust, dirt, and scratches easily. Used at home with a power supply, unless you own a cat that always finds an itch to scratch, it should maintain the newness factor longer than if it were in your car or truck. Ive read about low SSB output straight out of the box on some models, and how to adjust it internally, as well as that infernal beep - which Im pretty certain is fixable now. I dont mind that its a straight 40 channel rig because I usually run a 40ch AM/SSB mobile in the truck along with my HAM gear - I just hope its on frequency when I get it powered up [perhaps Sunday Ill have a chance to clear off some bench space and do some initial testing]. As far as microphones go, I may use the factory mike and call it a day, or use one of my dependable, yet older, microphones - but Ill have to test the factory mike first. Back in the 90s I owned a Uniden PC-122 am-ssb mobile. It was a little tiny thing compared to anything else available, and I did a audio test with a friend of mind using an Astatic D-104m, a Turner +3 hand mike, and of course the stock microphone which came with the PC-122. The winner? The stock microphone on the PC-122. My friend said he had never heard me sound so natural on sideband in all of our years to communications and that Id better not replace the stock mike. I took his advice and during the period I owned it, I received many questions like What kinda mike are you using cause its one of the best sounding microphones Ive ever heard, and other similar comments. No one believed me when I told them it was just a stock mike on a Uniden PC-122, so heres to crossing my fingers that Ill get the same results with this one. [....And now - finally to the end] In our last exciting episode I believe I was comparing this to Midlands 79-290, somewhat feature-wise, but mostly the footprint (the space that it takes up in your vehicle) and comparing it to my daily companion: a Cobra 138 GTL 40ch. mobile. First, the weight difference. Neither radio had mounting brackets or microphone attached, so I was weighing the radio only. The 980 was (to my surprise) 2lbs. 6oz while the 138GTL came in at 5lbs. 8oz. I can only speculate that the added plastic and SMDs in the 980 was the reason it was so light weight. Once again, its weight was similar to the Midland. I spent a week with the 980 in the truck and came up with these non-scientific results using Wilsons lil Wil mag mount on the roof of my SUV: Either the receiver was too Hot, or the Adjacent Channel rejection NOT, but I experienced/noticed an unusual amount of bleed over from channel 19 as compared to the 35 year old Cobra. YES - that damn beep was driving me freaking crazy. Why they couldnt have put an on/off control, and/or volume setting to the beep is beyond me. For instance, with Cobras re-designed 29 mobile you can easily disable the beep via the menu system in the radio. I never found a perfect visual setting for being able to see everything on the front panel, during mid-afternoon driving time (I have the same problem with my GPS). Receive audio was done with Icoms SP10 external speaker, which Ive always used when mobile so it was the only fair choice I had to compare it with the Cobras, as it too used the SP10. Except for the extra bleed over, I couldnt really tell a difference, although I missed the receive tone control on the front panel of the Cobra. Transmitting audio seemed about the same. Those that replied to my A/B test were split down the middle - about 50% preferring the Cobra, and 50% the 980, both using a non-amplified noise-blanking hand microphone. Noise Blanking. When it came to this category Id have to call it even (which is good, because many transceivers have lousy noise blankers in them). The weather function worked very well, in fact, much better than any other CB Ive had with a weather reception feature. The purchase price was very reasonable compared to some online price gouging Ive seen. And.....Thats about it. The only really BIG question is: How long will this last? My Cobra is about 35 years old and still working fine. I dont expect the 980 to do the same, but it would be nice to buy a new rig and have it last longer than a year or two before its junked. When it really warms up (down in Texas you dont have to wait too long), Ill put the 980 back in the truck and see how it holds up under the heat. [I once owned a rig that was truck celing mount and I had to park in an outside parking lot. When I got out of work, Id start the truck up, crank up the A/C and turn the rig on. Reception was a garbled mess, as was the front panel - I couldnt read anything, until the cab temp. cooled down. Once it dropped about 5 degrees Id turn the rig back on and it acted normal again. So Im curious on how well the Uniden handles the Texas heat. Look for an update then.] SUMMARY - In some respects the Uniden Bearcat 980 surprised me, because if youre a regular reader of this Blog, or my Amazon reviews, you know that Im not a big fan of anything made in China. The fact that its not as deep as a full-sized rig may help those with limited mounting positions/space, but theyll have to take the daylight driving vs. seeing the screen into consideration as well when choosing a mounting location. Perusing the Internet via Google I found a mod to kill the beep, but no one replied that they tried it too and it worked, so Im still dubious about that one, and really, thats about the only Mod I found for this transceiver. If I were in the market for a new AM/SSB rig I would definitely consider this one (and probably buy it), but Im not, so the 138 is back in its usual spot in the truck. Nuff Said, Woody

for the price, the radio really seems to receive pretty well. a lot of the configuration is menu driven. i am using this as base station, so i dont have to worry about trying to make changes while driving. i like the radio overall now that i have discovered its two primary flaws: the display has issues and goes out over time (mine has not yet), and the stock mic that comes with it is pretty much bad. i replaced it with a powered mic (Astatic Road Devil; $40 approximately on Amazon), and that eliminated any problems transmitting. time will tell if the display has issues for me, but, for now, this is a four star radio for the money. i also have several AnyTone AT6666s, and those are worth their weight in gold. the Bearcat 980 is a great radio for beginners so long as you get a power mic to go along with it. photo shows both the radio with the Road Devil power mic.

I was pleased with the overall quality and operation of the radio. I have not experienced the weather alerts nor used the SSB operation. The one problem I had was the screws provided to hold the microphone to the side of the radio did not match the holes in the radio. They were too small or too large depending on which set was chosen. I close to tap the holes in the radio and use machine screws from my shop. This will not matter if you plan to mount the microphone holder on some other surface. Just drill holes to match one of the two screw sizes provides and you will be fine.