Customer Reviews

Uniden PRO538W 40-Channel CB Radio

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This CB is a fantastic deal for the money. My problem is in my vehicle (Jeep) it is very difficult to hear on the highway. I use mine mostly offroad so it is perfect for me. At this cost i am not worried about someone ripping it off ...rather them take it then rip my top. I would definitely get it again.

Bought this CB about a month ago. Works like a dream and buries anything else I've tried. Bought an antenna that picks up weather-band to go with it, reception is crystal clear and weather-band comes in just as well. Looking for a good all around radio? This is the one to buy!

The Uniden Pro538W is a fantastic radio. The front-fire speaker is very clear compared to my other CB. This makes a huge difference because many CB'ers have an accent and lingo that I have trouble deciphering. The microphone is built for heavy use. It has a hefty coiled cable with a connector that screws on to the radio. You don't need to worry about the mic coming unplugged. The display has an LED meter that indicates the strength of signals that you are receiving and transmitting. I think the meter is too small to look at while I'm driving down the highway. You can also pick up NOAA weather broadcasts. The squelch and RF gain adjustments work great.
I purchased this radio with the Wilson Lil-Wil magnetic mount antenna. The combination work great in my mini-van. I've taken this radio on a couple of road trips and have never had a problem reaching other drivers.

I searched and reviewed a dozen different CB radios before selecting this one. It has everything I need and is definitely within my budget. The front facing speaker is excellent for projecting sound and since it faces front you won't get it muffled by the way it is mounted. It has a push button for channel 9 and of course a PA/CB/Weather selector switch. It has 3 weather channels available and on my cross country trip from the East coast to the West coast I almost always had a weather channel available. I have a magnetic mount antenna (Lil something) which I also bought from Amazon and it rocks with this radio. For the cost and features this is one of the best (if not THE best) CB radio available. You can't go wrong with this one!

The previous review that mentions antennas are key to a good CB setup is correct. For a normal CB user I would recommend either the Wilson lil' Wil or the Wilson 500 antenna. Both are magnetic mount antennas. The lil' Wil antenna is a relatively small antenna and it's only around $39.00. Actually any Wilson CB antenna will be fine. Also, to do a good job at setting up your antenna you should purchase an SWR meter. They are not expensive. You only need the meter connected inline between the radio and antenna when you are adjusting the antenna. Once you are done adjusting the antenna you can take the meter out of the connection and connect the antenna directly to the radio. Don't be fooled by cheap ordinary CB antennas like you will find at radio shack. Do not settle for anything less then a Wilson antenna. Cobra and Uniden both make fabulous CB radios so either make will be fine.

For the price range that this radio is in you'll have a hard time finding one that is better. The reason that I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is that it does not have some of the nice features of the more expensive radios, but it doesn't have their price tag either. The quality of sound from the speaker on this radio is suprisingly good with plenty of volume. The mic seems tough enough that it should last through a lot of years of use. This is a great little unit for what it costs and I would recommend it to anyone.

High Quality, Convenient & easy to use, very clear audio from front-firing speaker, rare find at such a low price. No problems at all, would definately recommend.

I want to change my antenna because I can only get out about 3 miles clearly, but the radio is the part of the setup that I will be KEEPING. The front facing speaker is very clear, RF gain works very well as does squelching with a 2-second delay which is very nice. Weather band is nice to have as well. No bells and whistles, but doesn't leave you wanting either.

This CB has the NOAA weather bands on it and almost anywhere in the country, you will be able to pick up the local weather on one of the three channels. The squelch and RF gain dial allow you to tune out weak or staticy signals that interfere with what you do want to listen to or talk with.

A good value, all in all, and (I am told) they are made with the same circuitry that Cobras are made with for much less money.

The Uniden PRO538W works great! As long as you have a good quality antenna set up, and take the time to tune everything with an SWR meter this CB is amazing. I use it for off-roading, so the range wasn't a big concern to me, but rest assured, when properly set up, this thing can get some killer range on the highway. The ability to access weather channels is a nice feature too, I use it more than I thought I would. Having the PA function is a good novelty, when hooked to a speaker you can have a lot of fun talking to people on the street as you pass by. Great way to pick-up chicks. So overall, a great product, as long as you set it up and tune it properly. When matched with a good antenna, this CB won't be beat.