Motorola #T460 5 Watt Handheld

[Greg43545]

I have already purchased the Midland MXT400 to use as a base and am looking for a 5 watt handheld to use as a mobile in my vehicle to communicate with it.

 

I'm considering the Motorola #T460 5 Watt Handheld, but before I purchase it I have a few questions I would like some help with.

 

1) If anyone has this radio, how do you like it and how well does it perform as a handheld mobile in the field? 

 

2) Do you notice a difference in performance as a 5 watt radio in comparison to other handhelds at 2.5 to 3 watts and is it worth the extra money?

 

2) How well will a Motorola handheld work with a Midland base?

 

3) Will it be able to use the CTCSS and DCS codes?

 

Any other information you might think relevant will be greatly appreciated as well - Thanks !

[Lscott]

You should be aware the Midland radios as far as I know are all narrow band FM.

 

Look at page 4 "Type of Emission".

 

https://fccid.io/MMAMXT400/Test-Report/Test-Report-3120260.html

 

The "10K2FE3" is the FCC's technical definition for narrow band FM. For GMRS it typically should be "16K0FE3".

 

Unless the handheld radios can be programmed for narrow band FM you might want to think about getting them. The issue with miss matched radio bandwidths has to do with the audio at least. A narrow band radio receiving a normal FM bandwidth signal will have a very loud audio, and may distort it. Going the other way a normal FM bandwidth radio receiving a narrow band FM signal will have low audio level. Trying to talk to more than one station with miss matched bandwidths everyone will be playing with the volume control and that gets old real quick.

 

As a guide a doubling of power output may get you at most a theoretical range increase of around 40 percent. There are lots of other factors at the GMRS frequencies that will conspire to reduce this. Many have reported not seeing much of a change at all.

 

You can use a radio from any manufacture to communicate with another manufacturer's as long as they are programed with the same frequencies, and tones if used, with the caveat above about the bandwidth.

[Greg43545]

So you're recommending that I ONLY use Midland handheld GMRS radios with the MXT400 then?

 

If so, do you know of any Midland 5 watt handheld GMRS radios that you'd recommend?

[PRadio]

Some handhelds can be programed for narrowband. The Tera TR-505 is one. It is 4 watts though. 

 

As for the Motorola T460, I had bad luck with the consumer GMRS radios from Motorola, they do not seem to be Motorola quality, I believe they are made for them. I had the 350R, and they had poor sound quality, and one suffered from the low volume issue. I bought the Midland GTX1000 handhelds to test against them, and the Midlands beat them in every way, with the exception of repeater use, since the Midlands are not repeater capable. I returned the Motorolas and kept the Midlands. They have worked well for the past five years. 

 

I did buy the Tera TR-505 handhelds though, and have been happy with them. The Midlands are still used at times though. The Tera has better sound though. 

 

I would personally avoid the consumer Motorola offerings. They professional radios though are great, which really doesn't need to be said. If you buy them, get them somewhere with a good return policy. 

 

And don't get hung up on 5 watts. The Tera is 4 watts, and has better range than the Midlands that claim 5 watts. There will be very little difference between 4 watts and 5 watts. 

[wayoverthere]

Some handhelds can be programed for narrowband.

 

(Snip)

 

And don't get hung up on 5 watts. The Tera is 4 watts, and has better range than the Midlands that claim 5 watts. There will be very little difference between 4 watts and 5 watts.

The wouxun can be set for narrowband as well.

 

On the wattage, I haven't dug into it, so take it with a grain of salt, but I remember seeing something to the effect of someone catching that the newer gxt1000 were approved at lower wattage (as dual gmrs)frs/gmrs devices vs the previous claimed 5. I will note that I can't seem to find a solid number for wattage on Midland's product pages for the gxt's

 

Edit...found this with a little googling, which seems to indicate ~3 watts on high power: https://www.twowayradioforum.com/t/new-gmrsfrs-rules-and-a-question-about-power/6997

[berkinet]

Read this post, and the thread it is found in before you do anything else.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/1837-midland-gmrs-product-updates/?p=17118

[Greg43545]

Some handhelds can be programed for narrowband. The Tera TR-505 is one. It is 4 watts though. 

 

And don't get hung up on 5 watts. The Tera is 4 watts, and has better range than the Midlands that claim 5 watts. There will be very little difference between 4 watts and 5 watts. 

With the Tera TR-505 handheld would I still be able to use the CTCSS and DCS codes ?

[Greg43545]

Read this post, and the thread it is found in before you do anything else.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/1837-midland-gmrs-product-updates/?p=17118

Wow, that link was a LOT for this GMRS ' noob ' to comprehend.

 

It appears the MXT400 has shortcomings that can be corrected but since I'm new to GMRS and I have just received my MXT400 in the mail today and not had a chance yet to operate it, I would be WAY out of my league to attempt anything of that nature at this time.

 

I'm going to use the 400 as a base and use a GTX1000, on loan from a friend, as a handheld mobile and see how that works out for me. He's happy with the 1000 but advised it is only 3 watts which is the reason I inquired about how much better a 5 watt would perform and if it would be worth the additional cost.

[berkinet]

...He's happy with the 1000 but advised it is only 3 watts which is the reason I inquired about how much better a 5 watt would perform and if it would be worth the additional cost.

 

For most purposes the difference between 3 and 5 watts will be undetectable. OTOH, the 3 watt radio is likely to have better battery life.  As commented elsewhere, GMRS/UHF is not as much about power as it is about antenna location. Higher is always better.

[PRadio]

With the Tera TR-505 handheld would I still be able to use the CTCSS and DCS codes ?

 

Yes, they are programable via software. You program them with a computer. It is very easy to set up. 

[Greg43545]

Yes, they are programable via software. You program them with a computer. It is very easy to set up. 

 OK thanks, I will make a note of that and keep it in mind.