OldBlue

Great, thanks.  Now I bought one too! ?

It's like my favorite movie... The Blues Brothers... I know how it ends but it's still fun to watch.

Some guy **ahem** did a review on this radio recently.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jqff37U58o&t=1262s
 
Some of you might find it helpful when making the decision to buy this radio. I bought one a while back, and I'm quite pleased with it. Not top of the line by any means, but a lot of great features for the price.

Even moisture in the air causes attenuation of UHF signals. 

Great, thanks.  Now I bought one too! ?

Great, thanks.  Now I bought one too! ?

See, that's the fundamental issue.  It doesn't matter what some POS government agency says "Made In America" means, it's the general perception and expectation of what that means, or rather what it once use to mean, which included ALL of the components, not just the completed unit. 

It was the slow migration of manufacturing leaving the country.  If you're old enough, there was a time when almost everything was made in America, and it had nothing to do with nationalism or patriotism.  It was about jobs and pride in the work, about making a quality product. 

Those days are, sadly, all but completely gone, no matter how much people wave their flags and scream for nationalism and patriotism.  Words won't fix the issue, bringing actual (competitive) manufacturing and innovation back to America will.

Until then, accept the reality that virtually all of your communications equipment (and their components) is made in a foreign country, no matter what 'American' company name is on it.  Yeah, you too Motorola.



(sorry for the rant)

If you are trying to hear everything on the GMRS frequencies then dont be surprised when you DO hear everything on the GMRS frequencies.
 
IMHO the beauty of GMRS is the you and your group can set up your own CHANNEL by picking a frequency, adding a PL filter and greatly decreasing the chance of hearing others while meeting your comm needs.  There is NO privacy ("they" can still hear you) but you can miss the other stuff most of the time.

Hey there everyone, just wanted to stop in and say hey. Like the Title says I'm new to GMRS. Just got my license and a handheld and live near the linglestown (351) repeater. My call sign is WRTJ860 if any in the area wants to chat, my radio is usually on I'm still trying to figure this all out, especially reprograming of the radio to my liking which is an older Baofeng 82HP to learn on. i will take any and all advice and look forward to meeting and talking to whomever i meet, Ron

Make sense.  I am moving the other way away from the MXTs for radios that allow more.   Altho the wife's TJ still running the MXT115
 
 
Re-did the wife's TJ mount. 
 
Found a LED third brake light for the TJ at the swapmeet today.  Got home installed and the ball started rolling on a new mount, inspired from an earlier post.
 
 

Just made my first contact on a repeater, Woop!
My story:
I needed to talk to my son when he walked down the street to play with his friends. He's too young for a cell phone, so we bought him a cheap FRS radio. It wouldn't quite make it, so I bought a UV-5R which worked great for down the street (yes, Tx power was greater than FCC rules). Of course, that led me to NOTARUBICON's videos and Ask Dave and ARRL. I ordered a Wouxun and while waiting for it to arrive I picked up a BTECH GMRS-V2 and a Nagoya GMRS antenna (is that the 771G?). I figured out CHIRP and tones and got my GMRS license from the FCC's truly awful web site.
Very exciting to hear a stranger say your call sign back to you over the radio for the first time.

Absolutely, the CCRs took the market by storm. And back in 2017ish, at 9.95 for a BF-888s with Prime, shipped to your home was a thing... and I bought like 20 of those... which, at the time, If you needed something to get you by, without having to deal with old/used stuff, that was pretty much unbeatable. During that time, most of the stuff worth owning from Motorola was quite expensive too... maybe the XPR6550 was somewhat affordable, but even that was still quite expensive at the time.
Well, the same fate that happened to the US companies in the 70s/80s when the Japanese flooded the market with cheaper radios, its happening now to Japanese companies as well... Japanese people nowadays make a lot of money a year too, so the cheap inrush of radio stuff is no more... and Japan is now more like the US in terms of pay, and for any decent radio they make, its priced accordingly... you won't find any NX-5200 for 49.95 + Prime, that is for sure.
Uncertain where/how the bottom of the barrel Motorola stands in terms of performance... maybe its worth owning some, at least given the expensive prices of even the CCRs are going for right now. 
The old Moto stuff if you can find good deals is really hard to beat. Sure, I am not going to argue that it will require some time investment to grasp the CPS and the other stuff that would've came pre-programmed on dedicated GMRS radios... but again, it would also seem that a lot of the people who post here are also radioaficionados too, so having to program a more complex CPS shouldn't be too bad... IMO.
Now, for people who are not into radios at all, etc, I wouldn't recommend anything that requires any sort of tinkering.... just get the beers and pretzels Walmart Midland bubble pack and don't look back... 
I'd still take a Midland over non American brands... even if Midland is ultimately made in China... 
G.

I want to make a pack radio using the MXT115 & 8 amp battery. I want to set it up into self contained box pouch . That way it still can be used while in the backpack. Like the older military pack radios.
That way I have a radio that has a little more power then a HT unit in the field .
I will also set up a 25 watt Ham radio .


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I don't use my radio all that much, but for my needs the MXT115 works well enough.  Is it perfect?  Yeah right, far from it.  I picked up a brand new one, unopened for $40.  Can't beat that w/ a stick (well, I guess you could if you had a stick...).  I really only use it to keep in touch w/ my buddies and family when we're wheeling together.  It works great for that.  And I do like the size and mounting bracket.  Wish others would make a similar bracket.

Nothing wrong with the MXT line. Its simple and just ready for use.  I also like how small and compact it is!

I don't use my radio all that much, but for my needs the MXT115 works well enough.  Is it perfect?  Yeah right, far from it.  I picked up a brand new one, unopened for $40.  Can't beat that w/ a stick (well, I guess you could if you had a stick...).  I really only use it to keep in touch w/ my buddies and family when we're wheeling together.  It works great for that.  And I do like the size and mounting bracket.  Wish others would make a similar bracket.

Not sure how much I can actually add to this thread, but here's my set up.  '21 JLUSS, Midland MXT115, EAG (Amazon) antenna mount, and Midland 3db Gain Ghost antenna (not pictured).  Since I have a 6 speed manual, I couldn't use the grommet next to the master cylinder to run the cable - I folded down the windshield, ran the coax under the windshield frame, under the drivers side dash speaker, down under the dash to just under the steering wheel, and then to the radio mounted on the driver's side of the console.  Pain in the butt to run.  Tapped the cigarette lighter for power.
 
 

I don't use my radio all that much, but for my needs the MXT115 works well enough.  Is it perfect?  Yeah right, far from it.  I picked up a brand new one, unopened for $40.  Can't beat that w/ a stick (well, I guess you could if you had a stick...).  I really only use it to keep in touch w/ my buddies and family when we're wheeling together.  It works great for that.  And I do like the size and mounting bracket.  Wish others would make a similar bracket.

I have one right here on my desk.. It's a nice upgrade the the UV9G.. The release has been delayed due to supply chain/shipping issues, but it should be available soon (my GUESS is 30-60 days, but this is only a guess)..
Some new stuff on the UV9Gx:
theme able color schemes much brighter LED flashlight stiffer knobs can receive down to 219Mhz more power control settings for better battery life a priority channel button, pre-set to the official highway channel, CH19 more pre-programmed frequenicies and most important a ROGER BEEP .................affiliate link below..
Oops.. sorry.. bad habit.

Looks good!  I like programmable radios and am a geek with that kind of stuff, but for the rest of the family I have also decided to go Midland because they prefer simple, so that's what we are using in our cars and home.  I do wish they would allow us to program them for wideband on the older models.  I have returned several MXT275s to be redone for wideband (Assuming they have the USB C) but would be nice if CHIRP would work on them.

Thought I'd share my opinion on the MXT115 for various uses. 
I started with the MXT115 for my parents. Simple and cheap. Since then I installed one in our Kubota RTV for around the property as well as on my Kubota BX. I have 10+ acres as well as neighbors etc. I run a GR300 with 25 watts out of the duplexer into a DB404 at 30' at home. It works great for a 5 miles area (way more than needed). 
We are planning a trip to the GC this summer and plan to take the jeep and our new CTC. While setting the trailer up I decided to have GMRS, and WX. Ended up just sticking another MXT115 in the CTC. Small yet perfect for our use. Our CTC runs off a Jackery 300 that gets charged during the day while we drive. Again simple and effective. As with all Midland stuff I threw the supplied antenna in the dumpster and installed a Larsen HF NMO mount in the roof with a 1/4 wave antenna. I can pick up 3 WX channels at home in my driveway on the 1/4 wave so most likely stick with it. I do have a Larsen Triband I plan to bring in case I need better. I run the Tri-Band on the JT for my 8500 anyway.
Our main use for the trip will be to talk to wife or myself when using the MSI talk about we carry also. Mostly campground communications when at bath house or shower. 
Anyway wanted to share. I plan to get a few more when i come home from my trip for our other utility vehicles around the property. Love midland or hate them these are all over in use for stuff like I am using them for. 

It's a great radio with many pre-programmed frequencies to play with/listen to and it has many fars.  Sometimes I just stare at mine and caress it softly.

Ya'll go ahead and discuss your silly games.
Off Road vehicles already have decided Ch 16 for the call channel.?

Just remember, that as predicted in the proclamation video, "some people" will always and forever spew reasons why Ch19 (any channel, actually) is not "the right choice", and will argue about it as they have for years, accomplishing nothing.. Those people are not invited to join with the rest of us normal people on Ch19..  They can go talk to themselves on some other channel..
 
My name is Queen Randy and I approve this message.

Thank you for not HiJakkin me..
Easy answer:  By making decent (not the best) radios and selling them for low-dollars..
And they can do this because of no unions, less/no environmental restrictions, government subsidies ENCOURAGING manufacturing, no/few child labor regulations, etc.. Basically the opposite of what you find in the U.S.