President Electronics – Harrison FM CB

[Low-Band]

I’ve recently been considering a FM CB radio. I realize the FM hype is probably being generated by the CB manufacturers to drum up business... but anyway, I’d like to dip my toe into the world of FM CB just to play with.

Been doing a lot of research in the last month to see what’s on the market. I’ve also been watching a lot of youtube videos.
I went to President Electronics website. I’ve got my choice narrowed down to THOMAS or HARRISON.

The HARRISON has some features over the THOMAS that I think are really cool.
>NOAA weather radio receiver (handy, but not important)
>Frequency Display on LCD screen (very nice info)
>Channel Scan with busy lockout (necessary in the CB world)
>CTCSS/DCS tone coded squelch. (I think this may be a game changer to CB)

Has anyone gotten their hands on a President HARRISON CB yet?
Any initial thoughts?

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I am glad they now have a US model that has CTCSS/DCS. It makes the FM far more useful for folks intending family or group communications.

I am holding out hope that the McKinley is released to FM and CTCSS/DCS here in the US/ I want SSB capability.

 

[mmckenna]

No, not yet. Not sure I will, but if I do:
Absolutely would want CTCSS/DCS to make it useable when talking with others. Being able to filter out the crap would be a much welcome addition to CB radio. Hopefully it catches on and people figure out how coded squelch can help.

On a side note, never understood the frequency display. It's a channelized radio service, and my understanding was that it only shows the frequency that the channel is. It's not VFO, and unless it is a frequency counter showing the frequency you are actually transmitting on, it seems like a useless addition.

 

[bharvey2]

I think the manufacturers are trying to straddle the fence between ham radios and radios used for other services. I've been reading up on a 10 meter CCR mobile radio that is marketed as a ham radio (wink, wink) but is routinely mod'd by CBers. Apparently it takes nothing more than a few strategic button pushes to open it up to 11 meters. It has no true VFO but rather a frequency display and 10khz channelized steps. The programming software even has the USA CB channels entered in by default in one of the banks. - Not even the mildest attempt to disguise who it is REALLY marketed to.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

No, not yet. Not sure I will, but if I do:
Absolutely would want CTCSS/DCS to make it useable when talking with others. Being able to filter out the crap would be a much welcome addition to CB radio. Hopefully it catches on and people figure out how coded squelch can help.

On a side note, never understood the frequency display. It's a channelized radio service, and my understanding was that it only shows the frequency that the channel is. It's not VFO, and unless it is a frequency counter showing the frequency you are actually transmitting on, it seems like a useless addition.

Its just a gimmick, unless there is a separate oscillator for the frequency counter and then it would be like having two watches. You would not know which to trust!

 

[mmckenna]

Its just a gimmick, unless there is a separate oscillator for the frequency counter and then it would be like having two watches. You would not know which to trust!

That's what I figured.

I used to work in fiber optics. The lady that ran the company used to work for a group that made fiber transceivers. She said that every year or two they'd take the old product, add a few more blinking LED's, jack the price up a bit, and they'd sell better than before.
She said "techies like blinking LED's to make them feel important".

 

[iMONITOR]

I am glad they now have a US model that has CTCSS/DCS. It makes the FM far more useful for folks intending family or group communications.

I am holding out hope that the McKinley is released to FM and CTCSS/DCS here in the US/ I want SSB capability.

Unless it's a typo it appears the McKinley now has FM and SSB!

- 40 channels AM / FM / LSB / USB

MC KINLEY - AM/FM/SSB transceivers - CB Radio / Ham Radio - President Electronics

CB Radio - AM / FM / SSB transceivers - MC KINLEY

president-electronics.com

 

[iMONITOR]

I see FM conflicting with AM just like SSB did. It will result in channel wars and more channel segregation.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Unless it's a typo it appears the McKinley now has FM and SSB!

- 40 channels AM / FM / LSB / USB

MC KINLEY - AM/FM/SSB transceivers - CB Radio / Ham Radio - President Electronics

CB Radio - AM / FM / SSB transceivers - MC KINLEY

president-electronics.com

That link is the international site, indeed you can import a McKinley with all the works, but if you go to the US site, no FM.

 

[mmckenna]

I see FM conflicting with AM just like SSB did. It will result in channel wars and more channel segregation.

It's CB, that would happen no matter what.

But, I get what you are saying….

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I see FM conflicting with AM just like SSB did. It will result in channel wars and more channel segregation.

Thats like saying that Disney adding a ride will create more tourist mayhem. Its a done deal.

 

[prcguy]

Does the OP want strictly a legal CB or will a CB/10m rig with more power and features be ok? If so it looks like the Anytone AT-5555N II is the current gotta have it radio. Its got narrow band FM, SSB, PL tones, variable DSP noise reduction, lots of power, excellent transmitter/receiver and lots more. It looks like the Anytone is also cheaper than a McKinley with FM and I think its a better radio than the McKinley or the Harrison, which looks awfully expensive for just an AM/FM radio.

 

[2IR473]

I don’t own a Harrison FCC, so can’t comment on that specific radio, but the overall quality of the new President radios is good, so this radio should be no different. With the addition of the CTCSS and NRC (noise reduction circuit) features, I wonder if this board is manufactured by Anytone (Qixiang) ?

For a mobile installation, the new Radioddity CS-47 (aka Anytone Graces) AM/FM mini CB radio ($99.99) is something to consider, as it has the controls on the speaker/mic, making the radio easy to stuff under a seat. The mic cord can be extended with a standard RJ-45 cable and coupler. The radio has CTCSS and NRC functions, just as the Harrison FCC.

The receive audio through the speaker/mic is quite good. The CS-47 does NOT have the NOAA weather channels, nor does it allow you to program your choice of channels into the “Emergency” channels ( it is locked to ch.9 & 19), but if you are handy with a #8 torx driver, the radio offers some other features which may be of interest to some.

The President McKinley II with AM/FM/SSB is not yet available in the U.S., but online posts indicate it is going through the FCC certification process. I would guess this radio would just be a firmware-locked version of the EU McKinley, and therefore will not have CTCSS/NRC functions, since that would require President to redesign the whole radio. If that is the case, that will be disappointing.

 

[slowmover]

I’ve recently been considering a FM CB radio. I realize the FM hype is probably being generated by the CB manufacturers to drum up business... but anyway, I’d like to dip my toe into the world of FM CB just to play with.

Been doing a lot of research in the last month to see what’s on the market. I’ve also been watching a lot of youtube videos.
I went to President Electronics website. I’ve got my choice narrowed down to THOMAS or HARRISON.

The HARRISON has some features over the THOMAS that I think are really cool.
>NOAA weather radio receiver (handy, but not important)
>Frequency Display on LCD screen (very nice info)
>Channel Scan with busy lockout (necessary in the CB world)
>CTCSS/DCS tone coded squelch. (I think this may be a game changer to CB)

Has anyone gotten their hands on a President HARRISON CB yet?
Any initial thoughts?

*NEW MIKE* President NRC Digimike Landed




.

 

[smittie]

I’ve recently been considering a FM CB radio. I realize the FM hype is probably being generated by the CB manufacturers to drum up business... but anyway, I’d like to dip my toe into the world of FM CB just to play with.

Been doing a lot of research in the last month to see what’s on the market. I’ve also been watching a lot of youtube videos.
I went to President Electronics website. I’ve got my choice narrowed down to THOMAS or HARRISON.

The HARRISON has some features over the THOMAS that I think are really cool.
>NOAA weather radio receiver (handy, but not important)
>Frequency Display on LCD screen (very nice info)
>Channel Scan with busy lockout (necessary in the CB world)
>CTCSS/DCS tone coded squelch. (I think this may be a game changer to CB)

Has anyone gotten their hands on a President HARRISON CB yet?
Any initial thoughts?

Planning to replace a Cobra 25 with the President Harrison FCC and the Digimike. Currently have a Laird C27 antenna that I plan to continue using with the new radio.

 

[mark40]

Similar situation here, have a President Harrison arriving tomorrow. May add the Digimike, seems like a logical upgrade by all accounts. Currently have a Firestick FS to use with the Harrison.

 

[slowmover]

“Tallest antenna”, to a maximum of 14’ clearance. (Don’t tie one hand behind your back with a shortie).

— I’ve learned that these NRC radios will take all you can give them re mobile antenna.

I see the SIRIO 5000 Performer as baseline. I’ve a dozen antennas at home, but this is what I gifted my son, and this is what I’m running on the Freightliner.



— Maximum Signal Capture on-road is the game. 5’ minimum antenna on roof.

Mobile is a matter of overcoming the deficiencies of the other mans radio rig in order to hear, and get heard. I need to reach a bit farther than him, and to hear at greater distance such that we may communicate while in motion.

SSB is viable with antenna featured.

Coax feedpoint choke and/or filter such as this recommendation (post search):

CMC-130-3K 1-30MHz – MyAntennas.com

NRC + tallest antenna is gateway to The New World.

(I also strongly recommend the Driver Extreme DX-901 external speaker to take best advantage of NRC; see other posts).

.

 

[slowmover]

Planning to replace a Cobra 25 with the President Harrison FCC and the Digimike. Currently have a Laird C27 antenna that I plan to continue using with the new radio.

NMO-30 + WD-640 whip will tune to 11-Meter and have better long-range characteristics.

.

 

[slowmover]

Does the OP want strictly a legal CB or will a CB/10m rig with more power and features be ok? If so it looks like the Anytone AT-5555N II is the current gotta have it radio. Its got narrow band FM, SSB, PL tones, variable DSP noise reduction, lots of power, excellent transmitter/receiver and lots more. It looks like the Anytone is also cheaper than a McKinley with FM and I think its a better radio than the McKinley or the Harrison, which looks awfully expensive for just an AM/FM radio.

Agreed that only reason for Harrison-size is mount location & President quality in low power radio. Q5 or Ares the Anytone SSB upgrade in bang for buck.

Consider all angles of the question.

.

 

[smittie]

NMO-30 + WD-640 whip will tune to 11-Meter and have better long-range characteristics.

.

Google tells me that an NMO-30 is a magnetic mount. I have no place to put that on a Jeep Gladiator. The roof of the vehicle is fiberglass. The engine hood is aluminum. There are very few places on newer Jeeps (or vehicles in general) where a magnetic will attach.

Smittie