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!
A continuation of Woody's 'Nuff Said column from the CBGAZETTE website, covering CB past and present along with Amateur (ham) radio interests.
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...
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!
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.
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)
STATEMENT OF REMEDY
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:
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.
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!
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
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.
But I digress...
Back to the President George -
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.
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:
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:
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
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... 😉)
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...