PRESIDENT GEORGE II REVIEW WITH 2 UPDATES "Da Screen, Da Screen... I can see the Screen")

 

 

 ***UPDATE***

 

 

 

 

 

PEEK-A-BOO CAN YOUR SCREEN SEE YOU? 

In my reviews, I tend to do it all from the test bend, or radio desk, because I think the screen will suck, when mounted in the vehicle. So this is more of an after thought and can be added as the last part of the the George Review (The last episode can be quickly accessed HERE).

While I can's say this applies to all of the new models (I usually only test AM/FM/SSB radios, leaving the rest to the Youber-Tubers). But when I found out a member of our local group had obtained a President George II EU I asked if he would mind swapping our rigs out for a week, so I could see the differences. He agreed, and we met briefly in a Walmart parking lot.

Neither of us had permanently mounted either radio so it was just a matter of swapping out the radios. He had chosen CYAN for a screen color as well, and with the swap done, we went our separate ways. Before turning the key on the keyless ignition (think about that one for awhile) I glanced at the George II on the passenger seat and thought, "That screen sure looks good".

As I turned into the neighborhood I immediately noticed that the color was gone. At the first chance I had, I parked along a curb and looked again - the color was back. Nonetheless I went over to the passenger door and opened it to find, that, depending how much sunlight got into my vehicle determined what the radio would do. I took a picture of the screen while not pointed at the Sun and got the good looking color.

Then, I picked the radio up, and standing outside of the passenger door, pointing it direct at the Sun and snapped a picture ---> I couldn't have been more pleased. During times where Sunlight hits the screen it looking not black & white, but more of a grayscale; with a pleasing light gray background, and everything else (channel number, S-meter, RF Gain, etc.)was a strong black. Immediately I called the guy that had just switched radios with me to see if he noticed it as well, and he answered with a resounding "YES". So it wasn't a fluke! Being that I wasn't parked in front of my house, and didn't know know anyone in that section, I refrained from dancing around my car with joy.

If you've been reading my reviews, over the years my harshest criticism has always been about the screen. For example, my reviews on the Uniden 980SSB and President Grant II were looking pretty good during extended use on the bench. The colors were outright beautiful, with several to select from, but when I put 'em in the mobile test vehicle I got disappointed pretty darn fast. 

Granted (no pun intended) they weren't permanently mounted, due to the lack of mounting space, seemingly destined to always have a McKinley (or PC-122) in the cubby hole at the bottom of the dashboard. But I usually only use 38LSB, so for testing purposes I'd have whatever radio I was testing on the passenger seat with and external speaker.

I remember the first day I used the 980SSB and it seemed like a pretty decent am/ssb radio for its price, pre-COVID. Amazon seemed to run them on sale once or twice a year for $99.95, and I bought two at that price. Back to that first day... It was overcast with intermittent showers and I had a 45 minute drive for a doctors appointment. I went through the screen's color scheme and set it for the easiest to read color.

After the doctor appointment the clouds had opened up and it was now mostly sunny. Tossing the umbrella aside I started my 45 mile trip back home. That's when the issue with the screen became an issue - when full sunlight hit the screen I couldn't read it. I pulled into a shopping center and went through each color, but none of them helped me see the washed out looking screen. If I set the radio under the dash and about 5" from the front, it was in the shade most of the time. But reaching the controls from the drivers position wouldn't be safe to attempt while actually driving. The other 980SSB I bought was the same way. If you only drove at night, or used it as your shack radio there wouldn't be a problem. 

I'm not just picking on the 980SSB or Grant, the McKinley screen wasn't that great either. But that was then and this is now.

Back to this screen: The last radio that I'd seen do this was an Alinco DX-70H All mode / up to 6m. It had an amber background with black lettering/info on the screen, but when the sun hit it, the screen looked more grayscale - light gray background with dark black frequency and other info in the foreground, making it totally visible. I loved that screen, and never understood why someone like President couldn't do the same - and now they have! Except for re-swapping the Presidents, my President George FCC will be the rig-in-the-car until it, or I, expire.

But don't blindly believe me, remember... "A picture is worth a thousand words", so see the screens for yourself....

HERE IS HOW THE SCREEN LOOKED IN THE CAR AND IN THE SHADE

 

 

 

AND THIS IS THE SAME RADIO THAT HAD BEEN ON THE PASSENGER SEAT, WHICH I PULLED UP AND OUT OF THE CAR AND POINTED IT DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE SUN!

UPDATE 2

The NRC (Noise reduction circuit) in the GEORGE FCC/GEORGE II is the same one that is used in the microphone that they sell for $49, so you don't have to buy one if that's your only reason. You will get the same noise reduction with the stock mic that comes with the radio.

Personally, I use the hand mic with noise reduction because A. I already had it; B. I like its heftiness, and C. It can be adjusted quickly, and has a unique sound to your voice. That is my choice, but this is something you should know about regarding the George.

 

73

WOODY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REVIEW UPDATES: PRESIDENT GEORGE II, ETC.

 

 

 REVIEW UPDATES

 

 

 

 

 

I've had to fit reviewing in-between medical visits, getting home warranty items pointed out and making sure they were take care of, along with issues with both cars (not to mention it's that time of year: Tax season]. As well, items planned for review have begun showing up at the front door, like this fella:

 

 While driving 35 miles to my back/spine doctor's appointment during heavy rain and white knuckle driving, I could have used this fellow strapped to the steering wheel (but it was waiting for me in the mailbox when I returned home).

The President George II (non-FCC), at this point, would appear to be a waste of money for someone in the U.S. to order from the UK, especially if they already have the FCC version:

1. You don't gain a lot of power (enough to get 1/2 and S-unit on SSB)
2. And unless you just have to have the ability to have the SPAN feature [i.e. the Non-FCC version gives you several different bands of frequencies divided into blocks of 40 channels. The FCC version is strictly one band of 40 channels, so there is no need for a SPAN function.] for more info, download the EU version manual on President's EU website.
3. There seems to be very little in the form of adjustments, but wait for the full review before making a decision to buy, one way or the other.
4. You won't have those NOAA weather frequencies with the EU version, which, during many parts of the year in my area of Texas it's very appreciated.

 

While checking the NON-FCC version out, I've also been playing around with Radioddity's QT60. There are several things I like, BUT, it never arrived with the screen looking like it does in the pictures of it (light amber). It's more of a slightly darker orange/red (at least the one I got came this way), and I've noticed that having it left "ON" 24/7 for the last month, the screen has slowly darkened. In the menu section I didn't see a screen brightness control, so I hoped there was one internally. After a quick exchange of emails with Radioddity I was told that there wasn't any manual control for this issue - what you get is what you get.

Any other items of discussion will be readable when the review of that radio is completed.

As for the remote, Blue-Tooth microphone, it's hooked up and ready to go as I type this now, so it's very possible that it's review will jump ahead, in front of the others. After all, when you break it down, it's just a microphone withe Blue-tooth capabilities.

Obviously, this is a great predicament to be in - too many things to review, oh, and I forgot that I still have Radioddity's QT-40 to look at, as it sits neglected underneath the the other radio boxes (I haven't even had time to take a peek of it). 

Anyway, I didn't want you to think I'd dropped of the edge of the world, like last year, only it's a very busy season to try and get everything done at the same time.

 

 73

Woody

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24/7 LIVE WILDLIFE FEED

(COOL)

I love live wildlife feeds like these! This one came from someone on another website, Jeff. Thanks for posting it!

REVIEW: THE PRESIDENT DIGIMIKE

THERE'S A NEW MICROPHONE IN TOWN, AND IT MEANS BUSINESS

WITH CAVEOTS

 

 

 

It's not often you find a manufacturer bringing new microphones to the market, and many operators opt for legendary brands like Astatic when they feel the need for a replacement microphone, whether it's a power mic, or noise-cancelling microphone. If the word hasn't gotten around to you yet, those microphones look the same, but I've heard many people moan about PTT (Push To Talk) switch failures in the first year, as well, a lot of the new radios don't work well with these older dynamic microphones. To be fair, some, but not all radios now have the ability to select either Electret or Dynamic within the menu system;  but added to the fairness, a year or two ago I tried this method with a Turner RK76 on a radio that had the capability to pick the type of mic being used and the audio wasn't what I expected it to be, so I ended up just putting the stock mic back on the radio. Let's look and see what sort of difference this new microphone makes...

"Noise Cancelling" is the topic, but not all noise cancelling microphones are created equally. While this microphone falls into the NC category, it's about as close as you can get in comparison to the others because unlike a lot of noise cancelling mics, which just use thicker foam in front of the element, or move the element further back into the microphone, the President Digimike has an an actual NRC (noise reduction circuit) chip/circuit inside the microphone, using the same voltage that comes from the radio, through the mic cord, to power the Electret mic element.

My usual approach when reviewing a mic is slightly altered for this one - because it's so special. I'll start with my very first impression of this microphone the first time I held it -

 

WEIGHT

 

It has some "heft" to it - and this is good! Not too much to make it tiresome to hold on a long QSO, and not so lightweight where you'd spend half the time talking on it, at the same time wondering if there was anything inside it. For the most part I think we'd all agree that today's stock microphones tend to feel cheap. The plastic case is robust, and its the shape fits your hand like a glove. The microphone cord is a good length with a decent amount of cord thickness, unlike the cords being used on other brand radios. Good job President!

Besides the PTT switch (a.k.a. the "Green Monster") there are only two other buttons you will use daily: UP & DN. The middle rectangular button is used to set your NRC, and once set, you probably won't have to use it again.

Reading directly from a green card which was wedged in the manual:

"The DIGIMIKE microphone is designed to make your modulation as clear as possible in all modes by eliminating the background noise."

The filtering levels go from 1 to 5, and if you don't have talkback, or another radio in the room to listen to your voice, I'd suggest having a friend help you figure out which setting worked best for you. For instance, if you're familiar with ham radios that incorporate DSP, then you know that the more DSP you add can lead to disconcerting watery audio. Personally leave mine set to 1, only occasionally bumping it up a notch to 2 if the background noise is really bad *NOTE: even if you set this mic to 5 it won't neutralize a cat wailing in the background waiting for his or her lunch, and at the 5 setting the middle button will stay solid green.

THERE IS A SOLID PIECE OF METAL ALLOWING YOU TO SECURELY HANG IT ON A MIC CLIP, ALSO, THE SECRET OF THE MICROPHONES WEIGHT ARE TWO METAL PLATES MOUNTED INSIDE THE BACK PANEL OF THE MICROPHONE. IT LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE POSSIBLE TO REMOVE ONE PLATE AND LIGHTEN THE LOAD, BUT I DIDN'T EXPLORE THAT OPTION BECAUSE I WAS HAPPY THE WAY IT CAME.

The green card also mentions that this microphone will also work well with VOX usage, provided your radio has that feature. The manual itself explains the colors of the middle button you change the NRC strength.

Along with those instructions, there is a very easy to follow mic wiring diagram.

 

WARRANTY

Pleasantly, in an age where warranties are rarely given their fair due by the manufacturer, this microphone is warranted for 2 years. Can you believe the warranty would be the hardest part of this review? I looked on President EU's site and was led to believe it was 2 years. "Brilliant" I said. Then I looked on the USA website and finally under general accessories, of which microphones are part of it only has a 6 month warranty. Even the Astatic hand mics with faulty PTT switches give you a year's warranty.

Amazon gives you 30days, Bells - 60days, Walmart - 30days in-store return, but for $2 you can make the warranty 2years.

This is the what you'll find in the manual:

WARRANTY (In accordance with the warranty conditions in the country of purchase)

• Important: Proof of original purchase is required for warranty service.
• WARRANTOR: GROUPE PRESIDENT ELECTRONICS (''PRESIDENT")
• ELEMENTS OF WARRANTY: PRESIDENT warrants, to the original user, if purchased from a retail store, that this PRESIDENT product will be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship, subject to the limitations and exclusions as set out below.

This warranty extends only to the original user. The warranty will be invalid if the Product is (A) damaged or has not been maintained in good condition through reasonable maintenance, (B) has been modified, altered or used as part of any conversion kits, subassemblies, or any configurations not sold by PRESIDENT, (C) improperly installed, (D) serviced or repaired by someone other than an authorized PRESIDENT service center for a defect or malfunction covered by this warranty, (E) used in any conjunction with equipment or parts or as part of any system not manufactured by PRESIDENT, or (F) installed or programmed by anyone other than as detailed by the owner's manual for this product.

STATEMENT OF REMEDY

• In the event that the product does not conform to this warranty at any time while this warranty is in effect, warrantor will either, at its option, repair or replace the defective unit and return it to you without charge for parts, service, or any other cost (except shipping and handling) incurred by warrantor or its representatives in connection with the performance of this warranty. Warrantor, at its option, may replace the unit with a new or refurbished unit. THE LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH ABOVE IS THE SOLE AND ENTIRE WARRANTY PERTAINING TO THE PRODUCT AND IS IN LIEU OF AND EXCLUDES ALL OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR ARISING BY OPERATION OF LAW, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER OR PROVIDE FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OR PAYMENT OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.
• Some countries do not allow this exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.
• LEGAL REMEDIES: This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from country to country.

PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING PERFORMANCE OF WARRANTY

If, after following the instructions in the owner’s manual you are certain that the Product is defective, pack the Product carefully (preferably in its original packaging). The Product should include all parts and accessories originally packaged with the Product. Include proof of original purchase and a note describing the defect that has caused you to return it. The Product should be shipped freight prepaid, by traceable means, to warrantor at

    Groupe PRESIDENT ELECTRONICS
    Route de Sele – BP 100
    34540 BALARUC
    FRANCE
    Group PRESIDENT ELECTRONICS
    1007 Collier Center Way,
    Naples, Florida 34110
    USA.


And yet - there is no mention of how long a warranty you have. After several back'n forth emails and texting with various President reps apparently 6 months is all you get. So I would recommend if the store your buying it from offers a extra year or two for a few bucks - Take it!

WHAT WAS MY EXPERIENCE?

My experience was absolutely brilliant! I found that when I had the NRC set to No.1 on the mic it was enough to keep out background noises in the shack and SUV. Now if I was in a noisy construction zone with a window down, allowing jack hammers, other assorted freeway noise (Road Rages), and the Elmer's Glue of the atmosphere (i.e. the sticky moist air from the the Gulf coast of Texas) coming at me I'd probably think about bumping it up a notch 😏

I'm not the only one who has mentioned this, but while this has a noise reduction circuit, and no other visible (inside or out) adjustable control, this microphone, which works very well cancelling background noise apparently cleans and boosts the audio as if it were a Noise Cancelling Power Microphone. Except for those days, decades away, when I'd put a Turner Plus 3 desktop microphone, I haven't heard so many unsolicited compliments on my audio. Before I wrap up the audio report part of the review:

• There is no volume control on the microphone because it's not a power mic, it's a noise canceling microphone using President's NRC (noise reduction circuit), so you can only change the noise reduction level (the manual has easy to read and follow instructions).
• When talking into the microphone try to keep it 3-4 inches from your mouth.
• By either using talkback, or recording the audio from another CB in the house I was bit flabbergasted - Not only was my voice clear to understand, but it was LOUD (compared to the stock microphone).
• At $47 (average price) this is the best thing you could do when looking for an upgrade for your own radio.

But what if buy a president George or other model with NRC built-in? Does it make any sense to duplicate it by buying this new microphone?

When asked about this from President, the reply I got was:

" If you have the NRC activated on the radio , you can deactivate it in the digimic.

Or activate the radio NRC on receive only if you want to use NRC activated digimic."

If you're short on cash buy the radio and use the NRC that's already inside it. If you have plenty of money to spend, you can get the microphone. The shape and weight is nice, and the audio is crisp. The choice is yours. Or, if you have a McKinley, put the microphone on it.

**Note, this is wired to the 6-pin connector all President radios use and you shouldn't have any issues. Regarding other brand radios? If they have a 6-pin connector with voltage on 1 wire to power the Electret element, I'd guess it would work as well, but talk to the dealer you're buying the mic from and get the final word from them.  I've read in various online radio groups that some operators with radios using the RJ-45 network cable jack seem to have issues. Make sure you ask your dealer about this as well.

I own two of these microphones currently. One is on my President McKinley, and the other one is on my President George FCC, yet I need another one for my second President George II, only this time, I'm tossing my loose change into the jar to get their new Blue Tooth microphone with NRC*. Not just to review, but I think having a decent microphone that is more-or-less hands free can only be a bonus to those of us running CB radios as we traverse the often treacherous traffic. Having the mic element w/channel Up & Down buttons on the steering wheel is is great idea - less distraction while driving.

*I hope to have one of these mics to review shortly and it'll probably get posted after I finish my review on the Radioddity QT-60 (Hint...it's a nice radio).

** There was a question or two that I passed along to President. When I get and answer, or, should something drastically change my opinion of any item I review, as always, I'll make the adjustment or additional information available on the original review.

Last but now least, you'll find a pretty good actual tryout of the mic here: (169) President DIGIMIKE Overview and Demonstration - YouTube

 73

WOODY

 

 

 

 

 

 

A FEW MINUTES TO BREATHE AND JOT DOWN SOME UPDATES

  

Between the holidays, visitors bring gifts and germs, and trying to get some reviews out, I have a couple minutes to jot down upcoming Blog Posts!

• A review of the President Digi-Mike
• A review of Radioddity's QT-40
• A review of Radioddity's QT-60
• A review of the President AM-FM 11m handheld (if I can afford it).
  
• Photos of an agonizing internal battery replacement in the Yaesu FT-757GX
• Since we moved last summer I almost have the shack complete and will share some photos
• "Possibly" a review of the Pace 1000B 40ch version base station
• "Possibly" a review of the Pace 1000m 40ch version mobile radio
• A visit with photos of soon to come hamfest
• And more...

All of this will take time, and sometimes there's not enough of it, but I have the the QT's sitting on the shelf just waiting for me to check out.

If possible, I also have a plan to update the CBGAZETTE website, but it'll be slow maybe a page or two a month (years ago the Adobe software I was using to create and update the site became Unobtainium, and the PC's hard drive with the software crashed and burned.

Lastly, I'm going to try and put a link to every review so you don't have to search for it, and it'll be interesting to see what I get done (as life throws us curves balls every so often).

 

73

WOODY

 

R&L ELECTRONICS CATALOG COVER 1999 WITH JOE WALSH

 

 

 

ONCE I GET MY FTP FIXED I'LL HAVE THE WHOLE CATALOG TO D/L

 

 

73

WOODY

 

HAPPY

GROUNDWAVE GROUND HOG

DAY!!

 

 

 IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN !

CABLE?

DVD?

Blu-Ray?

VUDU?

START POPPING THE POP CORN, KEEP THE SHADES CLOSED, THIS IS OUR DAY TO WATCH:

GROUNDHOG DAY

73

WOODY

FINAL REVIEW ON PRESIDENT GEORGE FCC, LEGAL U.S.A. CITITZENS BAND RADIO ALONG WITH COMMENTS NOT NECESSARILY "GEORGE" SPECIFIC

 

MY FINAL COMMENTS, FEELINGS, AND SPECS ON THE PRESIDENT GEORGE FCC, ETC.

 

This was really a Topsy-Turvy  review that included checking every feature, verifying watts and the audio tone. Then, after all of that I compared it to other radios I've owned and used.

                                             THE PRESIDENT GEORGE FCC AM-FM-USB-LSB 40 CH.

 In many cases they were 10m mobiles which could be converted to 12-10 meters, allowing for an easy clarifier pick between R, T, or R&T setting. 10 meter radios typically had a higher output, but I'm a 11-15 watt Sideband guy, who gets a kick making long distance QSO's with 15 or less watts (I've made a QSO 1,000+ miles, then slowly going down to 500mw - all on an indoor antenna).

I kept a President McKinley FCC in the car for years, then gave it away and put my Cobra 138xlr in it's place. It's my favorite CB, and I know someday it will stop working. But for a 47 year old radio, that's pretty good.

 

The quality of these newer radios seem to be cheap, possibly the new boards with teeny-tiny chips that require reading glasses + a well lit magnifying list to even determine what they are - but who cares? you can't get the tech manuals anymore. Let me be clear: THE PRESIDENT GEORGE IS NOT A CHEAPLY MADE RADIO, AND HAS A FRAME THAT FEELS LIKE IS WAS FORGED OUT OUT OF STEEL (OR ALLOY).

But I digress...

Back to the President George -

 Here's the President George FCC sitting on top of my favorite all-time winner of an all-model HF ham radio mobile: The Kenwood TS-50:

 

 

The is one helluva radio! All you have to be aware of are some electrolytic caps and glue that dissolves connections and you'll be okay. Just make it a practice to do maintenance check on it, every 2-3 years and you'll have a rig that lasts longer than you.

When I going to be on a long drive, or trip, I tend yo have the TS-50 and whatever LEGAL CB I want to use, riding shotgun with it. I like CB radios, 40ch, depending on the brand a decent NB. As well I like the NOAA channel/frequencies as they can really come in handy at times. And I like being legal. Other features not to be be forgotten: Dual-channel watch and a programmable EMG button.

I can't remember how many CB radios I've have in a vehicle or another, some owned, and others just to test/review except for the early years ( 1972-1984) - otherwise, it was a butt-load of CBs. 

Perhaps I'll change these words at some point and time, but the President George is my go-to LEGAL CB radio from now on.

• AM and SSB power was "as advertised"
• The Frequency was spot on.
• The built in NRC (noise canceling) can't be beat
• And who'd of thought the USB charge port would come in hand...😉
• THE WARRANTY!!! How could I have forgotten that at 2.am.?? The President CB radios have a C-R-A-Z-Y warranty which is 2 years, and I believe, if you buy a President antenna at the same time you get another year added, i.e. 2 + 1 = 3 (That wasn't for you - just me. I crawled into bed around 2:45 and just fell asleep, when the cat from hell woke me up @ 3a.m. and delighted in repeating her practice of  torture until she fell asleep around 4:30. Then the first line of alarms went off not soon after so we could get there on time. Anyway, DON'T FORGET THEIR WARRANTY!!
  

I don't know what happened at President, but a few years ago the FCC allowed the CB to have AM and FM come out with on AM-FM mobiles. I don't do FM, and only use AM on ch.19, so there wasn't much to impress me until rumors reached me about the soon to be announce  George II. If they were coming out with a Europe version called the George II, you could bet that a "George FCC" was not far behind.

So, via BELLS CB, I was able to buy one and check it out. I'm not paid to mention them, but I do like to promote a good business, with fast support, and quick shipping. Not only that, 100% of our communication was via text. Even when I got the "we're closed until tomorrow" auto reply, they surprised me time after time (nope, it wasn't Cyndi Lauper) with texts that came several hours after the "we're closed post".

So at last we come to the President George's final review. It took awhile to get there, but sometimes I take a different path to get to the finish line.

SIZE:

If you need something narrower, the McKinley has a bit less width to it, enabling you to fit hole in the dashboard, although it's a tad taller (sometimes there's always a little give with take).The biggest advantage with the McKinley is its front firing speaker.

Nostalgia and a brief comparison aside, I've weaved my way back to the President George FCC final analysis, and rig rates a 9.5 on a scale of 10. Here's what I noticed:

• In the house I get less background noise than my ham rig
• In the car I get less noise compared to 4 other radios, except one - the Cobra 138xlr
• The 5v USB plug up front, which I thought was wasted space, turned out to be not such a waste. I had a lot of errands to do one day and Robin said "Don't forget your phone". Well, I didn't forget the phone, but I had forgot to put it on the charger the night before. That USB charger sure came in handy.
• While slight, the channel knob has a slightly tougher click going from one channel to another, and it reminded me how the channel clicks felt on some older radios, and didn't have that cheap sound when going from on channel to the other.
  
• Not every ham radio is exactly on frequency, but I tried it against two of 'em, the Yaesu 757GX and my ICOM IC-705 and my voice sounded natural - not too low, not too high, but just right. Comments for the locals said I was on frequency, but a little different. I attributed it to the fact that they'd got used to hearing me on the previous radio test/check, the new Alinco DX-10, and I was on President's stock mic.
  

• The buttons below the screen were logically placed and easy to activate or de-activate, and the screen itself gave me the incoming DC voltage, RF Gain setting, and S/RF meter. If I had the NB turned on, it was displayed as well as the usual stuff, like your channel number and mode. It also displayed the useless frequency readout.

• THE SCREEN. I usually have a hard time finding a screen color that my eyes seem to like, and usually it's either Orange or Yellow and I've always HATED blue. It always looks good when I take a picture of it, but try and see it across the room, or where it's mounted in the car? Nope. This is why it's always good to have a "fallback" radio (Cobra 138XLR) But the President George can be the orange/yellow or NOT either blue/cyan is now all I use, (I lost my color notes, and possibly it's both) although I could occasionally use the Orange color. I would like to see an included, variable adjustment, to slightly brighten or dim each color (unless I missed that part in the manual). Other "wants"-  I'd like to see a screen reversal - by that I mean having an option to have a light screen/dark data (as it is now) or a dark background/dark lettering, so with a push of the button it could be changed.
  
• Not necessary but it think it would be cool having a "George" styled matching speaker that could take a lot of volume pumped into it with a decent sized magnet. That would be, as they say: "The cat's meow"
  

On the far right side, starting from the far right and moving inward we see some knobs, followed by a vertical lineup of buttons. Let's check 'em out:

• At the top there are two buttons TB and F (lock). TB as you might guess is to toggle your Talk Back ON/OFF, while the second button has 2 functions as well - "F" for the function menu, and LOCK to lock/unlock everything on the front screen, as to avoid mishaps. It certainly would keep you from accidentally activated VOX, Talkback, NRC, or CB/to the NOAA channels (amongst other dual-band buttons).

I've found that writing a more detailed review beats 15 minutes on a YouTube video, but even then I may leave something out or make a mistake. If I'd made a mistake, just shoot me an e-mail.

One thing I've always meant to mention is: When a new radio pops up on their website 99% of the time, so will the manual. I think it's always a good idea to D/L the manual and see what the radio(s) have to offer vs. another model

I've notice a couple new microphones on President's EU site

 

A REMOTE BLUETOOTH MICROPHONE

 

AND

 

 

A REMOTE MICROPHONE

 

Maybe they'll make their way "across the pond", but the Digi-mic is my choice now.

OTHER STUFF

In a recent post I put Ham Radio Outlet's (HRO) video on post. While they didn't use any the words like "upset", "unsettled", or "pissed" about what I had to say about it, the general feeling I got was along those lines. They pointed out that they are a Ham Radio shop and only provided a few CB radios to appease someone who walks in and asks "I want to buy a CB, do you sell any?"

I'm glad they sell them, BUT, they should at least sell a 1 quality radios (Cobra has a great name, but it's not the radio it was decades ago). 

I'm a ham and if I walked into a ham store and all they offered were Baofengs and Anytones and maybe a Yaesu. I'd probably walk out. A never-a-cber might be a good intended buyer, but a seasoned operator is willing to spend the bucks if the quality is there.

 Yes, the Cobra AM-FM handheld is a good price at about $110, but personally I would paid more to get the President Randy II. And eventually, when the coffers refill themselves with greenbacks, I'll but one to test. It's excellent testing territory our where I am, and pretty darn flat. I'll try to make that happen by Spring or early-early summer (i.e. - before you could fry a Woody on the sidewalk if he stood still too long... 😉)

 

 

 

And, it's only about $50 more than the Cobra. While I haven't reviewed it yet, you find a bunch them (both the U.S. and EU version to view).

 

**This 3-part review can be found in December & January, or easier, just search for President George in the search bar at the to left screen.

 

Last, but not least, if you've found a few spelling or grammatical errors in the final review, it's because it's 2:00a.m in Texas right now and my eyes are bleary, as well as knowing I have a few things to do that'll take an hour or so to get to bed...😴

73

WOODY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "How many CBer's does it take to mount a mobile antennas? 

Answer: 8, one to hold the antenna, and 7 to turn the car"

***and yeah, the longer this got, so did I, by either misspelling words or thinking of the word and not having that info sent from the brain to my flying fingers of fury, because I had to get my wife to the hospital for a test at 6.am. - and I just misspelled 6 words typing this paragraph. I'm going to bed...