Uniden PRO505XL 40-Channel CB Radio. Pro-Series, Compact Design. Public Address (PA) Function. Instant Emergency Channel 9, External Speaker Jack, Large Easy to Read Display. - Black

I've been in CB radio for nearly twenty years, and a ham operator for fifteen years. In my time I've owned many CB's ranging from $10 yard sale cheapies, to $600 base stations. I've also done my fair share of modifying, repair, peak & tune work to various CB's. In my honest opinion, this is what I feel, "The best" small CB for under $50. If you have the need for a small CB for casual communication, you won't go wrong here. Out of the box, stock, this little radio will transmit about a 3.5W carrier (FCC limit is 4W) and will modulate (audio forward swing) about 10W. Please note that FCC regulation is a maximum of 4 watts CARRIER, and not 4 watts peak power. There's a difference, and out of the box, this radio is completely 100% within FCC spec. With that being said, in the hands of a competent technician, by adusting the AMC modulation, you'll see about 20 watts PEP with a nice little boost in audio loudness. DO NOT try this yourself - you can royally destroy your radio if you try it yourself. There's absolutely nothing wrong with how it operates out of the box! Moving on. This radio comes with everything in the box you need to install it. A mounting bracket, microphone clip, screws and hardware, and the power cord. Installation is easy and because the unit doesn't take up a lot of room, can be installed about anywhere - even hidden in your glovebox. I just leave mine laying in the back seat, not mounted to anything. You can't go wrong with this CB radio!

I ordered this CB radio two years ago in June to prepare for a trip I was taking to Minnesota and since then I have used it way more than I thought. I mounted it by screwing it into my center console which has held up great since, even with my leg hitting it or the seat as I adjust it. I used a magnetic CB antenna so that probably limited my range but I was able to clearly hear and talk to other vehicles up to a few miles out, and this is with a pretty rookie setup. On my way back from the initial trip I even ended up in a conversation with one of those people who overpower channels. After the trip I saw a PA speaker for $5 and had to purchase it. It connected to the CB with an aux cord and by turning the gain all the way down/changing it to PA I was able to speak through it. This has served me well when drivers decide to play on their phone, drive stupid, or just to scare my friends! The microphone has held up great from me throwing it down after yelling at stupid drivers. This is my go to CB radio and I hope it will last me another two years!

Great CB on the cheap. I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could; it's not a full blown 'knock my socks off' 5 stars, but for what it costs it has performed fantastically. I didn't bother with a review before since there's well over 1000, but since I managed to finally break it, now is a good time to do a long term review. Purchase date was April 2013 so it's a little over 4.5 years old. (Edit 2018...it's now 5.5 years old and still works...except for the speaker) It's in my Jeep so no roof or doors most of the time. Tons of dust and occasional mud, water, etc. It's mounted with the speaker facing inward to avoid the occasional splash or direct rain before I can get the roof up, but that's about the only real preventive measure. Dang thing still works after 5.5 years, but the speaker died over a year ago. Got an external speaker. REALLY should have done that sooner. SO much better than the little one in the c.b. (when it worked). Great for a noisy Jeep. And as far as transmissions go, I'm told my setup is one of the clearer ones to hear. Anyway, for around 30 bucks and 5.5 years of abuse, I can't complain, and the little dude still operates...mostly. One other thing to consider: It's brother the 510 got the ANL option and this one has the PA option. Their more expensive sibling, the 520, got both. The clarity is pretty dang good so I'm not sure how much ANL would improve my noisy Jeep experience. Wish list: It would be nice if Uniden made a small format CB with NOAA weather, just a thought.

This thing was pretty great, it works with a pa horn and long distance but you do need an antenna

Simply put, for the size, this is the best CB Radio your money can buy. It is very well built, the device is encased in a very thick, and durable hard plastic shell and feels very very sturdy, the mic is very ergonomical, fits in the hand really nicely, doesn't look like some funky toy that half the other mics out there look like, and is also made of a very thick and quality plastic. This device is a little softer on output power though, so make sure you buy a good antenna. The dead key is only ~2.5 watts and the swing barely reaches over ~8 watts, but for the size, I understand why they may have had to lower these. The device will get a tad bit warm on the left side if you do a lot of transmitting (SWR of 1.3) and I would make sure you keep a good eye on your SWR for this reason, as I'm sure a higher SWR would burn this unit up as it does not have a SWR danger indicator, and seeing as how it gets a little warm even using a good antenna properly tuned. But I have heard of some users running these on SWR of 2.0 and higher and having no issues at all. Very well made internal components as well. All in all, I've been able to talk to some guys 10 miles away from me, and they report very good audio quality and decent signal strength. Perfect size and fits just about anywhere, very durable, easy to use. I couldn't imagine a better CB radio for the money. I'd get one while they're still dirt cheap. Best radio I ever bought for the price. OUTPUT POWER: Dead key: ~2.5 watts MAX Swing: ~8 watts MAX RECEIVE SENSITIVITY: 0.8microVolts per 10dB audio sound increase (most radios are between 0.5-1.0 microVolts) AUDIO DISTORTION: ~10% MAX MODIFICATIONS: None, there are NO adjustable pots inside, if you do adjust something, you WILL fry this unit. DO NOT tamper with the internals of this excellent product just to get more watts. It will NEVER be worth it. This unit does NOT have the same circuit board as the 510XL which does have adjustable pots.

Still works after years of use

I got this radio to add to my go box after weighing the price of this with the features of the PRO520XL. I've had access to both radios now for a little bit, and unfortunately regret not going for the PRO520XL. Aside from the style, the 520 is actually smaller than this lower-end model. This model forgoes an RF gain knob, which is essential for tuning down to the noise floor for distant stations. The issue is particularly compounded by poor mounting techniques such as clip or mag-mount antennas. Reading the specs for each radio before deciding revealed that the 520's receiver sensitivity was brilliant compared to this one, so in most cases distant stations hear me long after I stop hearing them. Another stark comparison of this radio with it's bigger brother is the weight. The 520's chassis is solidly constructed steel from top to bottom, where the 505 opts for cheaper plastic. After noticing an incredible drop in the noise floor when placing my magmount on top of the radio, I further realised another big "nono" in the radio's design; cracking it open revealed that there was no shielding whatsoever apart from the side mounting rails. I haven't tested for leaked RF yet, but I've already begun adding adhesive tin foil in an effort to provide some shielding and quell the noise this thing absorbs. It's a fairly simple process, but be sure to use a sheet of acetate (transparency film works) between the circuit board and the conductive metal to prevent shorts. If installing any CB radio permanently, I recommend wiring the radio directly to the battery or jump points. Be sure to install an inline fuse *at the battery*, or an electrical fire is a real danger. Since this radio has an inline 2A fuse, a 2A fuse at the battery would be ideal, but 2A blades aren't common. 5A is more common and will work fine for this wiring gage. Remember, the fuse at the radio will NOT protect you from a fire if the short is between the battery and the fuse. Using it this way instead of an accessory port adapter takes care of most alternator noise and interference issues.

Small and cheap. Bought for cousin just got his license and pickup. Always need CB in truck! He's happy with it and works as shood. Not in way of anything as small radio. Cant beat it for the price.

No te dejes engañar ni por el precio ni por el tamaño. Tengo 25 años de no usar un radio de banda civil y en esa epoca usaba un GE 14b muy bueno. Me compre este radio para regresar al hobby sin tener que invertir mucho y tambien tratar de hacer mi equipo un poco portatil para poder viajar con el. La calidad del UNIDEN PRO 505xl es de primera, se siente solido los plasticos son gruesos, el microfono es pesadito y de buena calidad. Este radio no pienso modificarlo, quiero operarlo 100% reglamentado y hacer contactos con esas condiciones. Tambien me compre un Baofeng uv5ra para operarlo aqui en mexico en las bandas libres de UHV, VHF alrededor de los 150 khz + (busquen la info precisa si lo requieren) Le doy cinco estrellas por el valor precio calidad.

Son format compact est parfait pour l’installation dans un véhicule sans prendre beaucoup d’espace. Elle est facile à utiliser, offre une bonne qualité de communication. Une radio simple, efficace et fiable pour les déplacements ou le travail. Je la recommande.

Fantastic radio. 100% legal in uk. (The old AM is legal in uk since 2012) good clear display and is easy to use. Rugged construction and clear modulation. It’s a mid-block AM 11 meter radio so you don’t have to listen to all the UK channel 19 wallys. AM is where we started and really should go back to. Thanks Uniden!

This radio does not work in the UK

Très satisfait merci