Audio
One listens to the speaker, not the radio.
I
strongly recommend the inclusion of not only an extension speaker, but specifically of the DRIVER EXTREME DRX-901 as accompaniment to latest NRC radios as “digital radios” (such as a non-NRC UNIDEN 980 AM/SSB) tend to have a
hissy audio in comparison to older thru hole circuit board radios.
I’ve a half-dozen other remote mobile speakers (including Kenwood).
None sound this good with latest radio gear.
For a non-NRC radio also add the W-M stand-alone DSP module to add the desired clarity & fidelity:
DRX-901 = the men you hear are in the same room as you (given DSP).
The W-M ClearSpeech unit tames that digital hiss admirably, and
is the way to go for fewest devices to achieve performance sans an
NRC-radio. (Mine has ten years and 500k miles of hard travel. A great piece of kit):
You want something can be heard at 40-yards from your car on a windy day, then, the KES-5 is your beast.
(DSP beforehand recommended):
Look for used examples to keep purchase price low.
Get this part right. Speaker location is also critical, not an afterthought.
Whether or not one purchases a radio . . . the audio (speaker) can make or break the experience, IMO.
As a phenomenon,
Skip can be so overwhelming that many will turn off the mobile while en-route to their destination.
Don’t let bad actors force your hand (audio clarity is the game once understood):
The discourtesy of screwing up AM-19. The understood Truckers Channel. Got 39 to 119 other channels before we consider freeband. The thread is not to whine and moan, but to introduce others new to CB how to deal with Skip overwhelming local comms. The exigencies of the road. Your experience...
forums.radioreference.com
DSP brings in layers of voices near & far, weak & strong.
There’s a learning curve.
.