PRO505XL

I've owned about 5 of these things and I always leave them in the truck I'm selling. So, I've had my current truck awhile but I'm installing these PRO520XL in it this coming weekend. Only complaint is, for it's compact size, which allows all kinds of places to install it in, I know there's room inside the unit itself to add Weather Channels (NOAA) I'm sticking with this radio because of the price #1...#2 it's always performed as advertised with no problems at all. Transmitting distance, with a CB Radio, ANY CB Radio depends on a multitude of things like, mountains, windy roads, elevation ("skip" is fun when you're on the top of an especially big/tall mountain, especially when it's the flat desert for hundred's+ of miles on the other side...Talked to MANY MANY folks from all over the SE, East, NE and I especially like "conversing" the Louisiana/Georgia area States. Man, those guys have accents that just won't quit and especially unique stories to tell...Like a different world over there and I want to visit it before I'm dead and gone and you just gotta love it! Thanks Uniden for keeping me posted while driving, and at home too! And, almost around the world. I started CB'n back in my late teens (16 once I got a license to drive...) and because I've used my CB in many occasons o an emergency, for usually less than $100, you can fire a CB up in your vehicle, talk to the truckers on your trip and just have peace of mind. You might think you're OK with just your cell phone...Uhmmmmm, ever been driving in areas where there is no cell signal, basically a NO CELL ZONE??? I rescued a family of 5 in a NO CELL ZONE in the mountains at 11pm. Car just stopped and it was about 40 degrees outside. Parents had 3 kids ranging from 7-12. Couldn't use my Verizon Cell so I fired up my Uniden PRO520XL and after a few minutes, I finally picked up a guy who lived in Georgia. The State of GEORGIA! I was just outside of Bend, OR, just a couple THOUSAND miles away rom the guy who answered my "May Day" Call...GEORGIA!!! Had a good clear signal so he took my info of where we were, approx. how many miles we were up on a specific mountain road and gave him my cell number too. What he did was call the local Bend, OR sheriffs' office, about 30 miles away from where "The Family" and we were. The police then relayed the message to a AAA towing company located in Bend, and within a little over an hour, up the road a AAA Towing Truck finally came! Family Saved!...We were there for about 2+ hours total, but it was great to be able to help this family. Literally, the "Dad" told me he was going to go buy a CB for his SUV and one for his motor home too as soon as he gets back home to Portland. Not only are CB's great in emergency's like this (Cheap insurance against a possible tragedy...) they're fun too. I also use mine when caravanning with a few of my friends who have CB's while driving together on our way to a camping or fishing destination. Easily coordinate Pee breaks! And, they're just plain fun, convenient too and you get quality at an affordable cost. PLUS, they're very very easy to install! Ken J. Nehalem, OR.

Good starter radio for the price, got me into CB, pretty small and compact so great for smaller vehicles. Does need a power cord wired into it to work

UNIDEN PRO505XL BEARCAT CB RADIOPROS:1) Both the volume and squelch knobs work.2) The mic is a standard mic connection. When will they go wireless on mics?3) The signal and sound are loud and clear up to 2.5 miles with an non-tuned antenna.CONS:1) The size is a bit larger (deeper) than what my available space will allow.2) The power leads are terminated with bare wire instead of a plug to allow easy power connection to the cigarette lighter power port with a similarly modified cigarette power plug adapter. Some additional hardware and modification is needed to prepare the power leads to get this radio up and running if you only want to power through the cigarette lighter port.3) The instructions indicate that a schedule must be established to measure and adjust the SWR antenna value and this seems overly complicated. I never had to gauge and adjust SWR on my cb radios decades ago and my radios were not harmed by not adjusting the SWR.4) The reach of this radio was tested by me to be less than 3 miles in a flat stretch of highway. I drove to a truck stop and made contact with a truck driver who agreed to communicate with me as I drove away on a flat road to see how far the radio would reach. At 2 miles the signal was loud and clear. As I approached 3 miles static began to rise and at 3 miles the signal was lost. Again, this was using a non-tuned cobra antenna.SUGGESTIONS TO UNIDEN1) Power lead: Replace the built in/hardwired power lead coming out of the back with a power port. Offer two power up options. Option 1 would bundle a power adapter that can be simply plugged into the back of the radio and then plugged into the cigarette lighter port. Option 2 would bundle a power lead that can be simply plugged into the back of the radio and then strung to the fuse box and/or battery. Buyer's choice. I would say that most people wanting a radio of this grade will want to plug into the cigarette lighter. Make it simple and quick to get this radio up and running. Replacing the hardwired lead out of the back with a plug will also make stowing the radio much more convenient.2) Clarify the need to constantly be testing the SWR. Is this going to harm the radio if it isn't done? What type of harm will it do? As an option, offer the radio with an magnetic base-loaded antenna that can be easily adjusted to meet the SWR 1:1 requirement.

This CB radio works perfectly! Clear audio, solid range, and easy to install. The controls are simple and responsive, and the signal stays strong on all 40 channels. Great value for the price — compact but powerful. Highly recommended for both beginners and experienced users!

No frills, just a good, functional, well designed cb radio. Great value for the money

Worked well. Just needed to mount antenna different as my F150 has an aluminum body so the magnetic base won't work and wife got tired of holding antenna out the sunroof :)

It’s ok, works well for what it is.

This CB works grear.