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Equipment choice


kvp

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I own/have used all of these..

The short answer is - all of them can transmit the same number of fars, but:

The Midlands are 'simple' and great if you just want a radio in your vehicle (or as a base) to talk to other GMRS radios - Both the 400 and 500 can do wideband - but to enable wideband on the 400 you need a computer, cable, and the software.  On the 500 you can do it very easily on the radio - (FYI- you DO want wideband on a GMRS radio).. They are also (very) limited in how many repeaters you can program them for, and (iirc) they cannot monitor/listen to any non-GMRS frequencies except maybe NOAA channels.. All these limitations make for VERY simple, VERY easy to use radios.  The Midlands also come with everything you need to get up and running, right in the box (antenna & "coax"). The antenna and coax arent the best, but, they do work surprisingly well, and work plenty good enough for someone that needs a simple "just want to talk in the car" type radio - so be wary of those telling you "it's junk" or "costs way to much" -Obviously this type of radio is not intended for them and they can't comprehend the value of "simple".

The KG-1000G is wide-band out of the box, and is a much more complicated radio.  its great if you want to use a lot of repeaters, scan non-GMRS frequencies, etc -  the KG-1000G 'does more', but, its more complicated to learn/use.. Not "difficult", but, more.  The KG1000G is also a "superheterodyne" radio, which means the guts are a bit better quality than the Midlands - they may receive a bit better and may ignore off-frequency noise a bit better.   With the KG1000G You will also need to purchase an antenna and coax.  Be wary of those telling you "its just cheap chinese junk!!" - When they tell you that, ask them for the data that supports their opinion, and then ask them which "not made in China, non-junk FCC Part 95e GMRS radio" they recommend instead.

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OffroaderX has detailed the differences between the radios so he choice is yours. Personally, I would not use the Midlands as GMRS sparked me going into ham radio and my GMRS radio gave me the ability to explore what was available locally on the ham VHF and UHF channels. If you think there is the possibility you would want to go farther, then the choice is pretty clear. The limitations of the Midland radios will also come forward if you plan on doing some traveling.

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14 minutes ago, gortex2 said:

Depends on what you want. If you plan is basic GMRS and GMRS only with no other stuff go midland. Simple and basic. If you plan to get into HAM or other stuff there are other radios to look at. My 70 year old father likes the midland cause its simple. 

Agreed...Midland is a fine choice for primarily simplex use, or one repeater per channel, and generally staying in the same area. More than one on the same channel with different tones, or the ability to receive more channels beyond the basic gmrs, Midland gets a little limiting.

Likewise, the btech gmrs 50x1 (not mentioned) has more receive options, but no more transmit than what it ships with. Wouxun has the most features and abilities, but priced accordingly. Wouxun also has the remote head (display/controls), which is helpful with flexibility in mounting (put the body under a seat, display up in view).

For the flexibility and features it offers, wouxun would likely be my pick of the 3.

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