Uniden Bearcat 980 SSB - (Overview) New AM-SSB radio from Uniden 

Cb still popping where im at. Guess it depends where you are at. now finding intelligent conversation that's another thing lol

I have this radio with the beep removed and it preforms great! I did the mod my self in under 5minutes. Of course its all bout the antenna. I use an Antron A99 with GP on a 50ft mast. I recieve from all over the country, well over 2000 miles.

Getting back into cb after being on the hf ham bands for 16 yrs. Everybody into D-star & DMR. Not me just to talk over the internet. Found quite a bit of activity still on cb since I left in 92'. Started on cb in 1978 at 14 yrs old. Interested in this radio because of Sideband. Sideband was cool back in the late 80's when the sunspot cycles were hot. Local cb shop says this radio not a big seller. Wants me to buy a $300 Galaxy. Not gonna spend that much just for cb. Tune this Uniden up, get about 20-25 watts out of it on sideband and I'll bring it home. You'd be amazed at what a good antenna and 20-25 watts will do on Sideband. Used to do that on 10 meters. N4TCM

Love my Bearcat 980 ssb! After My mild tuneup : I made a contact 550 miles away on lsb 38. The report was loud and clear. ZERO DRIFT. BEWARE GALAXY!!!

I run old school radios and this one. This is a sweet radio, period !

Hello I just bought a uniden 930 SSB pretty excited cuz it is my first CB radio I've had the handhelds but this is my first real CB. I just wanted to thank you for showing me how to work everything and test everything everything passed with flying colors. Only thing is is I have a tram 1499 antenna 50' recommended cable RX8 I believe I am also on the third floor it's the highest house in my whole neighborhood.. I'm in a wheelchair so I can't get up to the roof and it's winter time here in upstate New York so I figured if I was going to hook up a better antenna it was going to be in the spring summer. I have not got one single transmission I just had the radio for a couple hours now. My weather station comes in perfect. Like I said everything passed with flying colors. my SWR is 1.0 and then as soon as I calibrate it it goes up to 1.6 or even up to 2.6? And then sometimes it'll switch back to 1.0? IDK what I'm doing wrong I live fairly close to the highway so I figured I'd be able to get at least truckers? Or anybody out there I hear nothing it's not like I'm in the middle of nowhere I'm in a suburb of Buffalo New York. You got any suggestions or tips for me? Thank you very much thank you for your great videos I'm going to check out whatever else you have on uniden 930 SSB. Please get back to me every question I ask people just keep leaving me hanging thank you very much God bless!!! I am using the pyramid power supply 13.8 volts 4.5 amp I use the ashtray plug to power the CB this is a base station for me. Thank you

Just bought it. Love it! Sounds great. Buy this radio, use a Wilson 1000 Magnetic.

to shut off annoying beep simply hold the ANL/NB button for few seconds you will see bp on or bp off select bp off no more beeps its on page b_8 of the manual

Nice overview...from 8-1/2 years ago. I received my 980 SSB today, 01/19/21, and I'm looking forward to making it a part of my EMCOMM "arsenal". Thanks!

I'm glad i watched this. I have one of the cables in my junk drawer and I did not know what it was far.

Great radio! Have had it for 2 weeks now. Only thing it needs is a power mic. If you want it to really shine tune it down to 1.5 watt dead key on am and 8-10 on ssb and get yourself a small linear amp.

I'm getting this paired with the Stryker sr-a10mm antenna. Can't wait to install it in my 2004 XC70 Volvo Overland. Thanx!

I bought one of these radios last week. I have been using it for a week now with an RM Italy KL-503, and an RM Italy 203P. I have been talking all over the country and get very clear receive an transmit modulation. I have tested my radio by leaving one on at home and recording my voice as I drive way out into the country. I can hear it clear for over 20 miles with the cheapest RM Italy. I can hear it over 30 miles with the big bad boy RM Italy. The options on this radio are what sold me. I love the scan feature the most. I also love the fact it is a true 12-watt SSB Lower and Upper. The radio is actually very big. It will not fit in all car dashes that is for sure. I have to slide mine between my seats and that works just fine for me. I have a big space between the driver side and passenger side and it slides right in there nicely. Also, the SWR meter is very acurate. I compared to my Workman and they give me almost the same exact numbers back. So, you can trust what the SWR meter is telling you on this radio. I also like the diagnostic features. I can check my antenna and RX as well. It also checks the voltage. I was surprised mine was a little low, 13.44 volts and should be 13.8 volts. It is still within specifications, but nice to know my car battery is not throwing out quite the full voltage. I am looking at rerouting my power cable. Currently plugged into the cigerette lighter which should work fine, but maybe not? That is my 2 cents on this radio. Great buy on Amazon for 105.00 dollars. The Galaxy SSB radio is 170.00 by comparison. I do think this competes with the Galaxy but maybe not the President SSB radio or the Stryker. I like it better than the Cobra models I have seen and owned. 73

I was able to figure out the S-meter VR .If your incoming signal bar graph is too tight or inaccurate try this tuneup: RT 400 is for AM,and RT401 IS FOR SSB .Turn slightly clockwise to increase s-meter recieve. My nieghbor should be at 30 db he was reading S8 .After this tuneup he was moving the s-meter graph to exactly 30db .Everything is clearly printed on the board. This makes the radio more accurate on incoming signal strengths,and is easy to do. Good luck.

Back in my day (mid 70's and 80's) the most desirable radios were the phase locked loop JC Penny's and Sears single side band radios which were very easily modified. I used to modify these radios to go above channel 40 and below channel 1. It was as easy as cutting a trace on the circuit board and installing a couple of SPST switches. I also modified the transmitter to swing with the clarifier to keep the radio on frequency. I ran one of these radios as my base station with a 250 watt linear amp. I drilled a hole in the top of my radio and inserted a tuning wand into the oscillator to swing it either up (above channel 40) or down (below channel 1). I generally would ask the person if they wanted to go above channel 40 or below channel 1 and adjust the oscillator for them. I always ran a Fluke freq counter on my base station so I could stay just below the 11 meter HAM band and I would usually talk to more HAM radio operators than CB radio operators. I met and talked to a lot of HAM operators upstairs on channel 60 upper side band as that was our (my parents and I) favorite channel. A lot of cool HAM operators wanted me to get my HAM ticket but back then Morse code was a requirement that I could not pass. Electronics was easy but code wasn't. Now they have dropped that requirement. Guess I should get my HAM ticket now. I also ran an SWR (standing wave ratio) meter on my base station and checked my SWR's daily as that was key to talking around the world with my 1/2 wave ground plane antenna. I tried to keep it at a ratio of 1:1. Do they still use RG-52 coax?

A lot of people complain about the mic but that can be fixed pretty easily. When I first tried it I didn't hear anything even with mic gain all the way up, then tried a different mike with the adapter cable and it worked OK so I took it apart and removed a white plastic disc that covers the front and blocks the sound. There is a black fiber disk that just keeps light out and can be left in place but the white disk has to be removed.

I do have one of these radios, but this radio was to take me back to the eighty.s I had a rad shack back then.

You have answered all of my questions in this one video. You hit on the output input weather band ssb frequency counter it will not take extra channels and so much more. Thanks

My Cobra 18 WX ST 2 is on its death bed and I'm planning on upgrading to the Uniden BC-980 for my base station and then the Uniden Pro505XL for mobile. I have a Uniden Bearcat BC355 scanner. I'm big on Uniden because their prices are great and the product you get is top of the line. I have 6 years of experience using Uniden marine radios, CBs and scanners and I recommend Uniden to new and seasoned operators and hobbyists.

Uniden Bearcat 980 is really hard to beat for the price. I added an Astatic D104 hand mike to boost audio a bit. I use Wilson Little Wils on both vehicles. Best value antenna I have used. It equals my old K40 but is much shorter, able to go in parking garages. I can hear the comments now, but a 36" Wilson talking to Bahamas, Fla, Canada, Tx, Maine, on SSB is no joke. Also has lower SWR than my K40. Like the 980, the low price is not a factor to me. It is the performance. You can pay much more and get more, but the Wilson and Uniden combo is a winner. Astatic 636L mike is a must for the 980. The mike has real noise canceling by proximity. Clear and loud. Just get close to the mike for good audio. The stock 980 mike is junk. Low output. High noise. Thanks for the video.

Damn! Good to see Uniden made a CB like this!

Purchasing this radio tomorrow for cheap! Includes speaker and it mod to 50 watts. I am new to CB and this is going to be first base station. I have been using a Cobra HH35

Yes, activate rf gain button and then hold. Local icon will flash : adjust with channel selector and press rf button once more.

Sounds like im at the Aldi checkout lane with all them beeps 😂

I think that is the sharpest looking radio on the market today. It does not look gimmicky. It looks like a pro radio.

Just got my Uniden 980 that I ordered off Ebay for $135 brand new,it's the version 2 the latest one where the beep can be turned off via a button in the front,looks like a nice radio!

I have one of these radios love it all the other base stations around me hate me and try to stop me but can't do it even when they run power I'm barefoot

Ok, I am up and running with my 980SSB. I am in lower Alabama and can hear East to West coast and up to Chicago, of course I can't talk to them. I have talked locally 20 miles away.

I love the scan feature.

;) this does. If the user that is receiving is located a good distance from the WX transmitting tower, it does matter. Every db counts.

Just got this radio! Thank you for basic and + comments very useful for me who last time was in cb as a teenager 30 years ago!! Hope to make local contact soon.

Love the look of this radio!

In my opinion buying a radio off the shelf, you may be getting a detuned average rig. Best results, buy a radio from a vendor that has a good tech. Request a tune & alignment. Sure it will cost some money but you radio will perform better than before. I bought a Uniden 980, got the caps upgraded, clarifier unlocked, protection diode, beep sound removed, tuned & aligned. This is a sweet performing rig. Not a powerhouse by any means but an amp can cure that! WX works as it should, Bulldog.

Great radio, no drift, loud and very clean clear audio. Mine keys 3.5 watts and swings to 15 watts AM 15 watts ssb. Wireless mic has superb audio as well with a range of 200+ feet from transceiver.

The antenna your using is set up for C.B.Band, that is why the weathers not receiving well. Unscrew the coax an pull out from radio just a little to disconnect the ground side of the wire, and your weather will come in clear and load....it is a long way from 27.205 form 162.500, so by losing the ground side of the antenna connection, the antenna then acts as a dipole & will pick up any frequency clear. :~)

I have this radio and the only thing I dislike about it is the brightness of the screen. I've set it to 15 and that's as high as you can go. Am I missing something? I've tried several times and nothing. Ant advice you can give me will be more than appreciated. Thanks

NOT BAD RADIO FOR THE PRICE THANKS NAGIZINE GREAT 20 MINUTE VIDEO :)

After running the BC 980SSB for a year and a half I have come to absolutely love to hate this rig. Let me explain: I just love the simplicity of the rig that the digital circuitry provides. Such a pleasure to use and the RX/TX quality is outstanding. I used the Scan Memory function all the time. The price was a pleasure too! The above has been shadowed by the fact that two of these radios just suddenly failed. Both with the exact same issue - working fine one day, next day turn it on and no TX - no reason or rhyme. The first radio failed within 7-months. I live in New Zealand and I bought this from the US - it was uneconomically feasible to ship it back to the US supplier for repairs so ended up buying another one from Australia (although twice the price). The second rig failed on me yesterday after another 7-months of operation with same problem as first. I am so disheartened as I loved these radios. HF Rigs are analogue - this is how they work and it is “by design”. When you throw all sorts of digital crap into the mix then you lose both the reliability and the ability to manipulate frequencies (for those of us who don’t like being stuck on 27MHz all the time). I am back on my 20-year old Cobra 148GTL that has NEVER failed and opened all the way and drives whatever foot-warmers I connect to it. Digital is crap but really fun and easy to live with - even if the lifespan is very short.

Thanks for doing a video on this my mind is definitely made up now and this is what I will be getting

Picked one up for 97 bucks on amazon.. The microphone is real pos in my opinion. The readout blows its not bright enough and yes I have the thing turned up. Its great at night but not to good in the daylight mobile. For 100 bucks new its not a bad deal.

I have a one forty gtl cobra . my army stick went bad and I think I burnt the finals out of it. I picked up a cobra forty channel radio. it is really nice and it told me that I had antenna problem. but I miss the side band. i think that I might get one.

Great overview! Just picked a new one up with a DM-452 mic.

the cb radio band is in the vhf low band frequencies, yes you should use a cb radio antenna with weather radio

1) press the AM/USB/LSB & menu button together and turn radio on 2) Press menu button 4 times until you see v*.** (mine says v1.03) you can display something else by pressing talkback button (possibly a checksum - not sure) 3 )Press the weather button until reset appears on lcd. 4) to enter the reset press menu button radio will restart on ch19

It's a great radio, the thing I like best about it is you can scan all channels.

I ran radios that were easy to modify like the JC Penny's or Sears phase locked loop single side band radios. Is this a phase locked loop radio? How easily is it modified? Can you modify it to swing the transmitter with the clarifier? Is a schematic included with the radio? Is the oscillator accessible from the top of the circuit board? What are the power requirements for this radio? Is it designed for mobile or base station use? How many amps does the radio draw?

Great radio. Great receiver, low on watts out of the box, but you can turn it up to the legal power. Get a good microphone and a good antenna and your sounding great! My plans with this radio is to get one as a base as well, using one of my studio mics with it, equalizer and compressor, woah! Can't hardly wait!

i purchased one of these radios because i thought I had blew up my old 148 gtl. it was in the antenna actually it was the seal at the bottem of the old army stick. I painted it green and thinking about putting it back up.

Lovely radio..you need 2 antenna for 27 mhz and a antenna for 134.00-174mhz vhf....a smal antenna tuner also helps..giving better reseption on weather

Great radio. Mine was made in Vietnam surprisingly. I heard you here in Vancouver a month ago or so making your way back home. 73s RC417

12/2019. Pilot has these for $89.99. Sweet deal!

This seems to be the only SSB radio with Weather on the market so far

I just order one thanks to your review. Thanks again and I will send you some feed back on what I see and find.

Great video, Now I want one! I have a few SSB radios but these supposedly kick ass and are SMALL. I had the 29lx and the beeps are way quieter in the vehicle than they sound in this video. They don't even bother you.

Very nice radio, well thought out. Especially the mic adapter, thanks for posting.

Thanks for the Video. BTW, How did you adjust the weather squelch? What is it labeled?

Wish they would of put a day/night button on the 980ssb like the did on the 880

My WX works excellent on the frequency in my area . There is a adjustment internally but I did not touch. Running antron 99.

That is one SHARP looking radio!!!!!!!

As a response to another person postong; cb is not vhf low, but hf high. Anything below 30 mhz is hf.

So how has this radio's reputation been? It's been a few years has it gained a solid rep! Great channel!

Great unit I am new to this and works fine.

Last Friday at a pilot station this radio is on sale for less than $100! May be as the new McKinley USA is out....

Hi, I'm looking for a good base station for home. Any ideas where to buy? are they still made?

U dont need a lot of power on SSB if you run a good antenna and have it up high. I run an old Cobra 138 23 CH converted to 40 with crystals and i pretty much can talk anywere i want to. It only does 12 watts pep.

What about the inability to read panel while in sunlight? I've seen one star reviews for this reason

Thank you for the great review.

I have this one. Fun little radio.

Great. I hope Uniden add FM and more channels and get it sold in the UK ASAP. :)

this radio maybe made in Asia but it is Veit nam north. It is smd technology this radio is VERY dificult to repair Uniden will NOT release any schematic diagram or specs so the radio can be safely repaired. I am an Engineer that holds a MSEE from UCLA. I have done design work for Pathcom corporation Lafayette radio and uniden. this is a trend by them to try and move all radio comm equipment into the buy and throw it away world. I have three 980ssb units dead and 1 year old, uniden will not repair the unit for less than $80 It needs a control switch. it will take me 3 minutes to trade the switch out. I found a replacement $0.35 and this is what they want $80.00 to replace. sounds like a good profit margin. the problem is they MUST send it to viet nam for repair. they make crap and count on repair to make up the cost of original low price, if you buy one hope it works for a year, i have 4 that only lasted 3 months I am using them for parts. IN MY OPINION THIS RADIO IS JUNK OUT OF THE BOX , I have been doing radio repair 40 + years.

in regards to receive weather bands, they make cb weather band antennas. check around

Just bought one but wish I would've got a Washington or a George

How did you adjust for sensitivity on the Weather Band reception, like you mentioned in the video? I need to do this adjustment to my 980. Thanks!

If you misplace the 6 to 4 pin pig tail, Uniden sells replacements for $19.99 plus shipping and taxes.

I'd like to have one of these rigs installed at my ham shack. Not a lot of folks on CB around where I live, so I think the scan feature would be a nice option to have in order to quickly find the operators that actually are on the band. I also like the fact that you can choose ANL and NB both independently and together.

not too many sideband radio have weather radio build in is first time see ssb with weather model and talkback

The weather radio simply doesn't tune well with a CB antenna. I ran this in a car which also has a 1/4 length 2 meter antenna and on that reception was fantastic. If you can find a HF VHF diplexer, use a separate VHF high antenna, be it 2 meters, business band, or Marine VHF. This radio's weather alert warned me about a tornado that ended up within two miles of me some yeara ago.

A fellow here on RU-vid cracked this radio. You can add extra channels I just don't remember his RU-vid channel

How come this looks like s President Grant II CB, are they part of the same company?

thx dude

I think they could of made it a bit smaller

Can you turn off the obnoxious beep when you touch any button?

Your WX issues may have something to do with your 11 meter antenna not resonating on near the 2 meter band. ; )

My husband is a truck driver and I was thinking about getting this radio for him and having it peeked and tuned by a CB shop. He also has a Wilson 5000 antenna do you think this will perform his needs? do you have any idea what the distance he should get for receiving and output? PLEASE HELP!

Uniden would sell like hot cakes in UK, unfortunately we only get expensive President ssb radios, the am/FM sets our good though.

Have you been able to unlock the clarifier?

You hold the weather button down you can turn the weather alert on

Excellent video. Thumbs Up!~John

Can this be powered by AC?

Is it capable of any channel expansions?? also can the clarifier be opened up?? thanks I want

What's the "talkback" function for? I didn't have that feature on my old CB from years ago. What Antenna do you recommend for this radio?

I hate to agree with you guys about the beeps , they are a deal breaker ! damn

What 2-Meter antenna are you using? are you using ground radials on your CB antenna?

Very nices looking radio

I have received different opinions on the SWR. Some people say never use or trust the cb radio's internal swr meter (any make of cb) and to use a separate meter and others say to use the internal swr meter, that is what it is there for and you would get a more accurate swr reading from the rig itself than something separate you are plugging into it. So what is the best way? My internal swr is 1.12 on channel 40 and yet with a separate meter it is 2.5 on the same channel. Which one can I trust? I use a Lil Wilson antenna.

how to set up the tx offset?, if the clarifier and the coarse has already on 12 o clock position

which pot on the board adjusts the squelch on the weather channel?

In the older models they had the pot labeled as RF Squelch, but now it's not. It's labeled RF Ref, or something similar. Is that the same pot that you adjusted, or is there something else?

You can disable the beep. It requires a simple internal mod and problem solved! See the Uniden Beep removal mod on RU-vid.

Love your videos! I am looking to have a new 980 peaked-tuned etc. How can you help me? Please advise. 73's