Just received a KL-7405v to go in the Peterbilt.
Am thinking it is the maximum reasonable power useful in such a vehicle (factory antenna mounts the only original items remaining), and it’s size is about as big as I can go given likeliest mounting positions.
I’ve been hard on both a KL-203p and a KL-203. A half-dozen radios and 3-4 big trucks. Have three (four?) of the 203s around here as they’re so easy to use.
I don’t plan to be hard with this latest one.
Have a KL-7505v used awhile in a big truck (amp draw too high requiring comparatively massive power cables) that’s slated for my pickup under the back seat. A permanent install where cabling size won’t matter.
And a KL-703 that’ll be used in my travel trailer. Likely it will be just a few feet from the batteries & 12V/120V power center.
All three are “mobile installations”.
The general arguments against CB leenyers I grok as valid, but overcoming background noise and being able to be heard (50-150W) while underway — where reception of timely information may be measured in seconds — kicks those objections out the door.
My experience thus far (since late 2017 after using dual final radios the previous twenty-plus) is that 25-30W ain’t enough. Getting up near or past 100W on AM is the bees knees.
Running one of these without some precautions isn’t advisable. I’ve run them on the provided big truck 15A circuit with teeny wires. . . and they lived. But it’s better to upsize power wire size and completely bypass vehicle wiring as insurance.
A variable-power AM/SSB radio is the natural companion. Get everything tuned and squared away before turning it on.
Admonitions to test dead-key, etc, are the way to go.
That these amplifiers are affordable — and with them one avoids the radios with built-in amp problems — makes their consideration worthwhile.
Get one while you can. A pair of KL-203s can be had, shipped, for about $125. (Car & Castle).
Am thinking it is the maximum reasonable power useful in such a vehicle (factory antenna mounts the only original items remaining), and it’s size is about as big as I can go given likeliest mounting positions.
I’ve been hard on both a KL-203p and a KL-203. A half-dozen radios and 3-4 big trucks. Have three (four?) of the 203s around here as they’re so easy to use.
I don’t plan to be hard with this latest one.
Have a KL-7505v used awhile in a big truck (amp draw too high requiring comparatively massive power cables) that’s slated for my pickup under the back seat. A permanent install where cabling size won’t matter.
And a KL-703 that’ll be used in my travel trailer. Likely it will be just a few feet from the batteries & 12V/120V power center.
All three are “mobile installations”.
The general arguments against CB leenyers I grok as valid, but overcoming background noise and being able to be heard (50-150W) while underway — where reception of timely information may be measured in seconds — kicks those objections out the door.
My experience thus far (since late 2017 after using dual final radios the previous twenty-plus) is that 25-30W ain’t enough. Getting up near or past 100W on AM is the bees knees.
Running one of these without some precautions isn’t advisable. I’ve run them on the provided big truck 15A circuit with teeny wires. . . and they lived. But it’s better to upsize power wire size and completely bypass vehicle wiring as insurance.
A variable-power AM/SSB radio is the natural companion. Get everything tuned and squared away before turning it on.
Admonitions to test dead-key, etc, are the way to go.
That these amplifiers are affordable — and with them one avoids the radios with built-in amp problems — makes their consideration worthwhile.
Get one while you can. A pair of KL-203s can be had, shipped, for about $125. (Car & Castle).
