Uniden PRO520XL
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| Frequency | 26.965-27.405 MHz (40 CB channels) |
| TX power | 4 W (4W AM transmit, 7W audio output (8 ohms). FCC Part 95.) |
| Modes | AM |
| Weight | 499 g (17.6 oz) - 1.1 lbs (~499g). |
| Connector | SO-239 (UHF female) |
| antenna | SO-239 (UHF female) |
| mic | 4-pin front panel (electret mic with extra-long coiled cord included) |
| ext spkr | external speaker jack (8 ohm) |
| pa | PA speaker jack (8 ohm external PA speaker required) |
| dc in | DC power cable. 13.8VDC. Works on positive AND negative ground. |
| power req | 13.8VDC. Works on both positive and negative ground systems (verified by Uniden). DC power cord included. |
Estimated (unverified): Owner's-manual copyright dates the design to ~1999; a ~25+ year production run. Exact introduction year not independently confirmed. No NOAA weather, no built-in SWR meter, no NB (ANL only).
An inexpensive, competent compact CB. The ultra-compact size (1.375 in tall, 1.1 lb) fits overhead consoles, behind dashboards, or under seats. It has full legal 4 W output, an ANL that works well per long user history, RF gain, PA mode, and instant CH 9. It is compatible with positive and negative ground vehicles, which is unusual and helps in older farm equipment and some military vehicles. A PLL synthesizer prevents drift, and the 7 W audio output is loud for the size.
AM only. No NOAA weather. No SWR meter (use an external one). No NB (ANL only). No color display; a basic LED channel indicator. No memory, scan, talkback, or HI-CUT filter. The stock mic is basic (many owners replace it). Some production runs have a short mic cord. For $20-30 more, the PC78LTX adds an SWR meter, NB, HI-CUT, and mic gain.
A low-cost compact AM CB. The PRO520XL has been a common commercial and off-road CB for years because it does what a CB needs at a low price in a small package. Its features work, and what it lacks most operators do not strictly need. For a sub-$90 backup radio that fits anywhere and works in positive-ground vehicles too, it is a practical choice.
The Uniden PRO520XL is a compact, rugged, deliberately basic AM CB that has been in production since the late 1990s, which tells you most of what you need to know: it is cheap, it works, and it keeps working. At about an inch and a half tall it tucks into an overhead console, behind a dash, or under a seat, and it is popular for fleet, commercial, and off-road installs where a simple radio in many vehicles beats a fancy one in a few.
It is a 40-channel AM radio at the full legal four watts, with the essentials and little else: an RF gain control, an automatic noise limiter, adjustable squelch, a PA mode, instant channel 9, and an LED signal/power meter. There is no NOAA weather, no single sideband, no FM, no built-in SWR meter, no noise blanker, no scan, no memory, and no talkback. A PLL synthesizer keeps it on frequency, and it works in both negative- and positive-ground vehicles.
The microphone is a four-pin electret type, the antenna jack a standard SO-239, and it runs on 13.8 volts. As the entry point of Uniden's mobile CB line it sits below the feature-laden Bearcats and the SWR-metered PC78LTX; for a few dollars more those add capability, but for a bare working CB the PRO520XL is hard to beat on price. A compact alternative with weather is the Cobra 18 WX ST II.