Uniden 980 burnt up. Is it fixable?

[T-I-N-Y34]

I sold a 980 and the guy fried it right away. He accidentally put to much power to it. It burnt up the strip-like things on the board. Is it fixable or should I give it back and tell him to trash it?

[JesseJamesDallas]

anything can be fixed...just depends on how much your willing to pay!

[T-I-N-Y34]

anything can be fixed...just depends on how much your willing to pay!Thanks but that doesn't answer my question. I know I can throw a bunch of money at it and get it working again but would it be worth it is what I'm after...Or maybe one of the gentlemen that do this type of work daily could give me a ballpark.

[JesseJamesDallas]

nobody is going to be able to answer a loaded question like that, without first seeing the radio and what all is fried... With all the SMT boards in these radios now days, trying to repair one that's been torched might not be feasible to fix and may have to just be replaced, which if that's the case you may as well just buy a new radio...

Without seeing whats broke, how do you expect someone to tell you if it's worth fixing or not?

[T-I-N-Y34]

nobody is going to be able to answer a loaded question like that, without first seeing the radio and what all is fried... With all the SMT boards in these radios now days, trying to repair one that's been torched might not be feasible to fix and may have to just be replaced, which if that's the case you may as well just buy a new radio...

Without seeing whats broke, how do you expect someone to tell you if it's worth fixing or not?First off I said what was burnt. Second I'm sure the techs that work on 980's know what I'm talking about and have seen it before. And THIRD...Three people answered my question. I got 3 quotes today. I sent photos and a video of the board and the areas that were burnt up and told them exactly what happen.. 1 was 75 plus shipping 1 was 85-95 plus shipping and the other told me I'd be better off scraping it...lol I think I'm going to just tell the guy to buy another radio.

[BOOTY MONSTER]

did the buyer connect the power wires backwards ?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Uniden-BEARCAT-980SSB-CB-Radio-with-SSB/20751014?adid=22222222254418684945&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=b&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=291938340609&wl4=aud-566049426665:dsa-504748227745&wl5=9008954&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&veh=sem&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtMvlBRDmARIsAEoQ8zSFnJhyCGPS4ys2fJHzuh50i3dRWtyIqa3eb9YjJfV-DEw5ShFcE8EaAl2HEALw_wcB

[mjd420nova]

Sounds like some traces got fried off the board. To prevent further faults, replace the burned area with bent paper clip pieces take the place and soldered down.

[T-I-N-Y34]

The dummy blew the fuse then he put a screw in the fuse holder. And put like 24 volts to it.
did the buyer connect the power wires backwards ?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Uniden-BEARCAT-980SSB-CB-Radio-with-SSB/20751014?adid=22222222254418684945&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=b&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=291938340609&wl4=aud-566049426665:dsa-504748227745&wl5=9008954&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&veh=sem&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtMvlBRDmARIsAEoQ8zSFnJhyCGPS4ys2fJHzuh50i3dRWtyIqa3eb9YjJfV-DEw5ShFcE8EaAl2HEALw_wcB

[T-I-N-Y34]

I don't know what that is. Is that the things that look like ribbons or long flat strips.
Sounds like some traces got fried off the board. To prevent further faults, replace the burned area with bent paper clip pieces take the place and soldered down.

[JesseJamesDallas]

First off I said what was burnt. Second I'm sure the techs that work on 980's know what I'm talking about and have seen it before. And THIRD...Three people answered my question. I got 3 quotes today. I sent photos and a video of the board and the areas that were burnt up and told them exactly what happen.. 1 was 75 plus shipping 1 was 85-95 plus shipping and the other told me I'd be better off scraping it...lol I think I'm going to just tell the guy to buy another radio.
What I was getting at, is there's a good possibility there's more damaged than just what you see...Yes, the traces are fried, but there's probably going to be some other parts that needs to be replace but there's no way to tell till you start tinkering with it...sounds like time to make it a door stop.

[T-I-N-Y34]

Nope just the traces. It's being fixed now. And it wasn't as bad as I thought. He's only charging the guy $50.
What I was getting at, is there's a good possibility there's more damaged than just what you see...Yes, the traces are fried, but there's probably going to be some other parts that needs to be replace but there's no way to tell till you start tinkering with it...sounds like time to make it a door stop.

[whiteastro]

What I was getting at, is there's a good possibility there's more damaged than just what you see...Yes, the traces are fried, but there's probably going to be some other parts that needs to be replace but there's no way to tell till you start tinkering with it...sounds like time to make it a door stop.

This thread is a little old but I tend to agree with JJD I wouldn't waste money on a 980 because you can get them New fairly cheap. I bought one new from Walmart for around $130 with free shipping and I have never been impressed with that radio. I bought a Galaxy DX 979 for my other vehicle and was so impressed with it right out of the box I bought another to set up as my Base station! I've been a repairman all my life out of necessity and found you can throw a lot of good money in old junk. LOL Just a tired Old repairman's opinion.

[mjd420nova]

True, it could turn into a "one thing after another" repair.

[whiteastro]

True, it could turn into a "one thing after another" repair.

You sound like a man of Knowledge! LOL I have seen that before in the world of maintenance. I have raised the dead many times, but have ask myself if it was worth it. LOL especially my old house and some of my old vehicles. I've heard it said before ( Just because you can doesn't mean you should )

[T-I-N-Y34]

LOL...You guys didn't read...It's already been fixed for $50. It's working, the guys been using it everyday. The repairman even lined everything back up peek and tunes it and went through everything else to make sure nothing else was damaged. Great guy.

[whiteastro]

LOL...You guys didn't read...It's already been fixed for $50. It's working, the guys been using it everyday. The repairman even lined everything back up peek and tunes it and went through everything else to make sure nothing else was damaged. Great guy.

It's good to see a man get lucky once in awhile. You better take care of that Tech that fixed it because most would want that just to look at it. I'd like to find a Radio Tech around here but they are hard to find!

[T-I-N-Y34]

It's good to see a man get lucky once in awhile. You better take care of that Tech that fixed it because most would want that just to look at it. I'd like to find a Radio Tech around here but they are hard to find!
He said it was an easy fix...Took him about 20 min. But yeah he's a great guy. He doesn't charge people to just look at it. He says I don't do anything but look so why charge for it. But now you get into something big and he'll get his moneys worth...lol

[whiteastro]

[QUOTE=T-I-N-Y34;14977]He said it was an easy fix...Took him about 20 min. But yeah he's a great guy. He doesn't charge people to just look at it. He says I don't do anything but look so why charge for it. But now you get into something big and he'll get his moneys worth...lol[/QU

His way of thinking is definitely old school but not a bad way by no means and will assure he has lots of work. The trouble today is most want to get rich off every job. If he is around West Virginia he probably has some of the old values left that helped build this country.

[Bobcat]

Just to weigh in.... I've seen a lightning strike radio fixed on one of MikesRadioRepair videos. SO it can be done. Your first posting suggests that traces are burned off of the board. You don't give any sense of how MANY are burnt off the board. That kind of a repair is going to be extremely labor intensive. If it is 1 or 2 or 5 traces... it might be worth it. If it is the back half of the radio.... it most likely isn't. When the repair bill gets up towards the cost of another radio, you've got to think about it carefully.

Yes, traces can be hand cut and trimmed, epoxied and soldered to the board. It is going to be pricey. And the pricey will vary from trace to trace with length and difficulty of routing. Too many traces like that and it will be too close to the price of another. I would imagine some techs that could do this... would evaluate the job up front and refuse to do it beyond a point because they don't really want to tie the time up in it on the chance that the customer may not be satisfied in the end and just abandon the radio.

Sorry I can't give you a better answer... there are just too many variables.

[T-I-N-Y34]

It's already fixed...Thanks though
Just to weigh in.... I've seen a lightning strike radio fixed on one of MikesRadioRepair videos. SO it can be done. Your first posting suggests that traces are burned off of the board. You don't give any sense of how MANY are burnt off the board. That kind of a repair is going to be extremely labor intensive. If it is 1 or 2 or 5 traces... it might be worth it. If it is the back half of the radio.... it most likely isn't. When the repair bill gets up towards the cost of another radio, you've got to think about it carefully.

Yes, traces can be hand cut and trimmed, epoxied and soldered to the board. It is going to be pricey. And the pricey will vary from trace to trace with length and difficulty of routing. Too many traces like that and it will be too close to the price of another. I would imagine some techs that could do this... would evaluate the job up front and refuse to do it beyond a point because they don't really want to tie the time up in it on the chance that the customer may not be satisfied in the end and just abandon the radio.

Sorry I can't give you a better answer... there are just too many variables.

[Bobcat]

For that, I am glad! Good you got it going.