Uniden XTRAK 50 UHF CB handheld radio (review)

The Uniden XTRAK 50 is an 80-channel UHF, CB, IP67 water-resistant, handheld radio (walkie-talkie) with up to a 17km line-of-sight range. It is for boating, camping, fishing – BCF’ing fun (also sells Uniden gear).

Upfront, a profound apology to Uniden as this has been sitting on our testbed for some time, waiting to find the users to test it out. You see, Joe and Jane Average don't generally need a pair of walkie-talkies. No, it is more for firefighters, emergency rescue, mountain and trail bikers, campers, bushwalkers, and adventurous outdoor types.

As we had not tested this category, we first had to develop parameters to test it against. Our panel of BCF’ers said:

We spoke of things like squelch adjustment (getting rid of noise) and many terms that I frankly do not understand. But the result is a reference we can test against.

We use Fail (below expectations), Passable (meets low expectations), Pass (meets expectations), Pass+ (near Exceed but not class-leading) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

Forgive any omissions or lack of expertise, as I have not reviewed a UHF CB Handheld radio before. I will cover everything you need to know, but in the end, you may have to seek expert advice on what suits your needs. You cannot go wrong with Uniden as a reputable brand with a range of models.

The XTRAK 50 is similar to the Pro model, which adds Bluetooth connectivity for car speakers or earphones and is App enabled, providing location tracking.

It is compact, rugged, IP67 (1 metre for 30 minutes if all protection ports are closed) and has a long 3-year warranty.

We also have the optional $129.95 ACCX50 portable car kit that has:

It is designed to transfer from one vehicle to another – not hardwired.

First, let's understand that this is a CB UHF handheld radio. It has 80 UHF Channels and can communicate with any CB radio with any of those bands – it works with everything.

Uniden claims up to 17km line of sight in 5W TX mode. The real question is real-world use where there may be mountains or other obstructions.

Out test from the Gosford to Rip Bridge (about 14km line-of-sight) supports Uniden's claim. Another test was obstructed by Blackwall Mountain, where 5km was about the limit.

I would be tempted to buy a heavy-duty 6.6dBi gain antenna for in-car use to extend the range.

Uniden claims up to 30 hours of operating time based on 5% transmitting, 5% receiving and 90% standby – using 1W low power output and settings. So heavy users wanting to use the 5W TX power will get about 20 hours.

Recharge with the 12V/1A/12W plug charger is about 4 hours. It is a shame it is not USB-C PD enabled (so don't try a jerry-rigged cable).

Unfortunately, you cannot charge the battery unless it is inserted into the device. We cannot find the BPX50 battery on Uniden's spare part site, but we expect it to be around $100 when available.

It has a 2W mono speaker that reaches 78dB at 1m. That is not overly loud but fine for handheld use. It comes with a speaker mic and collar clip that brings the speaker closer. It also has an earphone/mic accessory. There is a four-level voice enhancer setting.

It has a handy instant replay function that covers the last four minutes.

The inbuilt and external mics do not have any noise cancellation, so avoid windy conditions.

The manual outlines all features, so we won't go into them. Users report that these are fairly standard for a quality UHF CB Handheld. It has PTT (Push to Talk).

CB UHF is a public resource. Benefits include:

Tune to channel 40 when driving – it is the Aussie Road channel, and you can get tips on where there are accidents, speed cameras, good food stops, and more. Note that the Pacific Highway tends to use Chanel 29.

Channel 18 is for grey nomads and caravanners, and Channel 10 is used more for convoys and clubs.

Whatever you do, this is a shared resource, and you need to be courteous. It is good etiquette to change to another channel after you have found someone to talk to.

I have never seen the need, but after using it for a few weeks, it can become addictive, especially if you are having BCF’ing fun.

It is rugged, reliable, fully featured, and from a quality company. It gets an unreserved buy recommendation.

We nearly did not rate it because of a lack of previous benchmarks. But we now feel confident enough to rate it, given that we have also spent some time researching other brands and models.