I am in the most fortunate position as Uniden read the blog here. So with this in mind I’ve decided to send an open article to them in the hope that they could consider a response to it via the contact area. This has come about due to almost 11 months of emails in my box about Uniden made radios.
Most people who have bought a 2015 Uniden made radio have comments to make. We must remember that forums on the Internet are like pubs. Lots of people sit, talk and run down things they’d never buy. Easy to say a Ferrari is not your style when you go to work on the bus. And those who are happy are more often silent, and you can only hear those who have it and complain or don’t have it but still complain. No matter what is said, more complaints are from those who don’t own but still moan about.
So, as with many I believe the time has come to put the questions out there. Will they be answered I guess not, but if the intention is there to change then this is a success if read and makes people think.
Questions are mine and from others too. So are asked in good faith!
A) Why are the new series of radios so noisy when it comes to signal meter and how it deals with noise. Many people have side by side videos and it clearly shows that noise levels are terrible in many situations and it seems not to be location based noises solely. Engineers tell of excessive gain in AGC and receive circuits. If this is the case can’t you rectify this, make the signal meter sit low like on Jackson II Classic and not at constant S3-5. It is really now beyond anything funny. In effect “dumb down” the receive a little bit.
Adams Against Grant II by Dave: M0OGY
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4SFV5uL0YuE
Grant II Versus Lincoln1
And as a comparison the Albrecht AE-5890EU
Grant II in Export Mode and an AE-5890EU In Export Mode
President Grant II Side By Side Grant II Premium (Dave M0OGY)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jKFnpHwdsWI
Finally, modified Grant II FM Audio
And to add clarity, we know that older Uniden radios suffered from what was called “lazy needle” but it does not explain why the old ones are truly quieter than the newer.
B) It was possible with original Jackson, Cobra 148, Lincoln, George to have a board that was quiet, signals that were low could be spoken too. Now if a signal is less than a S4 its not possible to hear it. Sure ROHS has came along and WEEE rules and other directives. But is it possible to make an updated board based in those of the past? Ranger clone the PB02A board for the 3900 which is like an updated Cobra 148 GTL-DX style of radio
C) Sit a Uniden 980, Grant II, Lincoln 1 and a Jackson 1 side by side and the newest released is the poorest on receive. Have times changed so much? A 980 is silent, no white noise and sound excellent. It is surely the best CEPT AM/SSB radio in *Europe now (And it’s not supposed to be sold outside North America) And opinion is based on my findings and that of others. *Asked owners of both which they preferred.
D) In over 3700 emails to the blog in 2015 over 1/4 are about what you make for President. The good, the bad, the lies and the ugly. As so many people wait for something to come onto the market by you I guess when can you make something with no huge white noise levels.
E) You still design like always in Tokyo. What really has happened to change so much everything?
An Albrecht 5890EU version III many don’t like, but tested here it is silent, no noises, no signal spikes, nothing. It receives very well indeed. Lincoln1, George, Jackson1 all silently receiving and working well. Same goes for the Uniden 980 (2013 Made) but the newer ones cough, splutter and choke along with there signal meter lambada. Can’t you fix it? Is it cash? Older engineers retired, what has gone wrong the last 10+ years. What has changed so much that we cannot have something that receives without mess and noise. The Jackson II Classic “Black” sits with S1 of noise here and the Grant II sits with S5.. How can it be?
This is not a blame letter. I want to understand like many others why is it that now it seems all Uniden made radios are noisy receive (my Jackson II Classic Isn’t) is it the new boards, the manufacture, the cash to invest, the engineers, you don’t test something as CB is illegal where you manufacture? What is it!
A dealer told me it is all “location based noises and not the radios” so this means that people in the UK, Poland, Germany, Hungary, France, USA, Russia, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland amongst so many others we all live in a bad place for radio? Or does it actually mean that the radios aren’t made well these days?
Philippines and Taiwan made were better than China made (except last series Lincoln1) and now Vietnam.
So I ask a simple question really. What has happened since the start of the 2000’s. It’s your 50th year of manufacture now. We are customers, some of us now 36 years and can truly see the changes and they are not for the best.
So Uniden, please what happened? Why do your produced radios now seem so lost……
And why can the radio below have no noise at all, when the standard one is almost unusable?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X7lSFogX2WU
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