Uniden 885 power, volume & squelch control

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Trucker700

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My trusty 885 has developed a problem with the on/off switch. (I've read a couple of posts on Amazon of people having the.same problem)
Sometimes, I have to turn it on and off several times to get it to come on. Other times no problem. And sometimes it will power off by itself.
I found that the switch is the culprit. I contacted Uniden Parts and was told I could not order that part. BUT, I could send the radio in for repair. And that I had voided my warranty by opening it up. So, I will have to pay for repairs.(which I would if I weren't able to do it myself)
I'm wondering if there's anynway I can get a part or part number and buy on from Mouser since Uniden Parts won't sell me one.
Trucker

(
 

iMONITOR

Silent Key
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
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Location
S.E. Michigan
My trusty 885 has developed a problem with the on/off switch. (I've read a couple of posts on Amazon of people having the.same problem)
Sometimes, I have to turn it on and off several times to get it to come on. Other times no problem. And sometimes it will power off by itself.
I found that the switch is the culprit. I contacted Uniden Parts and was told I could not order that part. BUT, I could send the radio in for repair. And that I had voided my warranty by opening it up. So, I will have to pay for repairs.(which I would if I weren't able to do it myself)
I'm wondering if there's anynway I can get a part or part number and buy on from Mouser since Uniden Parts won't sell me one.
Trucker

(

That might be BS. You might want to look into this!

Take Back Your Right to Repair by Taking off Illegal Warranty Stickers
 

nessnet

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Jan 22, 2007
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Location
Eastside of Lake WA
1 Are you sure your 885 is still under warranty?
2 How are they going to tell you opened it up. Did you break some sort of seal when you did?
 

Trucker700

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#1. Probably out as I bought it about a year ago. I wasn't wanting warranty service. I wanted to buy the part.
#2. They'll be able to tell as I cut out the plastic over the display to improve visibility of the display.(only helped a bit)
Trucker
 

UnidenSupport

Uniden Representative
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Location
Wisconsin
1 Are you sure your 885 is still under warranty?
2 How are they going to tell you opened it up. Did you break some sort of seal when you did?
Yes. we can tell if the unit has been opened up and this does void the warranty. I'm suspecting you were speaking with Uniden and not Uniden Parts, which is a third party company. Many of our internal components are not available for sale.
 

Trucker700

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Yes. we can tell if the unit has been opened up and this does void the warranty. I'm suspecting you were speaking with Uniden and not Uniden Parts, which is a third party company. Many of our internal components are not available for sale.
I talked to Uniden Parts as I only needed the control and not warranty service. I knew that if any warranty was left, my modding the faceplate to better see the display would almost certainly void the warranty.
So, how about at least supplying a number or set of values for each pot on the control so I can fix the problem?
Otherwise, I have to add a toggle switch to the case. Which looks kind of cheap.
Trucker
 

Trucker700

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I guess no one at Uniden is willing to supply the specs to the control or the part number.
 

UnidenSupport

Uniden Representative
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Sorry for the late reply, but you asked after my shift on Friday. Unfortunately, I do not have the part number for that.
 

Trucker700

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Messages
299
Ok, thanks for the response.
I think I'll try to get thru to repair. And see if they can help.
Trucker
 

Trucker700

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Just a quick update. I found a On/Off switch Volume and Squelch control to fix the intermittent on/ problem I was having with my 885.
While not listed for the 885 it is available from Uniden Parts, for the BC796D scanner. It's the very same control. ( I ordered it from Uniden Parts)
So, instead of paying a $79.00 flat fee for Uniden to repair my radio, (plus having no use of it till it was repaired and returned) I paid $20.00 and change shipped USPS First Class. I ordered on Wednesday, it arrived Friday afternoon. I replaced the defective switch( mounted on a small circuit board..........thru hole with 8 pins to desolder and resolder) .
The radio is back to working properly again. I might just order another in case this one goes south. But, it appears to be sturdier than the original.
Trucker
 

kc2kth

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Joined
Mar 27, 2004
Messages
437
Location
Toms River NJ
Just a quick update. I found a On/Off switch Volume and Squelch control to fix the intermittent on/ problem I was having with my 885.
While not listed for the 885 it is available from Uniden Parts, for the BC796D scanner. It's the very same control. ( I ordered it from Uniden Parts)
So, instead of paying a $79.00 flat fee for Uniden to repair my radio, (plus having no use of it till it was repaired and returned) I paid $20.00 and change shipped USPS First Class. I ordered on Wednesday, it arrived Friday afternoon. I replaced the defective switch( mounted on a small circuit board..........thru hole with 8 pins to desolder and resolder) .
The radio is back to working properly again. I might just order another in case this one goes south. But, it appears to be sturdier than the original.
Trucker

I just had to comment on this. Nice job sticking with it and solving the issue yourself. I’m surprised Uniden couldn’t cross reference that part yet you were able to figure it out. Not blaming Uniden customer service, likely the engineering documentation was incomplete or incorrect preventing the p/n from showing up.
 

Trucker700

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Jun 24, 2017
Messages
299
I just had to comment on this. Nice job sticking with it and solving the issue yourself. I’m surprised Uniden couldn’t cross reference that part yet you were able to figure it out. Not blaming Uniden customer service, likely the engineering documentation was incomplete or incorrect preventing the p/n from showing up.
Thank you. The reason they gave for not selling me the part was the radio was new, (introduced last year) and they did not stock or sell parts for outside sale. Uniden Repair only had them for their use. I have since found the same control at Mouser Electronics for 1/3rd the price I paid at Uniden. So, I plan to order a few for back up. Main reason being, I am a long haul trucker, and I turn the radio off at weigh stations and inspections. (don't need the troopers hearing their dispatchers voices coming from my CB!) So, the radio gets turned on and off several times a week.
I'm still hoping Undien will come out with a new model that the scanner portion works like my SDS100 does for Simulcast. Even though I have an Amateur radio operators license, ( I carry a copy with me) I don't want to have issues with LEO if I don't have to. Plus, I'm hoping they'll improve the display as well. It was close to impossible to see it in my truck, till I "operated" on the front face and removed the clear (almost) plastic that covered the display. It is a bit brighter, but, still marginal on a bright, sunny day.
A CB/Scanner Hybrid with those two features would be great. ........................maybe someday!
Trucker
 

Trucker700

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Jun 24, 2017
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If that radio was SSB I would already own one.
I had the 980 before the 885. (still have it as backup) But, other than the CB channel scan feature (works great at a new quarry where they do not post what channel(s) the loaders and scale house use) I had very little use for SSB. I rarely heard any activity. Plus, my ICOM 7000 provides all the
other bands and modes I use while on the road.
Trucker
 
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