President McKINLEY II FCC AM/FM/SSB (CB Radio REVIEW). Pros AND Cons From a REAL CBer

[@justinmaas5834]

I bought the non FM version a few years ago. It was my first "modern" CB and I found it to be an excellent radio. I use mostly vintage radios but I find the McKinley to be an asset to my station due to its reliability, SSB frequency stability and its excellent scan function. Later I was able to directly compare it to the Uniden 980, which is also a nice radio, but I found the President to be superior. Did I mention the front firing speaker? I should because its a great improvement in both base and mobile setups. The adjustable RF power is a nice feature for setting AM deadkey to suit an amplifier and is at this point a requirement for any radio being released today. Thanks for making your videos, I enjoy them.

[@hatchetjackphillips]

Good video! I’ve never seen the need to make modifications on any of the cb’s I’ve owned over the years. Now that we finally have FM, I’d like to see the FCC raise the legal wattage from 4 to 20-25 watts.

[@drylandman]

Nice vid you hit the nail on the head. I'm new to the SSB scene and really like the V1. I stuck it in my rig with a 4 ft fiberglass whip and have made contacts from Hawaii to NY I couldn't believe it. President seems to be the only outfit that is innovating in the field. 722 WA St on the side.

[@thestonerguy5276]

The McKinley is a well-built am-fm-ssb CB (I gave a couple of 'em to my sons). I've been using the EU version for a few years now, and as you mentioned it's fairly easy to find someplace to mount it in almost any car. I switched to their noise canceling mic as well and like it quite a bit. I haven't compared boards yet, but Mike, of Mike's CB Radio Repair did a fairly easy mod to open the clarifier on a pre-FM McKinley a few years ago. The NB/ANL function is equal to anything built in the last couple decades, but it still doesn't hold a candle to older CB radios like my Cobra 138XLR, so for local driving I use the 138 because it's a noisy area around here and the McKinley (and Uniden's 980ssb before that) doesn't do enough blanking to make driving less annoying while in the car. For longer road trips I'll use the McKinley and occasionally, the much older Midland 79-290. Once again, nice video - Thanks 👍

[@AEZAEZEL-187]

I think i wrote on the same video on the @brokebreaker23 channel that the President MCKinley is able to be modified IF YOU HAVE THE EUROPEAN version. Because of the FCC limitations the FCC version of the President MCKinley can not be modified but the european version has a jumper which you move from jumper 1- 2 to 2 - 3 and also cut the white wire and you will get 20 watts on FM AM and SSB. I hope this helps and thanks for making this review👍 73's.

[@cornbread-KO5RN]

I’m living in the TWILIGHT ZONE didn’t I see this video earlier

[@BEACHCOMBER109]

No Cornbread that wasn't this video it was the other video 😂

[@cornbread-KO5RN]

@@BEACHCOMBER109 haa haa haa why aren’t you the funny one and who pulled the stopper out of you 🎃

[@spaceflight1019]

Looks like a nice upgrade for the aging Bearcat 980 SSB. One of the Bearcat features is that the weather function will scan and lock onto the strongest signal. Activate the "alert" function and any alerts will automatically come through. If this new rig does that, then it is truly useful. With the band opening I have been hearing more FM stations but they are not speaking English, it's Spanish and German.

[@UDX4570PalmSprings-yh1mv]

So this rig will alert you like a cell phone would when something like the "Emergency Alert System" does their missing Children alerts, flash flood warnings ect...?

[@spaceflight1019]

@@UDX4570PalmSprings-yh1mv Yes. It makes a siren sound like a lot of other Uniden weather radios and then automatically switches to voice for the alert. It doesn't tell you via the display what the alert is, but the "alert" icon will begin to flash.

[@UDX4570PalmSprings-yh1mv]

@@spaceflight1019 That pretty friggen awesome, I wonder if that's because it has the FM bandwidth being installed. I think any North American radio transmitting station is required to have that system available.

[@spaceflight1019]

@@UDX4570PalmSprings-yh1mv They do. I have a Uniden CRS scanner that has the alert feature and it has been set off by AM and FM broadcast radio stations. The problem is that they will perform the required weekly tests in the middle of the night! Getting woken up at all hours of the night for nothing doesn't cut it, and I don't want to wake up to the weather channel, so the alert feature is useless to me. Our weather station loves to send out multiple flood watches and warnings for areas other than the SAME area I live in, so that feature is worthless too.

[@Dallas-Rife-UDX-347-Tennessee]

“There’s no mods for this radio” Lester’s Customs says “Hold my mic and watch this” 🤣🤣 Great review WagonMaster 👍

[@solardiymadesimple.3779]

Had one of those a while back and had nothing but great audio reports from here in the UK over to you guys in the states on LSB, also fooled my friends into thinking I was on my icom 7300. Sold it and brought a DX5000 equally as good .

[@hemphead5839]

Like always great review I've been thinking about getting one of those radios 556 waving🖐️

[@390WagonMaster]

Sounding good on that 3MADE Amp.

[@cornbread-KO5RN]

AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL SAME BETWEEN A CRAZY PERSON AND ECCENTRIC , “THE ALL MIGHTY DOLLAR. “ 🎃 if your nuttier than a fruit cake they put you away but on the other hand if you got a little coin they smile and say good idea

[@indianachrisUDX1313]

Great Job Man!

[@johnkatz5820]

Nice Radio, I have the non FCC-Version, I have the EU-Version CEPT, with AM, FM, SSB. The EU-Version have a great Heatsink on the Backside :-). The Modulation out of the Box wasn't great, it was muffled sound. But the Kucha Hans from Germany fixed that and after that modification the Mc Kinley sounds great :-) clear and very loud Modulation. The Problem with the new President CB-Radios is, that there is a modulation limiter which make it useless, to use compressor mikes or so, only the Digi Mike from President works a little, for a better audio. I have the new President George 2, which is a perfect cb Radio with Noise Reduction Control for RX and TX. This new feature bring you a new level of audio in the receiver and for transmit also. It cuts all bad noises out and you get a clear audio from small signals you before never could hear before. The President Georges 2 I think comes to a FCC Version too. I can highly recoment these new radio. Best you can get for this money.

[@390WagonMaster]

Yes modulation is low out the box, but these radios can be woken up for sure. The AM/FM versions do not wake up like the McKINLEYS. I'm looking forward to the George II, I wish it was not so 980 ish but we will see. Highly limited CBs w/SMD construction are going to be the new norm unfortunately. We have to keep the old through hole radios alive, that goodness there are millions of them still around. Cheers

[@M6MRP]

How far does the KC shift slide will it go to the 0s

[@Doubledsccreepingtom]

I have the non fm. Great radio. Love it. Great with my 2 pill

[@n1tlf470]

The regular McKinley clarifier can be opened. Is this McKinley II FCC different??? If so, I missed that part of your video. Sorry......

[@390WagonMaster]

At this time I personally do not know of any clarifier mods for this rig, extra channels are not going to happen. This may change down the road as I'm sure there are some good techs out there working on this. Cheers

[@Kirk1957]

Can you dim the backlight?

[@udx-483muddbucket5]

Neat radio. Good informative review.✌✌

[@nicklewis7291]

When you mentioned not modifiable, you said it about adding channels and stuff. Would that include peaking it for some increased power?

[@390WagonMaster]

Modulation can be turned up for all modes

[@nicklewis7291]

@@390WagonMaster Awesome

[@Ridgerider-z4h]

You would have to double the power just to get one “s” unit increase on the meter. I doubt the finals would handle it.

[@dansharp8042]

Does it run hot ???????

[@shawnphillips4772]

Link to that mic

[@edlightman]

i like the looks of it it looks like the radio in the police cars .does the radio need a license to use the fm ?

[@390WagonMaster]

No license needed for CB Radio, all voice modes are legal.

[@jeremynottingham6277]

well ? with a 1x4 or 2x8 mobile amp (class B of corse) would any one really know I was running power? "Just out here talking DX on a stock McKinley in my mobile" . Nice little radio really, I am too atthe age where easy to use and simplicty are a thing... Good job 390!! I'll be looking for Thursdays live vid!! 2UDX15117, N. Colorado

[@UDX4570PalmSprings-yh1mv]

How does this compare to the Cobra 148 GTL (factory set) " Function wise" ??? I think transistors are fairly impervious to heat while under normal keydown sessions. My experiences with transistors face self destruction when mass anmounts of current is pushed through them after power modifications. My RCI 2970N3 gets hotter than snot in the amp section but, those, are pulling 35+ DC amps from the factory have a MASSIVE heatsink as well as an internal cooling fan.

[@billdivine9501]

I had a 148 GTL DX that had FM and CW. Never used either one of those. Never heard anyone on FM. This president looks nice though. I’m considering this or the vintage ares II which looks like the 148.

[@texomahondaelement3722]

Sounding great

[@radioman2602]

Nice review 👌

[@duaneshuster6366]

I like ot fof front speaker As dar as RF power you xan plug it into an amp any day . But clarifoers all need to be unlocked on any fcc president that causes to much pronlem woth a group of people someone i ralked yi got knd these atvflwa narker $75 andvthsts onlgvhang up other tfan 12-14 watts ssb worjs well.

[@mokonindyatmoko9175]

what about the out put... how many watt...

[@390WagonMaster]

Stock Just under 4w AM/FM, 12w PEP SSB.

[@codyjackson57]

Hey hey

[@jedUDX183]

Nice radio!

[@bluehappyscrap]

Nobody never talks about if you have high noise level, ASC is useless.

[@UDX-340]

Neat rig , why are HF users always amateur ? even after 60 yrs -amateur........

[@ZommBleed]

Try learning the definitions of Novice, Amateur, and Professional. There's no shame in wearing the Amateur moniker.

[@straightpride451]

Cute

[@urbanculturetv3000]

too bad no one uses cb anymore no one to talk to . basically an expensive static sound maker

[@jontalbert6741]

I hate to agree with you. Seems like long distance contacts are all that’s possible. Living near a city should help you, most have some locals talking. In Baltimore and Memphis I found a local AM channel. In San Antonio I found the locals on SSB.

[@ToolsTechOutdoors]

Has anyone ever tried putting in an echo board?

[@usnveteran4245]

you said a couple of cons. I only heard one con that isn't even a con.