Leaderboard

The powerpole interchangeability is a good point, especially since it isn't uncommon to find them on base power supplies anyway; my alinco definitely has a couple, and I made one harness for powerpole to 12v socket. The 50x1 got banana plugs and is using the sockets on the back. I've been looking at the idea not so much to interchange radios but more to be able to Move them between base and car. Was pondering slotting the mounting bracket so instead of 4 screws radio to bracket, it'd be 2 wing nuts to loosen and remove the radio and bracket together. I also have a second wiring harness on the way to go into the car.

I totally get it. I grew up during the CB boom in the seventies in the valleys and hills of Trinity County, California. I still remember the callsign and handles the family used. And it was usually pretty good. But these days ... I've only got my own household to talk to, and pretty good cellphone coverage usually. So some adequate HTs will do us fine for outdoor activities like rocketry or birding. it's not that we need long-distance communication so much as it is that we hate to shout. :-)

That and wiring are the biggest rub. It would come down to finding radios that share hardware, so would use the same wiring and mounting bracket. The main possibility that comes to mind is the btech 50x1 / 50x2, which look to be only a firmware change apart. other l possibilities I'm less sure of are whatever the Midland mxt400 shares hardware with, or if the radio sold as the anytone 578 (among other things) has an equivalent on the gmrs side.

It is interesting that note the LT-590 and TH-9000(d) UHF versions are not available on Amazon and it is unknown if they will become available. OTOH, There is a Retevis RT-9000D That appears to be almost identical to the TH-9000d and is in-stock. I mention the availability of the two Bond Telecom brands (Luiton and TYT) because it may hint at an upcoming change in the MXT400. In fact, the Retevis version may represent close-out stock that they purchased from Bond Telecom. Also, FWIW, the Retivis-9000D programming software appears to be the same as the LT-590. Also, just wondering if anyone here has tried to program their MXT400? I am sure there are a lot of interested people waiting to hear.

If the reason that most people get the Midland is because they want an "out of the box, Part 95 legal radio" - then opening up the radio to a 25 kHz bandwidth (which the Midland isn't type accepted for) kind of kills the whole rational they started with. Might as well have gotten something like a part 90 radio that actually did 25 kHz right from the start, and saved the time & trouble. It would be just as legal (maybe more), half the price, and work twice as well.