Uniden PRO520XL Pro Series 40-Channel CB Radio Compact Design ANL Switch and PA CB Switch 7 Watts of

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. Read more

This is a great little (and inexpensive) radio. I have a much older pro 500 model that still works. That radio has been in an old jeep, mounted on a 4 wheeler, laying on the floor of a truck (temp install), and sitting on a shelf in an outside storage room (humid climate) for years. It's at least 20 years old... and it's still working. I made the mistake of letting someone open it up to "peak" it probably 15 years ago. It still works, but I think it did more harm than good. I recently hooked it up again. Receive was GREAT, but transmit wasn't so great (I'm blaming the "peak" job for that). It did transmit, but it wasn't very clear. I bet if it had never been hacked, it would be working perfectly. That's the main reason I decided to buy a similar model. I was originally shopping for a bigger, fancier radio, but decided the price of this was a no-brainer. And it's really all I need. I spend about an hour a day on the road and mainly listen in for traffic reports and "bear" sightings. I connected it to a Wilson "Little Wil" and had a good SWR reading right away. Just like the old radio, the receive is great (and the speaker is nice and loud). I tested the stock mic, an old RK56, and a new Astatic Road Devil. The stock mic actually sounded the best. The RK56 was much quieter and sounded muffled (although it always worked great on a Cobra 29). The Road Devil was a bit louder, but lacked the clarity of the Uniden mic (but only slightly/not enough to matter). I personally don't like the small size of the stock mic, so I'm using the Road Devil for now. I hooked up the old radio (pro 500) to an AC adapter inside my garage and connected an old magnetic antenna to it. I let my kids talk to me on that radio as I drove a couple miles away. Even with that much less than ideal setup, the old radio was receiving my new 520xl loud and clear at 2 miles. Hopefully, this one will last as long as the old one. Read more

Seriously great little CB...with some bigger CB functions. LIKES: - Small/compact. I use this in the center console of my '14 Silverado. Works great! - RF gain control. Didn't think I would use/need this...boy was I wrong. In a noisy washed out environment...comes in handy - No beep-beep-beep crap unlike the big Uniden I have. No sounds when switching between channels or pushing buttons - PA output and switch. Absolute kickass fun scaring dogs, deer, cats, kids, or broadcasting something funny with a horn speaker - Microphone. Looks cheap and flimsy. DON'T go out and replace it. This mic is really good and works well. I had a noise canx mic...this one works better. - Speaker output - I USE THE MOST. Go get you a small high quality CB ext speaker at a truck stop...and plug it in. DISLIKES - Might be "too compact" for folks with big fingers. - Old school LED display is hard to see in the daylight...excellent at night tho. - Speaker power out could be a bit better with some type of tone control - Wx function would have been nice OVERALL - Tuned VSR to 1:1 with my Firestik antenna on my pickup. Used high quality coax. CB system is 100% good. Talk is strong, Rx is excellent. Lots of good stuff in such a small package. Buy it. Read more

Seems to work nice, antenna really needs to be dialed in though. The mic that it comes with is terrible quality, its tiny and the construction is like that of a child's toy. The clip on the back is plastic and feels like it will break at any moment. I guess that's what you get with a value radio. Read more