What happened to UNIDEN ??

[unit_399]

Back in the day, a Uniden CB was the only way to go. Best performance and Best quality. The 858SSb chassis, 2000GTL, 148GTL , and Cobra 29 were the rigs to have. They started the export parade with the 148GTL-Dx (Superstar 360Fm), Pres Grant-Dx, and Pres Jackson. All solid performers. After that ... neg, zilch, nada. There is the Bearcat 980SSb, that had a lot of press when it was first introduced. I tried one, but it sits on the shelf unused because it was a dud.

I wonder if they will ever make a good 10/11/12 meter export to compete with the Anytones ??

- J.J. 399

 

[Eldorado828]

In today's cb market and considering what other segments uniden has their hands in, it's really a wonder that they're even still in the cb segment. I personally don't believe they'll ever invest for r&d into the cb world when it has segments that bring the shareholders the real coin.


Jmo

 

[Blackcat630]

I think Uniden looked at the numbers. They probably sold 20 scanners for every 1 cb. They shifted to cater to the scanner enthusiasts and not the cb guys... more $ to be made.. not to mention the radar detector market they have their hands in..

 

[BC Coyote]

I think Uniden looked at the numbers.

I agree. There was lots of money to be made selling CB radios up until the mid 1990's. Then the cellphone became commonplace and the bottom fell out of the CB market.
Uniden was by no means the only company that fled the business around that time! And those companies that did continue making CB's started cutting corners and outsourcing production, and quality went down as a result.

 

[Eldorado828]

Consider also that those that make a good cb today also participate in the export or black box radio market to keep those numbers up. They share those technologies between cb and exports. That's a gray area that uniden is not likely to take part in because they don't have to with all else they participate in.

 

[somicide]

Consider also that those that make a good cb today

im not trying to contradict you here but the op was also asking the following question indirectly: where are these newer, supposedly better radios? do they really exist and if so, why are older radios still in “active service”?

thats the real question here. its a paradox in my opinion

im not going to rationalize the 148 gtl being a great radio because you already know - everyone here knows. its public knowledge

edit: you cannot reinvent the wheel. you can only use a full carrier or no carrier at all. choose wisely

 

[SuperLid]

Back in the day, a Uniden CB was the only way to go. Best performance and Best quality. The 858SSb chassis, 2000GTL, 148GTL , and Cobra 29 were the rigs to have. They started the export parade with the 148GTL-Dx (Superstar 360Fm), Pres Grant-Dx, and Pres Jackson. All solid performers. After that ... neg, zilch, nada. There is the Bearcat 980SSb, that had a lot of press when it was first introduced. I tried one, but it sits on the shelf unused because it was a dud.

I wonder if they will ever make a good 10/11/12 meter export to compete with the Anytones ??

- J.J. 399

Uniden, is not what it was. The founder died and the company was sold. The USA portion of the company (Uniden America) was acquired by a private equity firm.

The 980SSB has been on the street a long time now. I wouldn't call it a dud, but they never made it more appealing to other markets.

 

[Cable Guy]

more $ to be made.. not to mention the radar detector market they have their hands in..

They did it well with the R1/R3. The best RD I've ever used. I agree, times changed, the CB boom went out leaving a few stragglers clinging to their joy as the next generation paws at their cell phones. Who knows what's next, but I doubt it will be a CB. I could be wrong, as even vinyl and cassette tapes have made a small comeback. But I will say, they aren't making them now, like what they used to be then. i.e. nothing sounded better than setting a new stylus into the groove of a fresh record, recorded and mastered in analog. New pressings were recorded in analog, converted to digital for CD, MP3, digital, then converted back to analog for vinyl... and you can tell. New pressings of older releases are not the same.

 

[SuperLid]

They did it well with the R1/R3. The best RD I've ever used. I agree, times changed, the CB boom went out leaving a few stragglers clinging to their joy as the next generation paws at their cell phones. Who knows what's next, but I doubt it will be a CB. I could be wrong, as even vinyl and cassette tapes have made a small comeback. But I will say, they aren't making them now, like what they used to be then. i.e. nothing sounded better than setting a new stylus into the groove of a fresh record, recorded and mastered in analog. New pressings were recorded in analog, converted to digital for CD, MP3, digital, then converted back to analog for vinyl... and you can tell. New pressings of older releases are not the same.

I run the R3 myself. The R3 was made by Korean manufacturer Attowave, who also makes the Radenso line. Uniden acquired Attowave in 2022.

I still believe Uniden could make a really good 10/11/12m radio, that would give the Chinese a run for their money. If they ever decide to make a radio, that would compete with the current China radios, I'll be first in line.

 

[AudioShockwav]

Uniden slowed building for other people back about the time the original 360 and Jackson board got cloned with EPT board numbers then they started showing up in half a dozen exports like the Pluto, the Galaxy II and knock off super stars cobras and others. President started breaking away from Uniden, about the time the Harrison mobile showed up, I think it was the was one of the first , and the never produced President Roosevelt base station "was" to be built buy MayCom I think , but not Uniden and it was the first time president had looked somewhere else for a build.
The President Lincoln's with the MRF 455 final had a uniden board and I think the President Jackson II classic had a uniden board in it.
After that I don't think they built anything else for president.
RCI was cloning everything CB export related for a while and uniden just seemed to have brushed off the CB market.
Have to remember other companies bailed or failed too, like dynascan or other builders that sold out or just got out, Uniden had some other things going to stay afloat.


73
Jeff

 

[SuperLid]

Uniden slowed building for other people back about the time the original 360 and Jackson board got cloned with EPT board numbers then they started showing up in half a dozen exports like the Pluto, the Galaxy II and knock off super stars cobras and others. President started breaking away from Uniden, about the time the Harrison mobile showed up, I think it was the was one of the first , and the never produced President Roosevelt base station "was" to be built buy MayCom I think , but not Uniden and it was the first time president had looked somewhere else for a build.
The President Lincoln's with the MRF 455 final had a uniden board and I think the President Jackson II classic had a uniden board in it.
After that I don't think they built anything else for president.
RCI was cloning everything CB export related for a while and uniden just seemed to have brushed off the CB market.
Have to remember other companies bailed or failed too, like dynascan or other builders that sold out or just got out, Uniden had some other things going to stay afloat.


73
Jeff

I have a NOS Superstar JA (Ranger Jackson clone). When I got that radio, it needed repairs, which were done, alignment, AGC update and back in the box. I thought that was pretty sad, that they ripped off and undermined the classic Jackson. I still have my 360 FM and Jackson. I was using my Uniden made President Jackson last night and this morning. Still so awesome.

 

[Groundhog KSS-2012]

A couple of the Uniden models, CB/Sideband and regular 40 channel CB, I believe, had some pretty bad problems with the screen getting very dim or, going out completely. I wonder if they ever got those lined out and working properly?
I can't recall exactly which ones but, It might have been the Bearcat 980 and the Bearcat 880.

 

[SuperLid]

A couple of the Uniden models, CB/Sideband and regular 40 channel CB, I believe, had some pretty bad problems with the screen getting very dim or, going out completely. I wonder if they ever got those lined out and working properly?
I can't recall exactly which ones but, It might have been the Bearcat 980 and the Bearcat 880.

Yes, those models. I had one go bad in the box.

 

[BC Coyote]

It might have been the Bearcat 980 and the Bearcat 880.

Those radios were Uniden's attempt to get back into the CB market. Unfortunately they both had displays that failed within a year or two, were only legal power, and couldn't be modified. So as far as comebacks go, it was pretty anemic.

 

[SuperLid]

Those radios were Uniden's attempt to get back into the CB market. Unfortunately they both had displays that failed within a year or two, were only legal power, and couldn't be modified. So as far as comebacks go, it was pretty anemic.

Except, that as a CB radio, it isn't bad.