TRC 474 (cat 21-1539) made where?

[Eskimo_Pie]

Anybody have an old TRC-474 kicking around that can look on the manufacture plate on the back and tell me where it was made? I believe the TRC-435 is the same rig with a different case, maybe someone can look at their 435 too? Thanks!!

Greg

[dime196604]

mine says it was made in Taiwan, the board inside say it Uniden. why you ask?

[Eskimo_Pie]

Hey dime,
Thanks for the reply. I'm trying to figure out when they stopped making radios in Japan. The TRC-421 was made in Japan and was made before the 474 I think. I've got a 474 in the mail to me and was wondering. How do you like it? Thanks!!

Greg

[dime196604]

it a ok radio, audio sound decent, mine picked up a crap ton of static in my car. and the RF gain was more like a second volume control more then any thing. Like i said the audio was decent and had about 15 watts of swing to it

[Nagant]

I'm not sure when Uniden made the switch from Japan to Taiwan. My best guess is sometime early in 40 channel radio production. It would be interesting to know when they moved to Taiwan. Heck I'd like know the dates for all the moves they made with radio production.

[Eskimo_Pie]

mine says it was made in Taiwan, the board inside say it Uniden. why you ask?

Dime

I got mine in the mail today, but dead. I knew before hand that it was DOA and only paid $1 + S/H so I'm not out alot. I was hoping that it was a protection diode or a cold solder joint somewhere. Mine was made in the Philippines, serial # 95064153, and a RS date code 5A9, which I think means it was made in May (5) 1989. It does have a Uniden board. Overall it's in good shape, there are no cut resistors, and doesn't look like a hack went in and tried turning everything up,the case is complete, no extra holes, or major scratches, so worse comes to worse, I have a pretty good parts rig, cosmetically speaking, to freshen-up a beat up 474. I love the size, just wish it was working. I'm going to use it as compact car rig. I have a Prius that I drive 75% of the time and the other 25% of my time, I drive a Ford explorer. There's no room to mount one of my larger SSB rigs in the Prius, I just want to have the 474 kicking around in the trunk so if the mood strikes, I can slap a mag mount on the roof, plug the 474 into the AUX 12v port in the dash and I'm off and running.

It is getting some power to it, there's a loud squeal when I turn the power on, no LEDs light up and the squeal goes away when I key the mike or disconnect the mike. It also stops squealing when I switch to PA or MON on the CB/MON/PA switch. There's one burnt resistor that I'm trying to figure out what the value is to replace and see what else is blown/melted. Fortunately the previous owner sent along the owner's manual that has a schematic I can study. I've got a good friend that runs a shop that can help me out figure out what's going on with the 474 too.

Thanks again for getting back to me.
73's
Greg

[Eskimo_Pie]

I'm not sure when Uniden made the switch from Japan to Taiwan. My best guess is sometime early in 40 channel radio production. It would be interesting to know when they moved to Taiwan. Heck I'd like know the dates for all the moves they made with radio production.

Nagant,

My TRC 474 was made in the Philippines, serial # 95064153 and a Radio shack date code, 5A9 and has a Uniden board (forgot to note the board # when I had it open, but will look again at it tomorrow). If I am understanding the Uniden time line, Taiwan was first country of manufacture, then Philippines, and then Malaysia.

Cheers
Greg

[Nagant]

Japan was the first country of manufacture I know of for Uniden. I've owned many 23 channel Uniden made radios that were manufactured in Japan. I'm not sure if they made any 40's in Japan as I can't remember owning any but the XLR series is a possibility as I can't remember the country marking on them. Then they went to Taiwan, Philippines, and then is it China now? However they made some radios in Hong Kong for a while sometime in between or during the Taiwan and Philippines era. I haven't bought any new Unidens so I'm clueless where they make them now. I'm not aware of them making any in Malaysia. RCI made and I assume still makes some radios there.

[Eskimo_Pie]

You are correct about the Malaysia thing, I was thinking Cobra radios.

Greg

[Nagant]

When I mentioned they made them in Japan I should have been more clear and mentioned that at that time, as far as I know, they only made radios for other companies such as Cobra, Regency.....

The XLR series I mentioned are Cobra XLR 40 channel radios such as the 89XLR, 139XLR, 138XLR.... I've owned many of them in the past but I can't remember the country of manufacture marked on the back of them anymore. I do remember them being Uniden made for sure.

[TheCBDoctor]

Cobra stopped making their radios in the Philippines in April of 1994. They then went to China where they were manufactured unchanged for a few years. By 1998 the radios were reworked and cheapened. Uniden used to make Cobra radios in the early days. Cobra then made their own radios using the exact interior. Uniden continued to make the same chassis, but had a slightly different exterior . The Cobra 29 LTD is the same radio as the Uniden PC-76 except Uniden had a slightly different look to them. Uniden also used a cut shaft on their potentiometers while Cobra used the 18 point spline shaft.

The Cobra 40X was made in Korea, some Cobras were made in Thailand. Many of the Mics were also made in Thailand even though the radio was made elsewhere. The early Cobra and Radio Shack radios made by Uniden were made in Hong Kong, like the Cobra 29 GTL. At some point Cobra made their own radios .

[Please login or register to view this link] The Cobra 40X made in Korea. 1984

[hammerjockey]

Hows it going, I know this is now 6 years later, but ive also got a trc-474 doing that EXACT SAME THING!!! Did you ever figure yours out with the squealing only with mic plugged in or on cb mode? I still have no power at my display or anything, any advice would be greatly appreciated! Id laugh if this was your old radio I just ended up with lmao!

mine says it was made in Taiwan, the board inside say it Uniden. why you ask?

Dime

I got mine in the mail today, but dead. I knew before hand that it was DOA and only paid $1 + S/H so I'm not out alot. I was hoping that it was a protection diode or a cold solder joint somewhere. Mine was made in the Philippines, serial # 95064153, and a RS date code 5A9, which I think means it was made in May (5) 1989. It does have a Uniden board. Overall it's in good shape, there are no cut resistors, and doesn't look like a hack went in and tried turning everything up,the case is complete, no extra holes, or major scratches, so worse comes to worse, I have a pretty good parts rig, cosmetically speaking, to freshen-up a beat up 474. I love the size, just wish it was working. I'm going to use it as compact car rig. I have a Prius that I drive 75% of the time and the other 25% of my time, I drive a Ford explorer. There's no room to mount one of my larger SSB rigs in the Prius, I just want to have the 474 kicking around in the trunk so if the mood strikes, I can slap a mag mount on the roof, plug the 474 into the AUX 12v port in the dash and I'm off and running.

It is getting some power to it, there's a loud squeal when I turn the power on, no LEDs light up and the squeal goes away when I key the mike or disconnect the mike. It also stops squealing when I switch to PA or MON on the CB/MON/PA switch. There's one burnt resistor that I'm trying to figure out what the value is to replace and see what else is blown/melted. Fortunately the previous owner sent along the owner's manual that has a schematic I can study. I've got a good friend that runs a shop that can help me out figure out what's going on with the 474 too.

Thanks again for getting back to me.
73's
Greg

[Eskimo_Pie]

I have no clue what I did with the radio, lol. I would NOT have sold it on to the next guy, I scrap em for all the parts I can get off of them with out a soldering iron and add it to the horde. The sh*t i find squirreled away........but has save my **Censored** once or twice

Good luck with yours, 73s

Hows it going, I know this is now 6 years later, but ive also got a trc-474 doing that EXACT SAME THING!!! Did you ever figure yours out with the squealing only with mic plugged in or on cb mode? I still have no power at my display or anything, any advice would be greatly appreciated! Id laugh if this was your old radio I just ended up with lmao!

mine says it was made in Taiwan, the board inside say it Uniden. why you ask?

Dime

I got mine in the mail today, but dead. I knew before hand that it was DOA and only paid $1 + S/H so I'm not out alot. I was hoping that it was a protection diode or a cold solder joint somewhere. Mine was made in the Philippines, serial # 95064153, and a RS date code 5A9, which I think means it was made in May (5) 1989. It does have a Uniden board. Overall it's in good shape, there are no cut resistors, and doesn't look like a hack went in and tried turning everything up,the case is complete, no extra holes, or major scratches, so worse comes to worse, I have a pretty good parts rig, cosmetically speaking, to freshen-up a beat up 474. I love the size, just wish it was working. I'm going to use it as compact car rig. I have a Prius that I drive 75% of the time and the other 25% of my time, I drive a Ford explorer. There's no room to mount one of my larger SSB rigs in the Prius, I just want to have the 474 kicking around in the trunk so if the mood strikes, I can slap a mag mount on the roof, plug the 474 into the AUX 12v port in the dash and I'm off and running.

It is getting some power to it, there's a loud squeal when I turn the power on, no LEDs light up and the squeal goes away when I key the mike or disconnect the mike. It also stops squealing when I switch to PA or MON on the CB/MON/PA switch. There's one burnt resistor that I'm trying to figure out what the value is to replace and see what else is blown/melted. Fortunately the previous owner sent along the owner's manual that has a schematic I can study. I've got a good friend that runs a shop that can help me out figure out what's going on with the 474 too.

Thanks again for getting back to me.
73's
Greg

[Double J]

My 474 was made in the Philippines also with 3A9, so I guess March 1989.

[MDYoungblood]

Production was started in 1985 at the Taiwan facility and ended in 1989 in the Philippines , search the net and you will find the radios manual. The squealing mic problem was it required a 6 wire microphone, the audio negative and the PTT switching negative was separate.

3's

Greg