President McKinley AM/SSB CB Radio, 12/24V,40 Channel, NOAA Weather Alerts, Automatic SWR, ASC, Large LCD, NB, ANL, Hi-Cut Filters, VOX, Front Panel Loudspeaker, Clarifier, RF Power & Gain

I like the radio a lot, BUT, when I scan selected channels, President thinks that channels 9 and 19 should be included in the scan list. With strong stations on 9 and 19 (south of the border, running extreme power on 9, with skip-shooters on 19), I have to turn the squelch way up. Cannot choose my 2 channels for Dual Watch, either. Some writing on the display is rather tiny. I prefer an RF Gain that doesn't click, and that you don't have to go into a Menu to access. The radio is compact; I like the front speaker, and I have received good reports on the transmit audio (my radio has a slight tune-up-no parts replaced). It was easy to velcro to the passenger side of my center console in my car. In the house, I did think my Uniden Bearcat 980SSB sounded smoother on receive with the ANL on. The Uniden won't be in the car, because I think that a combination of heat, and having the display brightness at maximum on a previous 980SSB, has caused display problems. So, in my case, I think my President McKinley (used with a Larsen NMO-27 in a high location), receives and transmits very well. Memorizing what those buttons below the screen do, before you put it in the car, wouldn't be a bad idea.

Fits perfectly in the dash of my 2003 Jeep Wrangler TJ, the auto squelch feature is a must have feature as well!

I had a cobra set up 29LX with stud coax and 4’ flex antenna all cobra and went weeks trying to get my SWR down to nothing that wouldn’t blow up everything but couldn’t. Dang near ground strapped the whole Jeep. Finally I ditch the cobra system and went with this president model a 4’ Firestik FS and the fire ring on a spare tire mount Jeep JK and within the hour it took me to install everything I was 1.2 across the board!! Excellent radio and excellent pairing off all the above mentioned components for me!!

I've always been on cb since I was 14 yrs oldI had the original presiden Grant am ssb cbCb.s have come along way Since thenThis radio is so easy to useAnd program tooThe output power is fantasticMy contacts said it has very Clear audioI also own a president Lincoln II + 10 and 12Meter radio too great radio alsoI hold a amateur radio tech license alsoThe seller was greatI got my radio a day early tooI usually talk on Lsb 38 on the cbIf you want a quality radioGet the president McKinley

This is what the Unident BC980SSB should have been.Pros1) Small, good size for a Ford Escape or other small SUV2) Contains all the features of the Uniden BC980SSB3) I seem to pull in more activity than the Uniden BC980SSB, but I've also switched to a Midland 12-2442 antenna.Cons1) Buttons a little difficult to navigate, with the Uniden BC980SSB slightly better having dedicated buttons.2) I get alternator noise through the President McKinley radio! My Uniden BC980SSB I get no noticeable alternator whirring noise at all!3) The display is slightly better than the Uniden BC980SSB, and I can now barely distinguish the numbers on the display while wearing polarized sunglasses. Regardless, should be an auto dimmer, using real time clock with better lighting, similar to car stereo radios.My setup:Ford Escape with sunroofMidland 12-2442Hardwired to empty fuse slot on middle console, passenger side.External "Accessories Unlimited" noise cancelling speaker (External speakers always seem far better.)I was initially getting erratic SWR while holding the mic or touching the CB radio case. I then attached a dedicated 10 AWG stranded green ground to the case and attached to the fuse box ground screw with crimped/soldered connectors. Inadvertently cutting ~15 foot length to test ground elsewhere with little success, I then found coiling the excess near the fuse box in a 4-6 inch diameter coil ceased all erratic SWR and brought SWR on channel 1 to 1.0! I then later realized the sunroof caused likely a decreased ground plane, so the coiled ground is likely acting like an additional metal ground plane. I then tuned channel 40's SWR slighly lower than channel 1, in the event I utilized SSB. I found after doing all this, the CB is very well calibrated & sensitived, with the ASC feature working far better now!Only continuing problem, I get alternator whirring noise with this unit! A ferrite bead on the positive power cable doesn't really help much, but seems very slightly better. Pulled antenna cable and mic without any improvement. I had no alternator noise with the Uniden BC980SSB, so assuming after this, this radio is just highly more sensitive for which maybe a good thing... or the manufacturer needs to recaliberate. Shrugs.

Although the Automatic Squelch Control is not nearly as effective as they claim it is, it does "sort of" work when the atmospheric conditions are right. But in the remote north woods (above 45 degrees latitude) with ASC on, I'm listening to conversations in Florida and Tennesse with a Lil Wil antenna magnetically mounted on the top of a pickup truck. Manual squelch cuts out the clutter. That built in VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio) meter was what my previous unit lacked and using it made a world of difference! Read the manual and watch some videos online and you can tweak your antenna to reach nearly perfect efficiency. I'd recommend the VSWR testing in Ch 1 and Ch 40, compare the numbers, if Ch 40 is higher than Ch 1 than your antenna is too long. Get a second opinion before you do the next step, but I nipped the end off my antenna whip (cutting off about 1/8") and then retested it. I went from communicating within a 1/2 - 1 mile range to reaching out to 3-5 miles in the thick north woods. This CB unit was worth it, if only for that function. The built in weather radio, scanning functions, channel buttons on the handset, color and brightness options, and on and on with the features. I am happy with it.

So far I'm satisfied with the radio. I need to upgrade my antenna but that was expected.