Uniden 880

[slowmover]

An old truck driver friend (owner/operator) is coming thru in a few days and we’re going to put a radio system in his truck to get him over the hump until he can buy & install state-of-the-art.

He runs nation-wide off of the East Coast for demanding clients.

I looked thru what I have sitting here and the best choice appears to be a Uniden 880 I bought with fuel card points when in the oilfield circa 2013 (?)

It has almost no hours on it compared to my others — never opened up — and was a solid performer with a KL203.

Has NOAA weather channel function.
That became deciding factor.



It’s fast to read and very easy to operate.

If You Had Only One Choice

Hey Guys, If you had only one choice for a top-of-the-line mobile CB rig (AM only), what would that be, and why? A friend of mine is shopping around and asked me to make a query. Thanks, Jim

forums.radioreference.com

The 2013 memory of @UPMan was the spur for the thread.

For about ten years this was the best entry-level AM-only CB radio. (Latest radios with NRC have eclipsed it for desirability).

Several nice UNIDEN accessories, and an excellent extension speaker available.

Pairs exceptionally well with a KL203, box-stock.

A very good Fly’N Drive choice, today.

Am researching how to get coax into cab on a Freightliner Columbia (always the worst part of an install on a big truck), and have to dig thru supply & gear to figure out all the rest.

He’s a helluva lot younger than me and a far better mechanic (a natural) so the install should go fairly fast.

Best part is that I’ll have my pickup along to get the last parts dialed-in once done across the Lincoln and W-M DSP Speaker (mic choice & settings)

— When my son left the Marines after ten years and took a Masters degree at a Connecticut school in 2015 I took an assignment in Philadelphia in 2016 to visit several times. As this friend is a New Englander — a difficult place with many limits on operating trucks — I could make a phone call and get fantastic advice.

The U880 is a truck stop staple.
Nationwide, and with untold thousands sold.

Uniden Bearcat 880 CB Radio

Uniden Bearcat 880 CB radio includes 40-channel coverage, NOAA weather alerts, SWR antenna calibration, and clear audio for trustworthy road communication.

uniden.com

Uniden Bearcat 880 CB Radio Review | CB Radio Magazine

Uniden Bearcat 880 CB Radio Review This CB radio has 40 channel operation and dynamic squelch control and an extra long mic cord. There is a CB/PA switch and it's even wireless mic compatible. Other features include instant channel 9/19, NOAA Weather channels, radio diagnostics, easy-to-read...

cbradiomagazine.com

If it came to the choice I’d go with the SSB-capable 980 between the two, but there’s no reason to avoid the U880 despite some reports about the screen going dim for some users (answer to that may be to always keep it out of direct sunlight).

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[slowmover]

Mic Comparison

One wants to use a second radio across the room (no coax attached, usually) to listen to how different microphones sound.

Use a headset

The video is kinda fun, but it’s not the way it’ll sound in real life.

It is an important test to get the most from an FCC 4-watt radio.

These Unidens usually perk right up with a power mic if the Gain is correctly set and Talkback probably not in use.

By this I mean that one’s TX has a little more “punch”.

— The downside to power mics is the requirement for a battery.

Note: The stock mic and BC906 can be improved somewhat by modifying the mic entrance.

With any radio whatsoever there is no excuse for poor diction and enunciation. Slow down, know what you are going to say, and speak as if talking across the room. Always.

With an NC dynamic mic with lip guard use that.

With DSP and long experience I’ve I don’t know how many hours trying to be of service to others by having them adjust their radios (I can hear what’s needed), and then getting them dialed-in on both distance from lips and relative Mic Gain.

This can be make-or-break in being heard in difficult conditions.

Hear, and Get Heard.

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[cpfinlay]

I recently picked up a 980. Paired it with a Firestik. Works well.

 

[Chris155]

Assuming the 980 & 880 have similar AM performance I’d say it’s a great choice. The weather receive is way better than my McKinley. I removed the little white piece from the mic & regularly talked 7 miles mobile to local base stations. The local base group runs old school, non dsp radios.

My 980 is currently in a drawer with Velcro on the bottom & cigarette lighter harness that also power a dsp speaker. Ready for temporary use or a hand out if needed.

 

[slowmover]

I’ve modded one of the stock mics already. Unfortunately have 6-7 of them. Hope it’s not the last one I have to open in order to find it.

 

[robertwbob]

id went with 980, might be me but seems quality is tad better in every ssb radio i was around.
im not a big 880 980 fan but they will talk.

 

[slowmover]

id went with 980, might be me but seems quality is tad better in every ssb radio i was around.
im not a big 880 980 fan but they will talk.

Agreed about U980, but . . .

It’s one my “old radios” being given to an long-time friend (new O/O) till some of that Net/Net shows up to fund (maybe) a QT60 complete system already sketched out. Similar to mine or @jcrmadden

His tractor has some years and is getting back into shape, so to speak (six new injectors recently). That money is chasing him, but hasn’t caught him yet.

Gonna get out the antenna bundles today. One of the orphan (singles) 4’ or 5’ FIRESTIK most likely (his choice; atop 9’ mirror bar). Gonna give both some spray-grey to cover that hideous eye-catching white paint.

Found the brand-new tip covers I picked up at Walcott a few years back. They don’t last forever. The Firestiks don’t have much use, but they are more than a decade in age.

On a HUSTLER QD and with a PROCOMM mirror arm mount. FME-end 213 coax 12’ or 9’, don’t know yet. May have to drill at door to get it thru as am not going to take apart door itself to follow OEM (undersized) routing.

His work involves pulling into ranches. So antenna needs to pop off. And he may consider 14’ too high (East Coast base).

His DC power posts work, but running some 12-AWG over to fuse panel feed and XHD frame bolt looks easy. May run a second pair for a future KL203 till THE BIG RADIO gets done.

A COBRA S-500 speaker after I splice in longer leads. Fasteners and cushions.

A GEARKEEPER for the mic.

U880 and a BC906W is a good pairing if he adds it.

Listening to road problems while out of truck to load/unload is that wireless advantage. He doesn’t bump docks or pull up to silos or tanks, and cranes don’t figure. No time off.

Plenty can change on-road in an hour or so, as you know. Still on customer property to re-route or alter the weeks trip plan with phone calls much easier if The Thinking Cap gets put on earliest.

And, hey

He puts a radio in the kitchen back home, why, he could have his old lady holler at him for no good reason he’s just gotten home from a 6,000-mile trip and doing his final walk-around, right?

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[slowmover]

And, I think I have enough 3/4” woven braid to RF-Bond door hinges to A-pillar structure. One side.

Will have to run ordinary wire from mirror mount down to frame (easy to test; used to help once in awhile). Bought one of those multi-spool Harbor Freight packages last year. That, or from scrap pile yet to go thru.

He’s in a pre-emissions Columbia with 11L Detroit (re-man 200k). Single screw. Coffin sleeper. 11.0-MPG. Flew to AZ to get it and drove it back to Massachusetts without incident. Owner couldn’t take it into CA any more (dedicated run).

Scaled full load is under 30k.

I think she likes him. Didn’t have the injector problem till literally pulling into front gate from a trip to the PNW on IH-90 in winter.

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[jhooten]

If it came to the choice I’d go with the SSB-capable 980 between the two, but there’s no reason to avoid the U880 despite some reports about the screen going dim for some users (answer to that may be to always keep it out of direct sunlight).

The 980 has the same problem with the screen which is why mine had been moved from the truck to the radio room (replaced by the 148GTL that recently went TU).

 

[slowmover]

Thanks for clarification. I meant to say that this family (U880, 885, 980) is said to suffer. But I’ve all three which have been fine. And they’re all still sold new.

 

[robertwbob]

when i was in truckstop yesterday buying new stud adapter , i eyed an 880 n bout gassed out. the new ta at mt vernon ,mo has it priced at $189.00 plus tax. the 980 and the 1 that scans,i coudnt see the price tags. was afraid to ask,clerks prolly got nuts to sell 1 new overpriced radio.

 

[slowmover]

New 880 is now AM/FM.

At Bells CB:

880 AM/FM @ $179.00

980 AM/SSB @ $199.00

885 AM/Scan @ $380.00

The remaining Galaxy radios for sale also underwent a big price jump since 2021.

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[slowmover]

Putting together an entire radio rig always takes longer than I budget.

Just the antenna mount took 2.5-hrs to clean up and get all the parts correct.

The mount I’ve had 20-years? Don’t even remember the truck. But it was obviously used (bowed, and one minor crack). But it’s the exact right one for a FREIGHTLINER Columbia or Coronado mirror arm. Didn’t remember I had it.


Edit: Might’ve been when I ran end/belly dump a few months. The bosses cousin was chief mechanic and trucks were losing driveshafts. I quit before mine was one as can’t stop a big truck without gearing down and we were running HEAVY on Overload Permits.


I found a common fat-stud PROCOMM for the antenna that would fit without interference. Has to hold a HUSTLER QD. Had to clean, de-bur and polish out aluminum and chromed steel. Find the little pieces (washers and nuts). Stole them off my dipole experiment.

— This was after a bunch of other pieces not judged worthy or wrong size (studs).

That it “looks nice” (much better) is one thing. That it’ll be easier to maintain on a coast-to-coast big truck is the thing. Last touch before mounting will be De-Oxit or thinnest possible layer of copper grease (fill voids to keep water out of mating surfaces). Some Loc-Tite on a few things. This is meant to not be removed except maybe annually.

Had a big sigh I relinquished one of my $$$ AMPHENOL 90’s. A location that just can’t be allowed to fail.

Most everything now in different sizes of plastic zip-loc bags. In turn, into a Gladstone zip top tool bag.

The rest of the supply — and the tools — to travel in their bags. In back of pickup.

Sure glad that got re-arranged and a five foot workspace created. Cut the welds on the lid to stack the heavy stuff vertically in the chest. The rest of that carried “stops” with 5’ to spare with tailgate open.



Takes as long or longer to get it all gear & supply squared away in advance where clock time matters with the install time expected.

— Power & Coax/Antenna won’t have to be changed once he upgrades the radio. Speaker will.

Brand-new it all would come close to $400, plus install charge (usually $100 for big truck). Value ain’t money. As I said above I’m sure I’m still somewhat in debt given the value of the accurate information I needed seven years ago in unfamiliar territory.

This’ll round itself off he’s able to change plans more easily, enjoy the camaraderie, and have the security of others just a key-up away.


This was a no-joke area in which to operate. My previous infrequent “loose” familiarity wouldn’t suffice. I needed a native if I expected to make a living for four months up in this region. It’s a common thing to see truck lines advertise for new drivers with, “No Northeast”.

Almost one-third of 340-million Americans lives here.



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[slowmover]

Install done. Took awhile. Most of the time taken up by catching up.

The 880 never powered up. So substituted the 980. Which started to have screen problems. Can say I will never recommend these again for campground or backup use. The 980 worked as desired, but that’s not the same as being fully functional (reading RX scale is important to me). My examples were both low-hours, and never in direct sunlight. It’ll be on AM19 almost exclusively so set & forget is the workaround.

Started with one antenna type and then I decided to upgrade it to a Wilson 2000.

The mirror top bar is 8.65’ (measured carefully). The W2000 antenna came in at over 5.5’ once a longer lower section was installed to get the coil above the roofline (SWR perfection). Then add stud plus QD. So it’s “too tall” and this is only somewhat remedied by a 15-degree forward tilt.

I also gave him a 3’ Firestik to get him along till he a founds a 4’ something/or-other for being east of IH-55.

The QD makes it easy to pop off the aerial.

The coil clears the roof by several inches (flat-top FTL Columbia) and the trailer height is below that of the tractor.

Didn’t have time for RF Bonding, but he’s comfortable with that.

Range test was comfortably two miles in heavy Skip at 1430 and a busy day on IH-20. Two wrecks in progress. It doesn’t get more difficult than this. Lost him before three miles with the Lincoln & 7’ Texas 1800. That’s better than most every 4W radio in same circumstances assuming big truck.

Nice clear audio with an A636 mic. Excellent “quiet” around voice, just low in signal strength. Used a GearKeeper on front of cabinet panel to suspend mic.

Antenna is king.

A KL203 somehow found its way onto the dash as I was leaving.

Power: Route via starboard A-pillar under cover from fuse box. Use same size bolt on pillar for NEG. Run thru channel in overhead cabinetry. Needs more than 6’.

Coax: 18’, need 15’ minimum. From mirror top arm route down thru mirror body — cut factory coax and remove — to lower arm. Pass behind panel to underhood. Route into cab behind instrument cluster. Poke a hole. Run coax behind A-pillar panel up to overhead. Use same channel to take to stock radio location.

Speaker: At about seated head height use bolt present to secure one part of bracket at sleeper divide. Drill for short sheet metal screw second fastener. Audio cable route past air horn and into same channel as coax.

Since neither radio was satisfactory the effort and value was changed and went into an upgraded antenna and coax system instead. A Wilson RG8X FME coax jumper, SS rod sections. Etc.

— Now he only needs to plug in an NRC Export and DRX-901 Speaker. Done. Until then he’s re-acquainting himself with 19 while OTR, but working for himself. I’m sure he’ll appreciate the future change to NRC as a result of trying to get by in 2025 with outmoded gear.

I’ll get the radio gear returned to me. More money was in complete antenna system (brand-new off-shelf price) as compensatory adjustment.

“Coincidence” and the way things went along decided it in this way. Much more satisfactory as it turned out in that but two components are needed for future high performance Citizen Band, not three. Systems done, as well as one of two antennae.

We spent quite a bit of time changing lower section length to find extra-low & perfectly flat SWR response. His own install experience also upgraded. And understanding that comms are primarily intuitive (so build the install to leverage that).

The 66-year old font of wisdom was happy to leave the physical work to the 33-year old.

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[Chris155]

Sounds like the 880/980 don’t like long term storage. Any idea how long they were in storage?

 

[slowmover]

Years.

I haven’t opened the 880. The dim screen problem on 980 is what gets the most complaints for the radio series. It works as expected otherwise.

 

[Chris155]

You have me considering passing my 980 along instead of leaving it in storage. Good thing is you got another man setup and educated on radio & install. All with minimal direct cost using spare parts. Better to find out the condition of your backup gear now than in an emergency situation.

 

[slowmover]

I’ve others that have come out of storage with no apparent ill effect. I “get it” that such a thing ought to be regular. Nonetheless I’m not pleased about what I think shouldn’t have occurred.

The radio that worked was the better of the two. That’s to the positive.

That going to a better (best) antenna took the place of value given was the part which made the thing better than at outset.

 

[78k10]

I hate that one was dead and the other one has issues. I for one really like the overall looks and design of the 880/885/980 units. They look modern. And, I’ve always liked uniden in general. But, if a model has known issues like that, they won’t sell well.

 

[slowmover]

Caught up just now with my friend. He came out of FTW to get a load down near Houston on Tuesday evening after our work and we spoke just as he gotten north of New York City.

I was concerned about overall antenna height (just above 14’), and that the U980 was still working.

No clearance problems till now, and while the screen has gotten somewhat worse, he’s able to Hear What’s to Be Heard.

Nothing in his lane of travel, but heads up on what’s happening in his vicinity. Loves that the speaker location makes hearing other men speak seem so natural.

Incentive for a QT60 is heating up. We mounted the U980 under the cabinet as he has other gear in the standard location. That’ll also work for the bigger AT-5555N2 just fine.



Happy Ending, IOW.

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