Uniden BEARCAT 880 CB Radio with 40 Channels and Large Easy-to-Read 7-Color LCD Display with Backlighting, Backlit Control Knobs/Buttons, NOAA Weather Alert, PA/CB Switch, and Wireless Mic Compatible

I purchased this unit in February of this year. It is being used as a base unit with a dedicated power supply and proper bus grounding. Initially the reports were low modulation unless I held the mic closer to my mouth. Now, after 5 months I almost have to place the mic in my mouth to get adequate modulation SWR 1.2 to 1, Full mic gain using the controls on the radio and antenna / coax is good using a antenna analyzer....need help. I dont want to send back, otherwise good rig.

The item is still sitting on the table, l decided to have it indoors , so Im trying to find a antenna for it. Was thinking of getting a base for the fire stick antenna.

Awesome, works great

I am running the uniden 880, and have been very impressed with it. Like you, I wanted a more modern looking unit so it didnt look out of place in the front of the cab as well as a built in calibration too because when it comes to optimizing radios for signal and transition strength.... I have no clue. This this feature was important to me. I also liked that the unit was 3 inches shorter than the cobra 29xl and had a multi color display. The unit itself had a quality build and the speaker is beyond loud, which is the reason I didnt go with the smaller midland or cobra 75 model. I mounted mine up high on a mount I fabricated. Click image for larger version. Name: image-3911373057.jpg Views: 90 Size: 53.1 KB ID: 586341 CB Magazing also has a YouTube video on this exact model. It has two parts and essentially explains everything, what it does and how to use it. Its worth a look. Build 9/10 cb mic mount screws were to small Looks 10/10 Ease of use 9.5/10 instructions were not good Sound clarity/ quality 10/10 My set up: Uniden 880 18 ft Amazon cable Rugged Ridge cb antenna mount screw mount antenna holder firestik brand HD spring firestik brand hd is a must stay away from the light and Medium duty springs. 4ft firestik. Side note* I did have to bend the rigged ridge antenna mount as the antenna would not clear the stock rubicon tire and I did not have to file off the paint to obtain an SWr of 1.0 Hope this helps. Good luck.

The cb works good. My only complaint is that the screen isnt very bright and after about 6 months the screen only shows what channel your on. Everything else fades out.

So, I put some spade connectors on the wires, connected my coax and new mic, started it up. No surprises so far. I also have a cobra 29 and it has very good reception, this unit (880) may be slightly better. Sound is pretty good, but I think the talk back may be a bit weak. Both the cobra and this unit have all channel and men scanning. The 880 does scan a bit faster which I like. Weather channels come in loud and clear. I also used the diagnostic screen, and will say that the SWR measurement is pretty close, and the value read out is a nice touch. This CB went into a Jeep unlimited rubicon, into a tuffy box. I may go back to a footman loop mount as this unit is quite a bit lighter and smaller than the cobra 29. As far as size, picture something between a uniden 520 , and the cobra 29. About the same width as a 29 but shorter. One other nice touch I thought was the case screws. The case has the same four screws as any CB, but they are recessed, and look very clean. I used the six pin mic that came with the 880 with no issues. My jeep does hit the trails, so longevity will be a concern until it proves itself. Feel free to ask questions, and hope this was helpful.

Awesome unit! Make sure you get a good antenna and tune it. Below is my review(part of it) from a midland handheld about CB wavelength. Figured I would post it here for some tips. -- From midland handheld review A few people commented on the poor transmission/reception. CB band does not transfer well into handhelds in general. FCC used to allow 5 watts then lowered it to 4 watts. 4 Watts is not a lot power especially on the 27MHz AM bands. (12 watts for SSB is allowed). Radio performance is pretty simple: Power and the antenna. The technology has not changed in decades and its all the same radio principal so performance from one handheld to another should have little to do with the unit itself but rather the antenna. The 27 MHz band is pretty low and generates a fairly large wavelength. Full antenna required would be on the size on 36 feet long, ½ wave 17 feet and ¼ 8 feet. On autos with the large ground plane there is a compromise and a 36-48 whip works well. For a handheld CB to pack all that in a small antenna does not work well at all. Back in the day the old CB handhelds had 6 retractable antennas. This is a great unit and works great for CB knowing the inherit limitations of the 27 MHz band. If you are looking for a handheld to talk to another handheld look in the FRS/GMRS band radios which start at 462 MHz. The wavelengths are much shorter and a full antenna is 2 feet, 1/s wave 1 foot and ¼ 5 Inches. So you have pack a true ¼ wave antenna on the unit. Cellphones could never work without being in the UHF and above bands so they can generate the smaller wave with a small antenna. I think this is a lot of value for the money with all the options, etc. Feels solid in your hand and I like it a lot!

I have no doubt that the bearcat 880 is a good cb radio. However, be careful when reading the description as you scroll down. They are talking about the beartracker 885 and what it can do, not the bearcat 880. The correct product description is on there, you just have to scroll down more to get to it. I am returning the 880 and purchasing the 885.

Such great product for 4x4 trip

This is a really nice looking radio. It looks fantastic. Very slick. Very modern. I bought this radio due to its looks and features, especially for its built in swr meter. Unfortunately, the meter is horrible. It is totally inaccurate. The swr readings from the built in meter were way off compared to several external meters I used. During my antenna tuning, the built in meter was giving me really low safe readings while my external meters were are at 3.0! Also, the screen scratches really easily. Uniden couldnt have used a cheaper quality screen. Dont expect this unit to be rugged.