has anybody arrived at a cheep cure for screen death in bearcat 980 yet?

[kc2asb]

There’s not an item sold today this isn’t true. Autos, household appliances, the list is nearly complete.

It’s not a function of economics either.

Most radios physically fail from abuse or damage-in-transit. This is second to planned obsolescence. Buy best quality and treat with extra care

— Always above 13V; no direct Sun; gentle use; and hard case for storage. (This approach).

It’s also true we live among those who try to force an item to conform to them, as if there’s no responsibility on the part of the operator to himself conform to the item.

— Part of mobile use is same as vehicle use: pre-trip . Takes a driver a good half-hour to do a righteous pre-trip. An auto deserves the sane type approach. The radio rig is part of it.

No funky cheap antenna. Best 12V install. Etc.

— If a radio is destined for scrap, the systems in which it operates can’t be blamed, thus its replacement is already given best treatment.

Back to U880. Given the number sold I wonder at the screen failure rate. It must be (time) far past warranty.

If it’s used on AM-19 that’s easy to set and leave alone. For U980 that’s a shame. For 880 it’s no worse than losing dashboard lights.

True. Nothing lasts like it did.

With the U880 and related models - with LCD displays, it was normally the backlight that would dim out over time. The display itself usually lasted for the life of the radio. The failure rate is not known, except perhaps to Uniden, but a design flaw seems more likely than hard usage.

There are Ranger 2950/2970 rigs that are still being used 25 odd years later and the LCD is fine.

 

[robertwbob]

There’s not an item sold today this isn’t true. Autos, household appliances, the list is nearly complete.

It’s not a function of economics either.

Most radios physically fail from abuse or damage-in-transit. This is second to planned obsolescence. Buy best quality and treat with extra care

— Always above 13V; no direct Sun; gentle use; and hard case for storage. (This approach).

It’s also true we live among those who try to force an item to conform to them, as if there’s no responsibility on the part of the operator to himself conform to the item.

— Part of mobile use is same as vehicle use: pre-trip . Takes a driver a good half-hour to do a righteous pre-trip. An auto deserves the sane type approach. The radio rig is part of it.

No funky cheap antenna. Best 12V install. Etc.

— If a radio is destined for scrap, the systems in which it operates can’t be blamed, thus its replacement is already given best treatment.

Back to U880. Given the number sold I wonder at the screen failure rate. It must be (time) far past warranty.

If it’s used on AM-19 that’s easy to set and leave alone. For U980 that’s a shame. For 880 it’s no worse than losing dashboard lights.

But if built proper screens should last as long as the radio

 

[robertwbob]

True. Nothing lasts like it did.

With the U880 and related models - with LCD displays, it was normally the backlight that would dim out over time. The display itself usually lasted for the life of the radio. The failure rate is not known, except perhaps to Uniden, but a design flaw seems more likely than hard usage.

There are Ranger 2950/2970 rigs that are still being used 25 odd years later and the LCD is fine.

Yes sir
I had a magnum force went bad after long use screen was clear to read in bright sunlite

 

[kb2hpw]

Slowmover 100% spot on. I have "cheap" (~$40, etc) old Realistic CB's that I got in the 80s and 90s, that still work, and have been in dump truck service or heavy equipment hauling from back in the day. Dust dirt, mud on my fingers, sitting on the dash baking in the hot sun behind the windshield of an old Mack RM, our old Brockways, etc. I gave one away last year to a buddy who occassionally goes to the stone quarry, to talk to the scale house. We are being sold cheap crap, but we're all being dumbed down to accept medocrity. Well not all of us. That is too bad on those Unidens, I saw those and also thought they would be really good. sorry to the OP that radio can't be fixed. You have at least one old Kurmudgeon who understands.

 

[slowmover]

The mechanical systems on autos appear to last.
But not the computer-command systems.

Since when was it necessary that a computer command an electric window? Etc.

Since when was it necessary that high profit breakfast cereal be full of artificial ingredients.
Beer? A Chick-Fil-A sandwich? (Who eats this chit?)



It’s not a matter of economics.

U880/U980 like the Ranger 2900-series radios are unpleasant to which to listen or monitor all day. A $225 DSP Speaker made them tolerable.
$375 for a CB lacking adequate juice (bump that price to $475; $600 for the Ranger).

So it ain’t a great loss those companies appear not to have joined the NRC bandwagon (AM/SSB). I’m not gonna cry over it and am glad I didn’t buy a bunch. PREZ and A/T (Stryker for the diehards) are good enough.

Autos will be down to 2-3/companies planet-wide before long. GM only assembles cars, doesn’t “make” any of them.

The pattern seen here applies across all items. HOW its done using “money” as nothing but excuse:

Former GM Engineer EXPOSES Planned Obsolescence Tactics.

00:00 - How they Cut Corners 05:26 - Juicy Part Planned Obsolescence has no bounds with auto manufacturers. Former Engineer blows whistle on how these companies operate with pure profit motives.

rumble.com

— It’s not about “profit motive” when you’re killing the vastly profitable pickup lines as economies with component assemblies aren’t in the least necessary. It’s killing the chances of owners two, three, and four from ever acquiring one and keeping it running.


Enough to make a guy feel awfully good about that lightweight (bad word by which to buy) plastic & aluminum firearm in an undersized caliber with “consumable” parts, right? (Ha!).


“Radio” (11M) is now pretty much just One past some dedicated design changes.

.

 

[kc2asb]

The mechanical systems on autos appear to last.
But not the computer-command systems.

Since when was it necessary that a computer command an electric window? Etc.

Since when was it necessary that high profit breakfast cereal be full of artificial ingredients.
Beer? A Chick-Fil-A sandwich? (Who eats this chit?)


It’s not a matter of economics.

U880/U980 like the Ranger 2900-series radios are unpleasant to which to listen or monitor all day. A $225 DSP Speaker made them tolerable.
$375 for a CB lacking adequate juice (bump that price to $475; $600 for the Ranger).

So it ain’t a great loss those companies appear not to have joined the NRC bandwagon (AM/SSB). I’m not gonna cry over it and am glad I didn’t buy a bunch. PREZ and A/T (Stryker for the diehards) are good enough.

Autos will be down to 2-3/companies planet-wide before long. GM only assembles cars, doesn’t “make” any of them.

“Radio” (11M) is pretty much just One past dedicated design changes.

.

Vehicles have too many electronics in them. Same for major home appliances. None of this stuff ages well, and it is extremely expensive to repair, assuming parts are still available. In general, manufacturers do not want products that are durable and last a decade or more. As for the ingredients list you posted, why do pickles need artificial coloring?

CB/11m radios have pretty much reached the end of their evolution. The FCC allowing FM on CB may be the last major change we'll see. There may be improvements in DSP or perhaps the addition of features such as a waterfall display as that technology gets cheaper, but those are just tweaks.

Just give us radios that last, like the Cobras, Presidents and Unidens, Trams, etc of the past.

 

[slowmover]

That’s the entire point.
No used market.
Constant design changes
Obsolete part numbers.

 

[kb2hpw]

Y'all are welcome to take this chat into my shop, grab a beer and see how I still skid logs out of the woods with late 60s/early 70s John Deere (and an orange Allis-Chalmers 190). I have modern stuff too for sure, I don't live in a cave. But I do so lament buying anything new, whether it's a really cool feature-rich radio, or a Stihl saw that actually has a "cpu" to adjust fuel mixture (yes really). Do we really need all of this? I think this is some of the reason CB guys (old and new) have a fondness for the old radios. Yeah sure they are not refined like the better new radios....but gee whiz they might actually keep working. FWIW I did buy a A/T 6666 few years ago, really like it....but it's in my shack. I actually bought a Radioddity CB-27 Pro and for a tiny little radio I'm impressed. Again I'm not a cross country guy, but for the local scale houses and loaders in the stone pits, that thing is neat. (Having a lot of fun on FM too, very much like "VHF-low band" for local). I can also complain about the "check engine light" (trouble codes) the last washing machine threw out too LOL. Sorry if i steered too far away from the OP's topic.

 

[kc2asb]

Y'all are welcome to take this chat into my shop, grab a beer and see how I still skid logs out of the woods with late 60s/early 70s John Deere (and an orange Allis-Chalmers 190). I have modern stuff too for sure, I don't live in a cave. But I do so lament buying anything new, whether it's a really cool feature-rich radio, or a Stihl saw that actually has a "cpu" to adjust fuel mixture (yes really). Do we really need all of this? I think this is some of the reason CB guys (old and new) have a fondness for the old radios. Yeah sure they are not refined like the better new radios....but gee whiz they might actually keep working. FWIW I did buy a A/T 6666 few years ago, really like it....but it's in my shack. I actually bought a Radioddity CB-27 Pro and for a tiny little radio I'm impressed. Again I'm not a cross country guy, but for the local scale houses and loaders in the stone pits, that thing is neat. (Having a lot of fun on FM too, very much like "VHF-low band" for local). I can also complain about the "check engine light" (trouble codes) the last washing machine threw out too LOL. Sorry if i steered too far away from the OP's topic.

That is a tempting offer and sounds like a lot of fun! I don't have a John Deere, but I do have a 30 year-old Toyota Camry that just keeps going. Sure,a computer controls some of its functions, but it's not a rolling computer console. It's a simple car by today's standards, and cheap to repair.

I have a fondness for the older CB, which started over 30 years ago when I found a 23 channel Realistic TRC-30A at a flea market. With its analog meter and channel display, and lighted On Air / Modulation "signs", it had a certain coolness that my new at the time Realistic TRC-434 and Uniden PC-122 did not. As a bonus, it was a good performer.

The nice thing about the older radios is that they often need little more than new capacitors and deoxit in the controls to keep chugging along.

Hopefully, FM catches on more in the US. It's widely used in Europe.

 

[robertwbob]

ok things that last. humm dad bought 2 new tractors from long gone old school dealer .in 52 he bought the last A sold there then in 60 he bought a new 630. both are still capable of a hard days work. and i own a 312 case i bought 40 years ago and a big 400 case comparable to the 630 workhorses. i had a 4010 jd ,1370 case more bulletproof tractors but my ex helped me not own em now.
new 1978 f mack 300+ 6 speed. 1990 mack superliner E9-500 hp. they worked great no crap lectronics either.
a galaxy 99v that was all over the usa in that superliner.it had to have lights replaced only time it had trouble still working
last newest thing i bought working trouble free a sthil ms 170. and i got a huge husquvarna cant remember number but has compression release. starts runs great

 

[WSAC829]

I wonder if Uniden / President just bought in to a huge batch of low quality displays. I stumbled across this post the other day. If you look close he’s on ch19, but the display shows ch1.

 

[kc2asb]

I wonder if Uniden / President just bought in to a huge batch of low quality displays. I stumbled across this post the other day. If you look close he’s on ch19, but the display shows ch1.

Good eyes. Very good possibility. LCD displays have been around for decades. It's almost seems like they would have to design one to be defective on purpose. LOL

 

[WSAC829]

Planned obsolescence i guess. Sad really. Once a brand name you could stand by. Now junk.

 

[robertwbob]

I wonder if Uniden / President just bought in to a huge batch of low quality displays. I stumbled across this post the other day. If you look close he’s on ch19, but the display shows ch1.

View attachment 186706

From the land of ALMOST RIGHT