WROZ437

I think you're right on that one. I got GMRS to be legal when I installed a Midland 15w mobile in my Jeep. I quickly realized the limitations of that setup. I started playing around with a Baofeng, which was a trash radio, but it opened my eyes as to what else was out there. I got my Tech ticket and grabbed a Wouxun UV9PX, intending to mostly scan/listen but then it became apparent that digital radio is where most of the action is (or at least it seems that way to me). Now I have an AnyTone 878 HT and a 578 mobile. I'm still barely getting my feet wet with the ham stuff but it's pretty neat. Doubtful that I will ever get a general or extra class license, as I just don't see myself trying to bounce HF around the world just for the sake of it but for where I am currently at with the hobby, I am glad I got my technician class license. Obviously, most people are put off by having to take a test to get the license, which is too bad. There are so many 2m and 70cm repeaters out there. I've been listening to DMR through a local repeater and there is actually a lot of chatter on the local talkgroups. I rarely hear anything on the local GMRS repeater I can get into or when I am scanning while traveling.

Quick question about the railroad frequencies... Are the railroads still primarily using analog or have they been migrating to digital like many other commercial applications? I have a Wouxun UV9PX and can scan the railroad frequencies, but I haven't tried that at all as of yet.

Nice job! I am big fan of clean installations. How do you like the "CB Bar?" I am going to be moving on from my Midland MXT275 to an Anytone D578, which lacks a detachable faceplate, so I will need to be able to see the radio and interact with it's buttons and knobs. Seems like it might be the cleanest way to mount a radio without a detachable faceplate.

I understand the regs. I left them out of the discussion since I know what I am talking about doesn't fit within them. You know, I am just asking hypothetical questions about what radios might be capable of certain things. ? Eh. for the same performance I can stick with my Midland MXT-275 mobile unit and Wouxun KG-UV9PX HT. Maybe I'll get ambitious and run coax and an external antenna for the Wouxun when I'm in my Jeep. If I'm going to spend more money there needs to be a benefit like improved performance or the ability reduce clutter. These are fun thought experiments, though. I appreciate the responses and insight.

Thanks for the insight. I don’t really have a favorite brand. I have used both Moto and Kenwood HTs at work. Both seem to work equally great in our use case, which honestly isn’t very demanding. I merely used Motorola as a a brand that would be recognized as quality. Substitute Kenwood, or maybe even Yaesu or Icom as things that are accepted as quality when compared to the plethora of CCRs that are pretty mainstream. As was mentioned earlier there was a prominent member here who was all about the XPR7550e radio. I understand the reasons why and agree with the logic 100% but it seems the reality is that a lot of people end up on Baofengs and Wouxuns because the “feature” sets are more robust, including front panel programming, and all at an affordable price point. As you mentioned answers here are free so I just figured I’d ask if there was a quality stand out radio that fit the bill. Something along the lines of surplus government or comercial gear that can be easily programed for VHF and UHF stuff like MURS, 2m, 70cm, GMRS. I get why there isn’t. There isn’t a market of people willing to pay for the features (and support of those features) on a radio made by a top tier manufacturer and appropriately certified by the FCC.

I get all that, from rules to digital protocols. I appreciate your help, but I think you misunderstood my question. I did not ask about compatibility. I asked about comparability, as in performance quality. Is an Anytone radio of a similar quality to a Motorola? While I don't have $5,000 to spend on an APX radio I could be willing to go a little further into my pocket than I did for the Midland MXT275 I currently have. Basically, is there a middle ground between CCR stuff like Midland, Wouxun, etc. and the high end like the Motorola and Kenwood stuff? Is the Anytone or Radioddity just cheap CCR stuff? I've poked around long enough to know there is older LMR gear that can be purchased and programmed for GMRS, but lacking all the bells and whistles and "capabilities" of newer Chinese made radios. As a specific example, is there an older Motorola or Kenwood LMR mobile that can do what the Anytone D578-UVIIIPlus can do if programmed appropriately? If such a radio exists, am I going to be disappointed anyway? The whole point would be to limit clutter, number of radios, etc. but I'm also assuming that finding an antenna with acceptable performance on 70cm, 2m, and GMRS would be tough, if not impossible.

I understand your disclaimer. I will say that I don't plan to operate with power that exceeds FCC regulations for specific frequencies/bands. So are the Radioddity or Anytone radios at all comparable with something like an older Motorola? Am I just asking for too much in one package? One of the HT's I currently own is a Wouxun KG-UV9PX, which checks all the boxes except for DMR and not having a high-quality receiver. I live within eyesight of NYC so I imagine a better receiver would be beneficial here.

So can you guys recommend a decent mobile radio that will work on GMRS, 2m and 70cm? I have a Midland MXT 275 right now, but I recently got my technician ticket, so I am looking to expand my capability. I have a couple Wouxun HTs so I have seen that they may not be very sensitive radios despite the superheterodyne marketing. I am game to go down the rabbit hole with a programmable Motorola unit but none of my computers are old or have serial ports on them so it will have to work with more modern operating systems and USB. Being able to use digital and analog would be a plus (I use UHF DMR radios at work under an IG license). And for a sense of budget... APX radios are WAY, WAY out of reach right now.

Thanks for the update! I believe you have a Gladiator, which is also what I have, so I find your experience interesting. Which antenna location did you find problematic? I am also a huge fan of driving without doors or a roof. Currently I have an MXT 275 and no immediate plans to replace it as I am generally happy with it even though I don't use it a ton. That said, I am always willing to improve my setup, within reason. My antenna is currently mounted to the driver's side cowl but I have a full height bed rack and I am seriously thinking of moving the antenna to the rack. The obvious drawback there is the height that will be added to the truck but I think radio performance could be better due to the height. I could also add a true ground plane on the rack. Sorry to derail the thread.

So what is the best option for those of us that don't want to deal with everything involved with obtaining and reprograming older Kenwood or Motorola mobile units? Is all of the "CCR" stuff trash? Is there no good affordable option for those of us that just want a simple reliable radio? You know, something like an MXT500 or MXT575 that actually works?

I don’t want to derail the topic but where did you get a coverage map like that? That is pretty awesome that it takes terrain into consideration.

Thanks @PACNWComms, @BoxCar, and @PartsMan. I’m gonna check out that Crutchfield link. I also did some independent research and have 2 other things I need to check on. I ran power and ground directly to the battery. I need to move my ground to the “bonded jumper” grounding point on the chassis. I may have inadvertently created a ground loop. I also need to check to see if my antenna mount is grounded. The radio in question is mounted in a Jeep Gladiator JT and the antenna is mounted to the cowl. The bolt and mount are steel but the cowl is plastic. The steel bolt is affixed to where the cowl is held to the rest of the body. I assumed this would be a good ground but now I wonder if I don’t have good continuity to ground in that location. I can move the antenna to the fender easily enough although it won’t look as clean.

Yes. It’s directly related to the engine RPM. It’s a faint whine in the background that can be heard when the radio breaks the squelch while receiveing a transmission.

I went on a road trip over the last few days and it seems I still have some interference with m setup. I ran my power and ground all the way to the battery. I have the cooltech cowl mount and a 6db gain whip. I hear a little whine that corresponds to the engine RPM. My radio also opens the squelch for a lot of transmissions that are not discernable. Sounds like just static or a an open mic but I can't hear talking. Could all of this be ground wire or antenna ground related? I like the location of the antenna but can move it to get a better ground. Could I just add a ground braid? I am unsure with how and when to use different strategies. I do have a bed rack so I could always move the antenna back there, too, and probably even establish an actual ground plane...

I see your problem is solved but I’ll add my experience. I have a 2020 Gladiator with an MXT275 . I have a similar (same) antenna mount (Cool Tech) in the same location with the same Midland antenna. To power the radio I originally tapped the dedicated hot under the glove box, which also powers my dash cam, and used a ground in the cabin, again shared with my dash cam. That was no bueno. I had a lot of interference and I was also worried about the size of the factory hot wire. It was certainly a smaller gauge than the leads on the MXT275. My solution was to run dedicated power and ground through the firewall to the battery. Problem solved. My radio is now crystal clear. I ran 12ga. wire, which was way overkill but I figure I am future proof if I ever want to run a higher power mobile in the future.

I think it’s more that I bought the MXT115 before really doing a whole lot of research. The MXT115 was inexpensive enough that I didn’t sweat the purchase too much. After the fact I started diving a little deeper and learned about some of the shortcomings of Midland stuff like no wideband, limited features, etc. The radio will do everything I need it to do. I’ll heed the advice of you, @PACNWComms, and the others who replied above and stick with what I have for now. Even with that being the case, all the replies in this thread have help me gain more understanding. Maybe I’ll snag a decent handheld at some point….

Thanks! Not gonna lie, your video review of the XS20G is what has me interested in that particular radio. I really want to like the stuff offered by Midland but as I go down the rabbit hole I don’t like what I am discovering. Thanks for the reply! I am glad I am not totally out in left field on this one! For now I am going to focus on polishing up the installation of my MXT275. I’m still playing around with where and how I have my antenna mounted. The MXT275 is leaving me wanting for more, as far as features go, and maybe power too, but I don’t know if I need to go all in on a full 50W radio with the tradeoffs I would have to make on mounting and such.

I think the other genius of Midland’s marketing is their advertising as an American company. Obviously the radios are made in China but their assertion as an American company implies a high level of quality and customer service. I know you were “speaking” tongue in cheek, but as a Jeep owner, I can say a lot of Jeep guys/gals tend to favor “American” products, even at higher prices when compared to Chinese alternatives. I guess that’s not surprising considering the history of Jeeps. While Midland’s quality may be a bit overstated, I will say their customer service is top notch. I think to summarize I can say I am so disappointed and frustrated because Midland is so close to making some really good products. If they would just implement a few seemingly small changes….

I’m sure this is not the first time this has come up but searching for terms like “watt,” “power,” “mobile,” etc. yields many many results on a radio forum. I apologize if this has already been beaten to death and I appreciate any insight. The focus of my questions is that I am considering upgrading my mobile unit. I currently have a Midland MXT275. I’ve gotten the bug a little, so to speak, so I need to decide what general direction I am going. The first step is determining the most appropriate power level for a mobile unit. I would normally assume more watts is better, but maybe that’s not always the case. Some of the less powerful radios have appeal due to their form factor or specific features when compared to higher power units. A prime example would be a Wouxun KG-XS20G. It’s form factor and features are very appealing, albeit at only 20 watts. Considering the primary limitation of GMRS is line of sight, how useful is upgrading a mobile radio from say 15 watts to 50? I mean bigger is always better, right? Bust seriously, if an HT can reach 15+ miles (allegedly) in favorable conditions with good LOS, then what are those “extra” 45 watts of power really doing in a mobile unit? I have also read some concerns over RF exposure. How serious are these concerns when TXing at higher power with mobile units?

It’s pretty sad. I am new to all of this so I am just figuring it all out. My primary use will be in my Jeep so obviously Midland came up when looking at Jeep centric websites prior to making a purchase. I ordered a 275 and didn’t think much of it. When the unit showed up on my doorstep I did some googling and watched a few videos to get some ideas on how to install the radio cleanly in my Jeep. It was through that secondary research that I learned of myGMRS and started going down the rabbit hole. I mentioned I got a GMRS radio for my Jeep. Honestly, the 275 will be fine for it’s intended use. That said, as with most of us on this forum, I got bit by the bug a little. When I learned about things like wide v narrow band, repeater tones, etc. I realized the 275 fell short compared to most other mobile radios. What really irritates me is that according to Zak, the product manager at Midland, the forthcoming MXT575 isn’t considered a premium product offering. Seriously!? It’s got a $400 price tag! The KG-1000G is less money and does far more! So I am stuck in a weird spot. I am not (yet) a full on radio geek but I do want to get the most out of my GMRS setup. The minimum acceptable feature set for me would be the MXT500, as I could program channels 8-14 with repeater tones. Even with my fairly casual use, I could see myself needing more than 7 channels for that purpose, though. Honestly the one feature that Midland offers which I find very, very appealing is the integrated mic. I was able to get the 275 installed really cleanly in my Jeep. I am not a fan of cables and wires running across the dash, etc. My 275 has a what I think is a defective mic. The screen is very hard to read from straight on and impossible to read at an angle from the top of the mic, like when its hanging from my dash, for example. Midland was very responsive and sent another mic right away but it was DOA. It won’t even turn on or light up at all. So this is frustrating. As previously mentioned, when I upgrade to a more powerful radio, I will have to forego the integrated mic to get more advanced features. If I am losing the ability to bury the radio in the glovebox then I have several options for fully featured mobile radios, all of which are cheaper than the Midland MXT500. I guess this highlights the irony of the situation. Amongst crowds that are looking for simple, reliable comms - you know, the whole point of GMRS - Midland is the recognized brand, at least amongst non-radio enthusiasts. They know how to market their products. They appear to be a consumer version (affordable) of something like the Kenwood or Motorola radios. That said, quality control and feature development seems to be severely lacking. That really makes the price tags of the new MXT500 and forthcoming 575 hard to swallow. I really want to like Midland. I really really do. As I previously mentioned, the integrated mic is a game changer for me. I like simple interfaces. I can appreciate how Midland has positioned themselves in the market. I don’t fault them for that. I think they have just dumbed it down too much.

You make a ton of sense. It has been published that channel 20 with PL 141.3 is the travel tone (Wikipedia and other random online sources). I find @OffRoaderX and his YouTube videos to be very entertaining and helpful but his "proclamation" was obviously, at least partly, in jest. Even in jest, using channel 19 also makes sense, to a point. I am in the Metro NYC area and I can say channel 20 is basically unusable here. I have not determined the source but there is (what I think is) a repeater with substantial reach that has constant traffic/interference on it. I hear it at my home and also at work which is 28 miles away. This is small potatoes compared to Line A but still a thing.

I see it as more analagous to CB channel 19. If I’m in traffic and curious as to why I’m not moving it would be cool, although not necessarily helpful, to call out on GMRS 19 and get a response if anyone was in range. I’m thinking simplex use here to another road user within a mile or two. My understanding is that 462.6750/141.3 was originally meant to be an open repeater initiative. That’s cool but not the same thing. In a real emergency I would pick up the phone. Radio use would be a last resort in an emergency. So for my simple minded vision of this it would be nice if there was a consensus. Channel 19 with no tones seems to make the most sense for on the road simplex use similar to how CBs were used. Yeah, there is the line A thing….

Well at least Midland's Customer Service is quick and responsive. The only radios that accept any programming are the "premium" MXT400 and 500 units. Doesn't look like the 575 will be programmable, either, but at least that will have wideband baked in. From Midland Customer Support: I really want to like the 575 or even my 275 if I could expand it's capability a bit. I really like the clean installation of the integrated mic. *Sigh* Looks like I am going to have to figure out how to get a KG-1000G mounted cleanly in my truck...

? I appreciate your reply but I thought this thread was more along the lines of when cell service or other means of communication are not available. Obviously you know the beauty of two way radio is that it doesn't rely on service providers or other infrastructure to work.

As a newb I think this is a pretty useful thread. I think this issue highlights the need to agree upon a frequency/channel to be used in an emergency. Sounds like FRS channel 1 might catch some attention depending on where you are. That leads to another issue, though. The higher powered mobile GMRS radios often times don't have the FRS channels available for transmit. If you were stranded in a vehicle with only a mobile, what would be your best chance of getting attention?