Also known as: McKinley USA, President McKinley, McKinley II FCC
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The President McKinley II FCC is the best-equipped CB you can buy new: the only current rig with all three legal modes — AM, FM, and SSB (4 W carrier, 12 W PEP sideband), wrapped around what owners consistently rate the best receiver and noise blanker in the current SSB class.1 Add an automatic SWR check, a rare 12/24 V supply, and a compact chassis, and it’s our “best features for the price” pick at around $180–230 (2026 pricing floats — verify at checkout).
Key takeaways The current default for a serious SSB mobile. Class-best receiver and noise blanker (owner rankings: McKinley > Washington > Uniden 980), AM/FM/SSB, automatic SWR check, ASC auto-squelch, sunlight-readable display, front-firing speaker you can actually hear, 12/24 V for heavy trucks. Costs more than the 980SSB and skips trucker niceties like talkback. License-free (Part 95D). ~$180–230. Full rankings: best CB radios.
Overview
President builds CBs the way ham manufacturers build transceivers, and the McKinley is where that shows. The parts of a radio you can’t see on a spec sheet — receiver selectivity on a noisy highway, a noise blanker that actually blanks ignition hash, squelch that opens for voices and not for alternator whine — are where owners consistently rank it first in the current SSB class. The ASC automatic squelch means you set it once; hi-cut, NB, and ANL filters handle the rest.
The McKinley II FCC is the current version, adding FM (legal on CB since 2021) to the original McKinley USA’s AM/SSB. Original-version stock still circulates; the II is the one to buy. Practical touches follow the same engineering-first pattern: an automatic SWR check warns you of a bad antenna every time you transmit, the front-firing loudspeaker is genuinely usable without an external speaker (rare in this hobby), the display stays readable in sunlight (the 980SSB’s does not), and the 12/24 V supply covers heavy trucks that competitors can’t. VOX is aboard for hands-free.
What you give up versus the trucker-culture rigs: no talkback, and the clarifier is locked to legal receive-side behavior — hobbyists who want an unlocked clarifier complain, and we count that a feature, not a flaw (an unlocked clarifier that slides your transmit frequency is non-compliant; see our Grant XL page for how that ends).
License note: none — CB is licensed by rule under FCC Part 95D. 4 W AM/FM, 12 W PEP SSB, 40 channels; the McKinley II is certified to exactly that.
Modes & features
- 40 channels, 4 W AM/FM / 12 W PEP SSB (USB/LSB), Part 95D certified.
- NOAA weather + alerts, large LCD, automatic SWR check, ASC automatic squelch, VOX.
- Hi-cut / noise blanker / ANL filters, clarifier, RF power and mic gain.
- Compact DIN-ish chassis, front-firing speaker, 12/24 V DC.
GopherTrunk alternative
The honest note we put on every CB page: GopherTrunk doesn’t decode CB, and we won’t pretend it does. CB is 27 MHz analog AM/FM/SSB — below an RTL-SDR’s native tuning range without direct sampling or an upconverter, and analog sideband voice is outside GopherTrunk’s trunking/digital wheelhouse. To scout whether anyone near you runs SSB before spending McKinley money, an HF-capable SDR is the right listening tool, and the 40-channel map is in our scanner frequencies reference. Talking back requires the transmitter.
Who it’s for
- Buy the McKinley II if you’re a trucker or serious hobbyist who wants the best current SSB mobile — the receiver, the noise blanker, and all three modes justify the premium. View on Amazon →
- Buy the Bearcat 980SSB instead to get SSB for ~$50 less with talkback — accepting the weaker display and blanker — or the Bearcat 880FM if you don’t need sideband at all.
- Skip it for a 29 LTD Classic if your world is AM on channel 19 and shop-serviceability matters more than receive performance. Full rankings: best CB radios.
Sources
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President McKinley USA product page — President Electronics USA, on AM/SSB (FM on the McKinley II FCC), 12 W PEP, 12/24 V supply, automatic SWR check, ASC, VOX, and filtering. ↩
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a license for the President McKinley II?
No. CB is licensed by rule under FCC Part 95D — no exam, no fee. The ‘FCC’ in the model name simply marks the US-certified variant; legal limits are 4 W carrier on AM/FM and 12 W PEP on SSB.
What's the difference between the President McKinley and the McKinley II?
The McKinley II FCC is the current model and adds FM — legal on CB since the FCC’s 2021 rule change — on top of the original’s AM/SSB. Original McKinley USA stock (AM/SSB only) still circulates; buy the II unless you find a bargain and don’t care about FM.
Is the President McKinley II better than the Uniden Bearcat 980SSB?
In everything but price. Owner consensus rates the McKinley’s receiver and noise blanker the best in the current SSB class, the display is readable in sunlight where the 980SSB’s washes out, the front-firing speaker is usable without an external, and it adds FM. The 980SSB is cheaper and has talkback.
Can I run the McKinley II in a semi truck with a 24-volt system?
Yes — it accepts 12 and 24 V supplies, which is rare among CBs and one reason it’s popular in heavy trucks and European-style HGVs. Most competitors are 12 V only.
What's the range of the President McKinley II on SSB?
With 12 W PEP SSB, a tuned antenna, and decent conditions, roughly double what a 4 W AM radio manages — but only to stations that also run SSB. On AM/FM it’s a normal 4 W CB where the antenna, not the radio, sets your range.