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1911 guy
01-20-2020, 08:56 PM
So I'm getting back into cb radio after having none for a while. I've narrowed things down a bit, but haven't bought anything yet. Open to suggestions. Will be installed in a personal vehicle.

I had good results with Wilson 1000 roof mount antennas 20 years ago and will go back to them unless there is a reason not to.

Want to get into ssb this time. Which brings me to my dilemma.

Two radios that stood out for size, price and reviews were the Uniden 980ssb and the Galaxy DX979.

Please correct any misunderstanding i have about the comparison:
Uniden does not drift on side band but is lower powered from the factory, while the Galaxy is a "bigger" radio but drifts on side band until it warms up.

At first glance (I've not handled either) the controls seem intuitive on the Galaxy while I'm not sure how I feel about the menu-based controls on the Uniden.

I'm looking for real world experience with stock radios. I'm not likely to spend a lot (if any) on mods or tweaks.

Thank you all in advance for the input.

JesseJamesDallas
01-20-2020, 09:53 PM
I wasn't too crazy about the 980...And the 979 I had, I never noticed it drifting on SSB either...Both of those radios are single final CB Radios, so neither one is going to be what you would call a "Power House"...You would need to look into the Export radios if your looking for something with a little more "Kick".

I know you said you weren't too crazy about the "menu" style of the 980, but to tell ya the truth, most all the New radios are going to that, and once you get use to where everythings at, it's no big deal...You just need to get use to "setting it, and forgetting it" instead of constantly fooling around with the settings...

That said...You may want to look at the New "President" line of radios that's on the market now...President's are made by Uniden and are more of a higher quality vs. the rest of the Uniden line...Kinda-like Chevy vs. Cadillac... both made by GM, just Cadillac is more of a Premium brand...

Don't let the size of the President radios fool you either. These things have loads of features not found in most radios in the same price range...

I have the President McKinley, it's not a power-house radio either, but has lots of features like TB, RBeep, weather, different colors for the meter, automatic squelch, scan, favorite channel lock, weather alert, up and down buttons on the mic, and more...I've had mine now going on 2 years, and have no plans on getting rid of it...Plus it fits nicely in the dash!

I also have a 1x2 amp hooked up behind it, so I don't have any problems getting heard!:300 (97):

https://i.imgur.com/spt4cpi.jpg?1

whiteastro
01-21-2020, 07:45 AM
I'll throw my 2 cents in because I have both the Uniden 980 and the Galaxy 979 and there is good and bad in both of them and just depends on where the CB road takes you. Yes the 980 is very stable and good for DX if you pair it with a small amp. Which you will need if you want to be heard in skip-land. They claim it is harder to peak it if you decide and doesn't tune out as well as the 979. I like you dislike the 980 menu features unless you have a good memory and the face plate scratches rather easy. The 979 talks and receives really well and the controls are pretty straight forward like the older stuff but the knobs are a little close if you have big fingers. You don't have to open up the radio if you want to turn the power down or up. They say the 979 will peak and tune out better than the 980 if the road takes you that way. I really can't say about the Galaxy drifting issue because I haven't had it that long but if you are from Ohio like me from PA you see some cold weather. Like JJD said that President Mckinley radio looks real interesting and I wish I could get up close and personal with one. But it looks like it has the same BS menu as the 980. Like every thing else there is no perfect radio and hopefully others will chime in and you can sort thru it all. Check as many truck stops as you can or CB shops so you can get a up close look Good Luck PS The other nice feature of the 979 is you can just plug a 6 digit frequency counter into the back of it if you decide you want one.

Turboomni
01-22-2020, 12:14 AM
Interesting thoughts from you guys about the 980. I do like the scan feature of the 980 and weather so if I am working in my garage [my primary soon to be radio shack] I can work on my old cars and fart around till i hear something that interests me.
I think Uniden 980 put most of their money into the recieve section which by all accounts from reviews stands out and is very stable on SSB. Since you can very easily put in a amp on the 980 for 60 bucks that will out power a Galaxy for the same total amount of money and the Uniden has at least as good a receiver or better on SSB would you guys agree that maybe the 980 is the way to go if you can get over the ergonomics of the radio>? I prefer the Galaxy looks but it does lack a few features the 980 has. Just some random thoughts. Please correct me if I am missguided in my thoughts.

222DBFL
01-22-2020, 06:13 AM
The 980 is a good radio. Don’t let the bad talk about certain things stop you from getting one. They are much better radios on SSB then the galaxy radios. This is my own experience with the 2 radios. Yes the Galaxy will peak out better then the uniden. A few more watts. Will it get you heard any better. Heck no. On SSB, every galaxy radio I’ve ever heard on SSB drifts a little. Especially in cold weather. The 980 doesn’t have this issue. The 980 that I bought long ago was spot on frequency out of the box. No need for it to be touched. Just add your amp and for SSB use it will be a good radio to start with. With all this said, I do like the look of the President radio that JJD is running. President radios are made by uniden. And if the new McKinley radio is anything like the older president radios, it’s a good radio. At any rate, if it were me, and I was going to use the radio for more SSB then AM, get the 980. If I was in the market for an AM radio that had SSB, the galaxy radios would be top of my list. They do sound good on AM. But for SSB use, get a newer radio that is more stable for SSB use. After you play a bit with the 980 and you start to get serious about SSB and making contacts, you’ll end up like I did, diving head first into the radio game. Like any other hobby it can become expensive. Radios, antennas, coax, and other stuff. I ended up getting an HF radio for my SSB use, an Icom 746, and man I am glad I did. 100w of power and it was on frequency all the time!! But you’ll end up spending some cash for a decent HF radio. If you think you will be getting into this hobby and are looking for a darn good radio, look at the Kenwood ts140s. They make a 100w and also a 200w model of this radio. And to top it all of, they don’t sound bad or perform bad on AM like some other HF radios do. Anyhow. For now, get the 980 and an amp and make some contacts. Also don’t forget that without a good antenna system, you are just pissing in the wind. Don’t skimp out on the antenna!! Spend as much as you can on an antenna setup. It will reward you with many contacts!!!

whiteastro
01-22-2020, 08:02 AM
Interesting thoughts from you guys about the 980. I do like the scan feature of the 980 and weather so if I am working in my garage [my primary soon to be radio shack] I can work on my old cars and fart around till i hear something that interests me.
I think Uniden 980 put most of their money into the recieve section which by all accounts from reviews stands out and is very stable on SSB. Since you can very easily put in a amp on the 980 for 60 bucks that will out power a Galaxy for the same total amount of money and the Uniden has at least as good a receiver or better on SSB would you guys agree that maybe the 980 is the way to go if you can get over the ergonomics of the radio>? I prefer the Galaxy looks but it does lack a few features the 980 has. Just some random thoughts. Please correct me if I am missguided in my thoughts.


Sounds like your heart is set on the 980 and that is probably the one you should get because we all have different requirements from our radios and antennas. Like was said don't go cheap on the antenna. The other nice feature of the 980 is the wireless microphone that you can talk and listen to at a respectable range. My 980 is going to take it's rightful spot in my custom built console between the seats of my custom road trip van where the weather channel might be helpful. Good Luck and make sure you get the second version of the 980 so you can silence the beep that annoys a lot of people.

JesseJamesDallas
01-22-2020, 09:00 AM
One other thought on the 979...there is a 979F too! The difference being the 979F has a built-in frequency counter like the 959s....

222DBFL
01-22-2020, 09:59 AM
I forgot about the wireless mic that can be used with it. Pretty neat mic they made for use with it. The 980 that is. I’ve walked around my entire house and even outside a ways from my radio and it works perfectly. I ended up drilling the mic hole a little larger. Did it by hand with a 1/8” drill bit. Been told it has clean, clear audio. If you look around you can find them for around $50 or cheaper. The BC906W. I see that there are some clone ones being made. Stick with the uniden one, JMHO.

whiteastro
01-22-2020, 10:30 AM
One other thought on the 979...there is a 979F too! The difference being the 979F has a built-in frequency counter like the 959s....

Yes JJD I struggled with that decision between the 979 and the 979F before I bought my 2ea. 979s. I remembered what Slim said from the cbforum.com that if your going to do SSB you should have a 6 digit frequency counter and the 979F is only a 5 digit counter. I figured Slim didn't get to be administrator with out knowing more than I did. LOL

whiteastro
01-22-2020, 10:37 AM
I forgot about the wireless mic that can be used with it. Pretty neat mic they made for use with it. The 980 that is. I’ve walked around my entire house and even outside a ways from my radio and it works perfectly. I ended up drilling the mic hole a little larger. Did it by hand with a 1/8” drill bit. Been told it has clean, clear audio. If you look around you can find them for around $50 or cheaper. The BC906W. I see that there are some clone ones being made. Stick with the uniden one, JMHO.


I laughed when I read your post because I forgot about that feature also. LOL I figure if I go remote camping with my van that wireless mic will be good to monitor the radio. And yes by all means buy the uniden original with all the accessories.

JesseJamesDallas
01-22-2020, 11:38 AM
That wireless uniden mic will work with the President radios too....

Turboomni
01-22-2020, 12:01 PM
The 959 sure C is a cool looking radio though!

whiteastro
01-22-2020, 04:28 PM
This is what the 979 looks like with the counter on top. The halo around the numbers is just from my camera flash.

1911 guy
01-22-2020, 04:55 PM
Sounds like I need to look seriously at the 980 then, since i do plan on getting into side band.
Is there another antenna that has surpassed to Wilson 1000 for mobile? Will be either a roof mount or magnetic mount.

Someone mentioned an amp with the 980. Google showed the RM Italy KL203 commonly paired with the 980. Does the radio need to be tweaked first, or just hook it up? And do I really need or want the amp?

Thank you for all your help and discussion so far.

Turboomni
01-22-2020, 05:46 PM
I am considering the same amp for whatever SSB radio i get. I do like the fact that the Galaxy 959 and 979 have a knob to vary the tx output to accommodate amps. The Uniden 980 does not to my knowledge.

Turboomni
01-22-2020, 05:49 PM
White astro your rig looks great. Why is it better to have 6 digit display over the more common 5 digit? I saw reviews saying the 5 digit was nice but not helpful like the 6 on ssb.

whiteastro
01-22-2020, 06:30 PM
White astro your rig looks great. Why is it better to have 6 digit display over the more common 5 digit? I saw reviews saying the 5 digit was nice but not helpful like the 6 on ssb.

The 6 digit I guess is for better fine tuning your clarifier, if you don't have that last digit you won't see if your clarifier is off just a tiny bit. It's for the people who want to be dead on. I'm still learning slowly so I don't have all the answers but hopefully these Old die-hards will make something out of me. LOL When you buy that 6 digit counter it comes with a accessory wire harness so it can be wired into any radio and mounting bracket. You just have to find the tech. who knows how to do it. I believe it might help more if the clarifier is unlocked

whiteastro
01-22-2020, 06:41 PM
Sounds like I need to look seriously at the 980 then, since i do plan on getting into side band.
Is there another antenna that has surpassed to Wilson 1000 for mobile? Will be either a roof mount or magnetic mount.

Someone mentioned an amp with the 980. Google showed the RM Italy KL203 commonly paired with the 980. Does the radio need to be tweaked first, or just hook it up? And do I really need or want the amp?

Thank you for all your help and discussion so far.


JJD can help you with the antenna question. The 980 doesn't need to be tweaked for a amp just hook it up. The RM Italy KL203 doesn't have a Pre-Amp which helps your recieve. Get the KL203P or the KL 200P.

whiteastro
01-22-2020, 06:52 PM
I am considering the same amp for whatever SSB radio i get. I do like the fact that the Galaxy 959 and 979 have a knob to vary the tx output to accommodate amps. The Uniden 980 does not to my knowledge.
The Uniden 980 is already what they call a low power radio so you don't have to turn it down for a amp. It only puts out about 3-3.5 watts out of the box. My 979 in my car puts out about 6 watts turned up all the way right out of the box with a Flat-Line SWR that would be overdriving a small amp so I can turn the power down with the knob.

whiteastro
01-22-2020, 07:06 PM
That wireless uniden mic will work with the President radios too....
Yes I thought I read somewhere that the President McKinley had the same 6 pin mic adapter as the 980. If my 980 ever takes a dump on me I will check out that McKinley because I like the small size. How do you like that Automatic squelch control or don't you use it?

JesseJamesDallas
01-22-2020, 08:00 PM
Yes I thought I read somewhere that the President McKinley had the same 6 pin mic adapter as the 980. If my 980 ever takes a dump on me I will check out that McKinley because I like the small size. How do you like that Automatic squelch control or don't you use it?
It's "OK"...Not that big a deal, it does the same thing as just rotating the squelch knob till it kicks in...I use it some but not a whole lot...just never really cared for squelch. (figure I might be missing something when it's on)

There's several other President radios too, I think the newest one to come available is the President Bill.

Turboomni
01-22-2020, 08:09 PM
i took a look at the Mckinley radio. It does look good .

JesseJamesDallas
01-22-2020, 08:12 PM
Sounds like I need to look seriously at the 980 then, since i do plan on getting into side band.
Is there another antenna that has surpassed to Wilson 1000 for mobile? Will be either a roof mount or magnetic mount.

Someone mentioned an amp with the 980. Google showed the RM Italy KL203 commonly paired with the 980. Does the radio need to be tweaked first, or just hook it up? And do I really need or want the amp?

Thank you for all your help and discussion so far.
I'm not a Wilson fan by any stretch of the imagination...They "USE-2-B" good antennas years ago, but they lack in the Quality Control dept. now...Hit or Miss at best.

As for as the magnet mount base loaded type antennas go, the Sirio Performer seems to be one of the better ones on the market...Now I have never used one, nor do I plan on it, but I know lots of guys who do use the Sierios and like them, plus I have yet to read any negative posts on any of the Forums or fb about them...

Another option would be the antenna made by Stryker...It's also base loaded, a little bulkier looking tho, but people who have them seem to like them...They did have a bad-batch not too long ago, but the ones on the market now are suppose to be well made.

Strykers and the Sirio antennas may be a little taller than the Wilson 1000...but that's a good thing!

Biggest problem with the Wilson antennas is with water getting inside the coil and rusting it out till it shorts...I've had two Wilson 5000's in the past that did that after just 6 months...and if you check around, you'll find i'm not the only one!

Here's the inside of a Wilson 5000 that got water inside and shorted out...
https://i.imgur.com/fhiIcKo.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/snS3uOm.jpg

Turboomni
01-22-2020, 08:28 PM
[QUOTE=1911 guy;15486]Sounds like I need to look seriously at the 980 then, since i do plan on getting into side band.
/QUOTE]


The only thing I worry about getting the 980 is I have read quite a few customer reviews complaining about the same 2 things over and over when there is a complaint. Many rave reviews too but,,

1 LED display parts of it stop working and for some stops completely and goes black.
2 LED display when working properly is hard to see in some daylight conditions in a car.
This doesn't bother me as it will be inside at a base station.

There were a few complaints about warranty time limit etc. I guess the best thing is burn it in for a good long time when you get it to make sure. Don't know if the LED problem was mostly in cars, trucks or Jeeps [rough rides etc] or base stations.

Turboomni
01-22-2020, 08:28 PM
Mckinley got overall better reviews.

whiteastro
01-22-2020, 08:54 PM
[QUOTE=1911 guy;15486]Sounds like I need to look seriously at the 980 then, since i do plan on getting into side band.
/QUOTE]


The only thing I worry about getting the 980 is I have read quite a few customer reviews complaining about the same 2 things over and over when there is a complaint. Many rave reviews too but,,

1 LED display parts of it stop working and for some stops completely and goes black.
2 LED display when working properly is hard to see in some daylight conditions in a car.
This doesn't bother me as it will be inside at a base station.

There were a few complaints about warranty time limit etc. I guess the best thing is burn it in for a good long time when you get it to make sure. Don't know if the LED problem was mostly in cars, trucks or Jeeps [rough rides etc] or base stations.


The plastic they use on the 980 display screen scratches easy or at least the early ones did, don't know if they fixed it. I see it in my 1st version. I never heard of the display going out but you might have read more reviews than.me. I have used thin aluminum flashing material to make a sun screen to block the sun from blocking my view of the display. That can happen with any radio. Flashing material bends easy and is flexible.

222DBFL
01-22-2020, 09:12 PM
For the screen just get a universal screen protector and place it on the screen. It’s what I did and don’t have any scratches on my screen. Works very well just as they do on your phone. You could even buy one for a phone that is around the same length wise. For antenna for mobile, like JJD said the Sirio performer 5000 and the PL145 magnet mount is a good setup. It’s what I used for a couple years on my work van and I talked around the world while driving down the highway. I used a few different radios, and had a small 2 pill amp. But the antenna setup was a Sirio 5k and the pl145 magnet mount. I did change out the coax to lmr240. That is not necessary for what you’ll be using it for. I’d you do decide you want to replace the coax, get some good RG8X or some RG400 and good pl259 connectors. And I have to also agree with JJD about the newer Wilson antennas. They lack in the QC dept. that is for sure!! Same thing happened to mine just like JJD’s. The Sirio antennas are well made and work well.

Turboomni
01-23-2020, 01:53 PM
Good idea.

whiteastro
01-25-2020, 08:04 AM
Sounds like I need to look seriously at the 980 then, since i do plan on getting into side band.
Is there another antenna that has surpassed to Wilson 1000 for mobile? Will be either a roof mount or magnetic mount.

Someone mentioned an amp with the 980. Google showed the RM Italy KL203 commonly paired with the 980. Does the radio need to be tweaked first, or just hook it up? And do I really need or want the amp?

Thank you for all your help and discussion so far.


I use a K40 antenna with a mag. mount on top of my travel van and it tunes out well. It can also be used as a trunk mount. It's worth taking a look and checking out. It's made in USA for those who care.

http://www.cbradiomagazine.com/Antenna%20Reviews/K40%20Trunk%20Mount%20&%20Magnetic%20Mount%20Antenna/K40%20Trunk%20Lip%20Mount%20&%20Magnetic%20Mount%20Antenna%20Review.html

whiteastro
01-25-2020, 08:31 AM
Here is a link to cbradiomagazine.com which has a article about the McKinley giving the 980 some competition. Just for the fun of it!

http://cbradiomagazine.com/Radio%20Reviews/President%20McKinley/President%20McKinley%20AM%20SSB%20CB%20Radio.html

whiteastro
01-25-2020, 11:26 AM
Youtube video on Uniden wireless Mic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Novrvny8Nw4

Turboomni
01-25-2020, 11:57 AM
Man that looks like a nice radio. Thanks for the link there. I especially like the variable RF output so you can run a amp without any chance of overdriving it. As far as looks go I kinda like the whiz bang contemporary look of the 980 over the Mckinley and I like the Galaxy 959 even more. But I nixed the Galaxy over drift issues even though some say theirs don't drift. Too bad they don't make a CB that has no transmitter with just outputs to go to an amp. Kinda like a Preamp in stereo systems. That way you could mix and match what you like. I would spend 150 bucks + just for that if it is really good quality and add the amp of my choice.

Turboomni
01-25-2020, 12:03 PM
I actually have a CB shop rather close to me that I will be going to purchase a SSB. Lou's CB in the state of MA. Anyone know of him??

222DBFL
01-25-2020, 12:43 PM
The 980 and a good mic like the 2018 extreme. if you can still buy those, or even a good power mic. I personally have better luck with electret mics over the dynamic ones like the stock mic on the 980. I used a 2018 extreme mic on my 980 without using all the other stuff that they do, but only as a power mic, I always got good audio reports on both AM and SSB. I used that 980 as a driver for my magnaforce 350 and for my TNT 600, didn’t make a lot of watts, but sure worked just fine for me making contacts. At any rate, I think you’ll enjoy the 980 for both AM and SSB. With a small amp you should have no problem making contacts. Just make sure you get the best antenna you can afford and to get it up as high as you can safely place it. You shouldn’t need to change anything on the radio if you just use it on SSB. If you plan on using it for AM, you’ll need to get the AM carrier (aka dead key), down to about a watt or 2 at most. You should send it to a reputable tech along with the amp you get, and have it tuned as so on AM, you have a 1:4 carrier on AM. And make sure it’s aligned. It should be on frequency, have it checked at minimum, and tell the tech to leave the clarifier locked on TX. This will keep you from having to worry about not being on frequency. Let the other station tune to you on SSB. Anyhow, you most likely know all this stuff. Sorry for the long post. Enjoy that radio and keep the airwaves clean and clear!!!

Turboomni
01-25-2020, 01:31 PM
Thanks for the info. I also was wondering if I only use SSB with an amp I could just run the 980 and amp both right out of the box correct? I think that is what you said. And if I do use AM I could just turn the amp off and it should go through the amp un amplified ? Sorry for the noob questions.

whiteastro
01-25-2020, 02:20 PM
Thanks for the info. I also was wondering if I only use SSB with an amp I could just run the 980 and amp both right out of the box correct? I think that is what you said. And if I do use AM I could just turn the amp off and it should go through the amp un amplified ? Sorry for the noob questions.
You can run the radio with the amp on or off in either am or ssb just make sure if the amp is on and you are running ssb you have the ssb switch on the amp turned on. if your in AM make sure the amp ssb switch is off. If you get the KL 203P or the KL 200p you will get 100 watts AM and 200 watts SSB with the amp turned on. If the amp in off your power will just pass thru. Good luck PS. One last word of advice. If you are going to run a amp, DO NOT be Hap Hazard at setting your SWR with radio and antenna because your SWR will get worse when you put the amp inline and turn it on. My SWR is 1-1.1 or less and when I turn the amp on it drops to 1-1.5 which is still good. If you start out a 1-1.5 or higher no telling where you end up when you put the amp inline and turn it on. Be a shame to see your hard earned dollars go up in smoke. Shoot for perfection!

Turboomni
01-25-2020, 03:58 PM
Thanks Man!!

1911 guy
02-03-2020, 06:25 PM
All this talk about the President McKinley made me look into it. Glad I did. That's what I'm going with. Still making up my mind about antennas, but I've got a McKinley ordered from Bell's. Still kicking around whether I want to put the KL203p with it.

Turboomni
02-03-2020, 07:16 PM
Great radio I hear. Is Bells going to go through it and if so what you having done??

JesseJamesDallas
02-03-2020, 09:03 PM
All this talk about the President McKinley made me look into it. Glad I did. That's what I'm going with. Still making up my mind about antennas, but I've got a McKinley ordered from Bell's. Still kicking around whether I want to put the KL203p with it.
The KL203 will work just fine with the McKinley...But if you want more bang-for the buck, a amp with a driver stage really makes the Mckinley come to life!

I run a 1x2 amp with mine and see little over 400w's peak out...Best thing about something like a 1x2 is they don't need all that much power to run, compared to a 4-pill....

Lot's of amp builders out there making 1x2's, one I have is a "Hopper Built"...You can check into them on fb on their page at https://www.facebook.com/HopperBuilt/

They will cost ya more than what those RM Italy boxs run, but they are well made and can take some abuse.

Turboomni
02-12-2020, 09:20 PM
Well I got myself a Uniden 980 second generation used at a CB shop in Eastern NY State. He had gone through it and said it was doing good. Previous owner was a friend whose wife was pissed he had so many radios lol. It is pretty clean and he ran it through it's paces on the bench for me. Nice older guy with a couple of towers at his house. He was an aircraft radio tech till he retired. Anyways got it for 70 bucks ready to go. I also got an old Micronta SWR and Power meter that he had calibrated too. Goes from 20 watts /200 and 2000 watts. I am on my way.

whiteastro
02-13-2020, 07:54 AM
Well I got myself a Uniden 980 second generation used at a CB shop in Eastern NY State. He had gone through it and said it was doing good. Previous owner was a friend whose wife was pissed he had so many radios lol. It is pretty clean and he ran it through it's paces on the bench for me. Nice older guy with a couple of towers at his house. He was an aircraft radio tech till he retired. Anyways got it for 70 bucks ready to go. I also got an old Micronta SWR and Power meter that he had calibrated too. Goes from 20 watts /200 and 2000 watts. I am on my way.


Congratulations on your new purchase! Let us know if it is easy quieting that beep when you change the channels on that second gen. Good Luck!

Turboomni
02-13-2020, 10:22 AM
For the beep you press and hold the ANL/NB button in a few seconds and it gives you a choice of beeper on or off.

Turboomni
02-14-2020, 11:16 AM
Well I tried out my new to me 980 last night in my truck. I used a cheap little mag mount . Scanned the bands and no skip at all . Not even on channel 6. Heard some guys on ch 40 lsb. Drove to the top of a small hill and listened. Finally I keyed down barefoot on my little mag mount and no response. Tried a few more times and one of the guys said "I hear someone" "Go ahead" I keyed down again and they were trying to bring me in. They said I was dead on frequency but very faint and couldn't make out what I was saying. They were very nice and gave me all the chance to get through. They then explained when they get together and their location. As it turns out their location was/is 46 miles away. So far although not completely successful the unit did ok.....I think! Recieve on this unit is very good. That's my story and I'm sticking with it!!! lol,,,

Turboomni
02-14-2020, 11:20 AM
I did a radio check on AM ch 19 no problem.

222DBFL
02-14-2020, 11:44 AM
Get yourself a good antenna and go up to the top of the hill and you will most likely be able to talk to those guys you were trying to reach. As for antennas, the sirio performer 5000 and the sirio PL145 magnet mount work very well. Only thing I didn’t like was the coax that comes on the magnet mount. It’s easy to change out to something better like RG8x, LMR240uf, or even RG400. Good to hear that the radio is on frequency. They are good radios for the money. My favorite mobile radio is the Yeticomm Optima MK3. I used that radio with a magnaforce 350hd amp, and was able to make contacts around the world!! At any rate, enjoy that radio.


Sent from my iPhone 11 Pro Max using Tapatalk Pro

Turboomni
02-14-2020, 12:19 PM
Thanks for the encouragement there 222DBFL!! I do appreciate it. I may get a better antenna for the truck but my first goal is to make a base station with a small 200p amp and see what happens. Depending on my area and success as a base I may just go mobile. I will definitely keep in mind your suggestions if it comes to that. Thanks again!

whiteastro
02-14-2020, 05:55 PM
Thanks for the encouragement there 222DBFL!! I do appreciate it. I may get a better antenna for the truck but my first goal is to make a base station with a small 200p amp and see what happens. Depending on my area and success as a base I may just go mobile. I will definitely keep in mind your suggestions if it comes to that. Thanks again!


I'm Grinning because you will probably be like the rest of us and have a radio in you vehicle and your house after it gets in your blood. Do some soul searching when deciding on antennas and make sure what ever you get you spend time on getting the SWR as perfect as possible. I bought a cheap $15.00 Walmart mag mount one time to use with my hand held CB to use in emergencies between vehicles and talked 10 miles barefoot on AM with my 980 before. But like JJD says the longer and higher the better. Good to see you Havin Fun!

Turboomni
02-14-2020, 08:11 PM
What is the best coax cable for a base station? I need about 40 feet but closest I can find is 50 feet. Does that matter?

JesseJamesDallas
02-14-2020, 08:48 PM
What is the best coax cable for a base station? I need about 40 feet but closest I can find is 50 feet. Does that matter?
RG 213 is what I'm using now...LMR 400 is about as good as it gets, but little more pricey too.

Get more than you think you will need also, because by the time you start winding it around corners, running it inside the house, you'll be surprised at how much you actually need.

whiteastro
02-15-2020, 07:42 AM
What is the best coax cable for a base station? I need about 40 feet but closest I can find is 50 feet. Does that matter?

I'll second what JJD told you. I'm running RG 213 also. If you think you need 40' I wouldn't buy any less than 50' because you need room for error or changing your mind and unless you do it a lot nobody puts connectors on better than the factory.

Turboomni
02-15-2020, 07:47 AM
Thanks guys

1911 guy
02-29-2020, 11:09 AM
Update: I got the radio, a President McKinley, paid for a peak and tune. Installed it in my car with a mag mount Wilson. Not much monkeying around and got 1:1 SWR at CH1 and CH40. SWR meter on the radio is easy to use after you've read the instructions.

On AM, I'm picking up base stations as far away as Cleveland, 40 miles from me. I haven't attempted SSB contacts yet. I did a radio check and got a solid response from another mobile nine miles out. He said the radio sounded very good. I lost him but he could still hear me for a bit.

My only problem is ignition or alternator noise. It is a constant whine and increases with engine RPM. It remains present after removing the antenna cable. I'm wired directly to the battery posts. Can someone recommend a good filter, please? I've seen mixed reviews and don't want to get junk.

I like the radio. My only complaint is that many functions are buried in menus, but that can be learned with repetition.

JesseJamesDallas
03-05-2020, 05:02 PM
Update: I got the radio, a President McKinley, paid for a peak and tune. Installed it in my car with a mag mount Wilson. Not much monkeying around and got 1:1 SWR at CH1 and CH40. SWR meter on the radio is easy to use after you've read the instructions.

On AM, I'm picking up base stations as far away as Cleveland, 40 miles from me. I haven't attempted SSB contacts yet. I did a radio check and got a solid response from another mobile nine miles out. He said the radio sounded very good. I lost him but he could still hear me for a bit.

My only problem is ignition or alternator noise. It is a constant whine and increases with engine RPM. It remains present after removing the antenna cable. I'm wired directly to the battery posts. Can someone recommend a good filter, please? I've seen mixed reviews and don't want to get junk.

I like the radio. My only complaint is that many functions are buried in menus, but that can be learned with repetition.
The President McKinley has a noise blaker feature on it, that took care of most of the noise I had...You just got to turn it on, think there's like 3 different settings.

If that's still not enough and your sure the noise is coming in threw the power wires, get one of these from Navone Engineering... The N-700... I bought one of these probably 10-15 years ago and it worked perfect! Kind'a surprised they are still making them...

http://davidnavone.com/product/n-700-electronic-suppressor-25-amp/

Sticky Fingers
05-07-2020, 06:26 AM
Update: I got the radio, a President McKinley, paid for a peak and tune. Installed it in my car with a mag mount Wilson. Not much monkeying around and got 1:1 SWR at CH1 and CH40. SWR meter on the radio is easy to use after you've read the instructions.

On AM, I'm picking up base stations as far away as Cleveland, 40 miles from me. I haven't attempted SSB contacts yet. I did a radio check and got a solid response from another mobile nine miles out. He said the radio sounded very good. I lost him but he could still hear me for a bit.

My only problem is ignition or alternator noise. It is a constant whine and increases with engine RPM. It remains present after removing the antenna cable. I'm wired directly to the battery posts. Can someone recommend a good filter, please? I've seen mixed reviews and don't want to get junk.

I like the radio. My only complaint is that many functions are buried in menus, but that can be learned with repetition.


Sounds like you need an inexpensive condenser fitted to your alternator.... easy to fit yourself or any garage can do it in a couple of minutes , they work wonders..... all they are is a capacitor in a tin coat that pulls that noise to ground.