GMRS HT with NOAA Weather Alert

[WRDJ205]

I have recently come to appreciate NOAA weather alerts coming to my HT.  I’m also looking to move up in my radio selection and I think this might be a good time to upgrade.  
 

i’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos and did some research but most of the information is 2 to 3 years old.  
 

What would be some recommendations for an GMRS HT that is somewhat water resistant and has the ability to receive NOAA weather alerts?  
 

BTECH GMRS PRO and Wouxun 935 plus seem to show promise.  

[OffRoaderX]

You watched the wrong Youtube videos if you are only seeing stuff that is 2 or 3 years old.  

The high-end, QUALITY YouTubers review all new GMRS radios as soon as they are available ..

...just sayin...

[WRDJ205]

46 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

You watched the wrong Youtube videos if you are only seeing stuff that is 2 or 3 years old.  

The high-end, QUALITY YouTubers review all new GMRS radios as soon as they are available ..

...just sayin...

"it was you...i learned it by watching you alright"

 

[WRDJ205]

Um, yea, i was looking to see if those were still some of the better options out there or if there was anything better.  

[NCJeb]

I’m looking at Midland HTs, the T75s specifically, for hunting, which have everything you mentioned, plus vibration alerts (handy when you need quiet most of the time, but still want to know when someone is trying to reach you).  I haven’t made the purchase yet of course, so I can’t speak directly to them, but they show enough promise to me I’m eyeing them eagerly and counting pennies lol.

At risk of wading headlong into the “Midland vs Baofeng” debate, for the NOAA Wx Radio side, Midland, with their engineering in Kansas City (in tornado alley), has been legendary for the best quality wx radios for a long time. I’ve relied on them for a tabletop weather radio for over a decade after some horrendous ones from other manufacturers that lasted less than a year in some cases.
 

In other words, I’ve come to literally rely on Midland’s wx radio tech like I do a smoke detector or a seatbelt, after bad experiences with other brands. So with one of those “imho” anecdotal things, if wx radio quality is what you’re after, I’d at least give Midland’s offerings a glance, even with the higher price point. And then go with your gut, don’t just take my word for it, even if it means non-Midland for the purchase. Cuz while I might be coming down on team Midland in this thread, ultimately, you do you—no need for me to take more than a for-me-only stance in the manufacturer debate that has raged long before I entered this hobby of radio.

[WSHH887]

Heck, the Midland GXT 1000 has the weather channels.  Since I knew nothing when I bought them a few years ago they aren't repeater capable.  Looking for replacements now.  

[tcp2525]

5 hours ago, NCJeb said:

I’m looking at Midland HTs, the T75s specifically, for hunting, which have everything you mentioned, plus vibration alerts (handy when you need quiet most of the time, but still want to know when someone is trying to reach you).  I haven’t made the purchase yet of course, so I can’t speak directly to them, but they show enough promise to me I’m eyeing them eagerly and counting pennies lol.

At risk of wading headlong into the “Midland vs Baofeng” debate, for the NOAA Wx Radio side, Midland, with their engineering in Kansas City (in tornado alley), has been legendary for the best quality wx radios for a long time. I’ve relied on them for a tabletop weather radio for over a decade after some horrendous ones from other manufacturers that lasted less than a year in some cases.
 

In other words, I’ve come to literally rely on Midland’s wx radio tech like I do a smoke detector or a seatbelt, after bad experiences with other brands. So with one of those “imho” anecdotal things, if wx radio quality is what you’re after, I’d at least give Midland’s offerings a glance, even with the higher price point. And then go with your gut, don’t just take my word for it, even if it means non-Midland for the purchase. Cuz while I might be coming down on team Midland in this thread, ultimately, you do you—no need for me to take more than a for-me-only stance in the manufacturer debate that has raged long before I entered this hobby of radio.

When is comes to buying disposable radios the only consideration should be price. Not to start a Midland vs. Baofeng debate, one has to consider the facts. Midland products are extremely overpriced and the company only survive by name recognition. Remember, today's Midland isn't your grandfather's Midland. The Baofeng radio is a high quality rugged design built for rough service and high performance. Baofeng radios are feature packed and incorporate every possible feature and option available for your enjoyment. If there's a feature you think you need, you might be borderline delusional and severely mistaken. So, the choice is yours. Buy an overpriced radio with a fancy nameplate or a six pack of of Baofeng throwaway radios for the same price.  

[WRDJ205]

7 hours ago, WSHH887 said:

Heck, the Midland GXT 1000 has the weather channels.  Since I knew nothing when I bought them a few years ago they aren't repeater capable.  Looking for replacements now.  

Funny that you mention this bc we had a set of 4 Midland 1050’s (maybe) used at a rural property.  They worked well enough but could not quite cover the whole place.  I think all of them had the batteries replaced at least once.  They do have the weather alerts and they are the reason I’m familiar with the feature.  
 

The only drawbacks I found were that when on Wx alert mode, the battery life was poor and the limited coverage (I think they were <2 watt with a 2-3” antenna).  Oh, and they’re camo so when they get dropped from an atv, tractor, or pocket they’re hard to find (we’re down to 2 of 4). For FRS they have been pretty good.  
 

I’m looking to get a pair of GMRS radios to keep around the house.  But, you make a good point and I should dig into the GMRS Midland’s. 

[SteveShannon]

4 hours ago, tcp2525 said:

When is comes to buying disposable radios the only consideration should be price. Not to start a Midland vs. Baofeng debate, one has to consider the facts. Midland products are extremely overpriced and the company only survive by name recognition. Remember, today's Midland isn't your grandfather's Midland. The Baofeng radio is a high quality rugged design built for rough service and high performance. Baofeng radios are feature packed and incorporate every possible feature and option available for your enjoyment. If there's a feature you think you need, you might be borderline delusional and severely mistaken. So, the choice is yours. Buy an overpriced radio with a fancy nameplate or a six pack of of Baofeng throwaway radios for the same price.  

You assume disposability.  I don’t know very many people who buy Midland or Baofeng radios with the idea they’re disposable. While some people do indeed reduce the choice to only price rather than considering features, user interface, performance, and reputation. Considering features certainly doesn’t make a person “borderline delusional and severely mistaken”; it reflects intelligence and thoroughness. 

[NCJeb]

3 hours ago, WRDJ205 said:

Oh, and they’re camo so when they get dropped from an atv, tractor, or pocket they’re hard to find (we’re down to 2 of 4).

I already have been thinking about that problem for my (likely) purchase of the T75 units…and my plan is blaze orange duck tape, or a tag, or something, to help with that exact problem in my very dense woods. In the same vein, I love the idea of camo Rite in the Rain pads…but during hunting season I switched to the blaze orange of those too after I almost lost one of those this fall lol.

2 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

You assume disposability.  I don’t know very many people who buy Midland or Baofeng radios with the idea they’re disposable. While some people do indeed reduce the choice to only price rather than considering features, user interface, performance, and reputation. Considering features certainly doesn’t make a person “borderline delusional and severely mistaken”; it reflects intelligence and thoroughness. 

Funny thing (and I whole-heartedly agree with @SteveShannon here!), I actually have a pair of cheap lightly water-resistant baofengs I intend to use while sailing on a local lake to talk back to shore…because they’re cheap enough I almost consider them disposable! If I drown it, oh well, $10 lost and move on. The reason is, the GOOD waterproof units are out of price range for me, so a waterproof box I already had and cheap HT meet my use case there, and good high quality middle-priced Midlands should the rest of the time when I need better features that aren’t necessary on the water.

 

Back to the point if this thread though, again, for wx alert features, if that’s your main goal, and you want something to rely your safety on, personally I recommend spending more $$$ there (Midland or otherwise) if you know you’ll get a more reliable product. Knowing if its reliable is up to the many interpretations that I’m sure will be weighing in below (), but in general that’s my $0.02 worth

[tcp2525]

2 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

You assume disposability.  I don’t know very many people who buy Midland or Baofeng radios with the idea they’re disposable. While some people do indeed reduce the choice to only price rather than considering features, user interface, performance, and reputation. Considering features certainly doesn’t make a person “borderline delusional and severely mistaken”; it reflects intelligence and thoroughness. 

No assumption, people buy cheap tools from Harbor Freight with the intention of using it once to get a certain job done and throw it in the storage bin when done with the intention of possibly using it in the future. They generally forget about it and it gets tossed in the trash accidentally or intentionally. The same concept applies to these disposable or throwaway radios we buy. Case in point, I bought a Baofeng UV82 10+ years back for under $50 with the intention that it is a sacrificial radio, or disposable as we like to call them. The damn thing far exceeded my expectations of performance and survivability of abuse and is still in use today and doesn't YET warrant going into the scrap bucket. As for Midland, these radios are generally mistakenly purchased solely by name recognition or not taking the time to fully researching prior to purchasing. People see the flashy ads on the seller's site and go for it. Sadly, the majority of Midland purchasers learn the hard way that they made a costly mistake and finally wise up and never buy another Midland product again. In Midland's defense, their marketing is strong enough to bring in enough one-time customers to survive. A moth going back to the flame a second time is delusional.

[tcp2525]

35 minutes ago, NCJeb said:

I already have been thinking about that problem for my (likely) purchase of the T75 units…and my plan is blaze orange duck tape, or a tag, or something, to help with that exact problem in my very dense woods. In the same vein, I love the idea of camo Rite in the Rain pads…but during hunting season I switched to the blaze orange of those too after I almost lost one of those this fall lol.

Funny thing (and I whole-heartedly agree with @SteveShannon here!), I actually have a pair of cheap lightly water-resistant baofengs I intend to use while sailing on a local lake to talk back to shore…because they’re cheap enough I almost consider them disposable! If I drown it, oh well, $10 lost and move on. The reason is, the GOOD waterproof units are out of price range for me, so a waterproof box I already had and cheap HT meet my use case there, and good high quality middle-priced Midlands should the rest of the time when I need better features that aren’t necessary on the water.

 

Back to the point if this thread though, again, for wx alert features, if that’s your main goal, and you want something to rely your safety on, personally I recommend spending more $$$ there (Midland or otherwise) if you know you’ll get a more reliable product. Knowing if its reliable is up to the many interpretations that I’m sure will be weighing in below (), but in general that’s my $0.02 worth

And you are doing exactly what is expected when considering buying a disposable radio. No shame in buying a Midland if it makes you feel good and it gets the job done.