Uniden CB radios? Good? Bad?

Some of you folks seem to be a lost cause! 95%-100% modulation is efficient. Don't kid yourselves... 101% plus modulation (power mikes, "tweaking", etc.) is LESS efficient and DOES NOT increase your range regardless of what you "think" you've experienced or been told by radio repair shop shysters! You don't get out any farther, but you are more noisy at the same given distance! That's not "range", that's just interference with everybody else! It's unpremeditated rudeness!

Some of you can be the nicest, most polite people in face to face conversation, and would never "yell" at somebody or scream to be heard above the crowd. Yet some of you become federally certified rude, crude, billigerant, and downright impolite turds on the CB! Treat people like you want to be treated (... or... maybe you already ARE!)

Oh yeah! BTW, I haven't had to buy a new rig in decades, but the old Unidens used to be among the best (if not the best) on the market. These included the old "President" series, and many of the Radio Shack SSB rigs from the 60's and 70's (maybe later). My two old Radio Shack TRC-449's were made by Uniden and never gave me a minutes problem. My TRC-457 base uses the same main board, and I've literally talked around the world barefoot with that rig on a 5/8ths ground plane (when the skip was rolling, of course). My 449's are now nearly 40 years old, work perfectly well on a pair of "Twin Trucker" antennas (remember those?) and will accompany me on my next truck (I keep one radio for backup, but haven't needed it yet).

 

thanks, its so great to hear someone who knows anything over 100% modulation is garbage,(wish some of the techs out their new that) but i do disagree with you in one part, power mics, they have more use than just to scream at people, yeah it makes you louder, it all depends on the person and the radio. most peaked radios will only get worse with power mics, but power mics do have their place.

 

You're right!

As long as the radio's modulation is still limited to no more than 100%, a good powermike can help maintain a higher peak average modulation and is perfectly legal, but only as long as the radio's mixer and amplifier circuits aren't overdriven to the point of clipping (distortion)! I agree that powermikes aggravate an already bad situation when the radio has been improperly adjusted to allow overmodulation, which is what I was really refering to.

The sad part is, most CB'ers don't understand their equipment, and don't care 2 cents worth about legallities, which is what ruined CB for everybody else in the late 70's.

 

Don't buy a cobra over a uniden. Back in the old days (someone else will have to suplly the time-line) Cobra got there boards from a small japanese electronics company called uniden. They were high quality boards where the components were soldered and glued in. At some point a Chinese company offered comparable boards for half the price, but the components were simply set in place and wax used to hold them there (hence after a few months in the sun on the dash of a truck they died). Cobra discarded the contract they had with uniden and went with the cheaper boards. So, Uniden decided to come out with thier own CBs.

 

Hello Mustang, I was wondering what type of in-line fuse your PC 66XL uses. I recently dug up a PC 66XL and it was missing the fuse so it'd be great to find out. Thank you.

 

They all pretty much use the same fuses. I believe a 15W would work just fine. But I am sure if I am wrong, someone will spank me and tell me not to do it again.

 

Hello The Internet

Sorry it took so long to reply. My PC 66xl has a 7 amp fuse in it. Hope that this helps. Good luck stay safe.

 

KcOrey, you seemed to know your stuff until post #9. I have 30+ watts of swing coming out of my Uniden PC68XL all around the band, and I can talk at night to Dalton Ga. 70 miles away barefoot. NO WAY will it do that at 4 watts. Matter of fact, I live 2 miles from the interstate and most trucker radios only just make the trip here, except for the ones that were stepped on and they sound like they're in my back yard.
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To BeanFace: Been out of it for a while, but you know how a Ford is a Chevy is a Ford? Well, a Uny is a Cobra is a Uny for all particular matters. I've had a lot of both and they're all good.
Now, as was posted, a radio with a bad antenna is a bad radio. Two antennas make your field strength pattern go in an oval, longways front to back. And makes the truck look cool. But you don't get out to the side so well. I've always opted for one antenna of the best quality, and tune the antenna low an SWR as possible. Like FLAT, if you can get it!
...and nothing beats a good homemade!

 

Thanks for all the input. Anyways I went to my local radio shack and turns out the system was crosswired. I rewired the device and the manager at RS told me to try a 2.5 amp fuse. Now, it works like a charm!

 

I just remembered an old PC66 Uny I had...running with a little Grey 100w footwarmer and an audio king antenna, carefully tuned. The radio was bone stock output, and I got compliments on it at times.
It follows the old stereo buff's creed of cleanliness. Amplify a dirty signal and what do you get? More dirt. So many guys have WAAAYYY overmodulated radios and using an amp you can't even understand them. 5x5 I believe, meant loud AND clear, not just "bigger than the other guy".
Sometimes you will hear a guy very far off with a clear radio sound like he's right down the road from you. This is an example of a radio done right...now he doesn't sound like a "big" radio...but you can't HEAR the "big" radio he's talking to over there, because the "big" radio only puts out a blanket of modulation around itself, while his clean shot goes and goes and goes...
I live 2 miles from the interstate 75 and I hear big gorillas coming through all the time...and fade out at mile 3. I often have talked to others for almost an hour as they approach, pass by, and leave me, and they have that 'normal' sound.
Think about it; do you just want to talk for 2 miles or do you want to actually get out?