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

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!

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 !!!

good unit for the price I have been around cb for a number of years I like the colors and easy scan different channels only issue I am having is my aerial

Radio has a lot of features but does not come calibrated. Took quite a while to calibrate the channels where they need to be

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.

every good ham shack should have a CB, because in an emergency situation, its a bad idea to limit your communications to just amateur radio operators. This a decent SHTF tool. No complaints from me.

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!!!

Worked great for three days then broke... Swr was 1.0 with a 108 whip, for whatever reason I was talking to a local on 19 am and out of nowhere the reception seemed to vanish, and the on radio broadcast indicator didnt go past the second line. Did the self diagnostics and it failed. Requested a replacement, hopefully mine was just a fluke, Ill update if the second is better. Update, so I got the new one PROMPTLY from amazon, took one day! So kudos for getting me back on the air so quickly, the new radio seems to run cooler, indicated the same swr as the first (1.0-1.1). New one seems to receive better with less interference and static, and I get good reports of the audio, as well as an increase in range. I believe the first one was just a dud, time will tell with this one! I would still recommend this radio, its nice, modern, and the comparatively lower (legal!) output is PERFECT for driving an amp if thats your thing. With my 102 whip drill mounted to my roof it throws out roughly 10 miles! Plenty far.

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.

The CB radio itself has been fantastic. Works very well plowing snow on the Interstate. Up until this year 2023, everything has been working just swell. About two weeks ago, a coworker buddy of mine had his radio start to give him fits. It wouldnt key out. After some troubleshooting, it was determined that the key out button linkage to the electrical switch inside the microphone has a manufacturers defect. A piece of plastic wore and one part the was supposed to engage another part slipped under the linkage instead of pushing on it. Then, other pivot parts, all plastic, were found to be sheared off inside. Microphone was never subjected to abuse, just use, and it died. Now my microphone is exhibiting the same symptoms. It is starting to not key out consistently when the button is pressed. Sometimes it keys out, sometimes it doesnt. Nothing more frustrating than trying to discuss a lane transition plan with a plowing partner and they keep asking can you hear me and you hear them fine, but the stupid microphone will not key out. Buyer be warned. They arent cheap to buy either. I mean sure, Uniden could offer me a replacement...but why bother, unless they have identified and corrected a defect, youll likely just be in an important use scenario and the microphone just gives up on you. Sad. So sink of manufacturers making crap products, or crap components. You put your name on this thing Uniden...you own this. Good job in design and quality control. Astatic replacment on order.