MXT275 or MXT575

[Duck218]

I'm pretty new to GMRS but I'm liking the flexibility and performance for emergency and remote communication.  Right now I only have small handhelds but on my vehicle have added an NMO antenna mount for better reception.  

I'm trying to decide if it's worth going to a MXT575 or if a MXT275 would be good enough.  The lower power and narrow band only are holding me back on the MXT275.

Anyone have experience with either they'd like to share?

 

Thanks

[bd348]

Newer MXT275 units with the USB-C port now come with wide band for the repeater channels, although some leftovers are still coming with narrow band.  If a USB-C 275 has narrow band, you can mail it in and have them convert it to wide band.  I did so and it works fine.  If it's an older 275 without the USB-C port then it'll be narrow band only.

(And I wish companies would change model numbers when they change major features.)

The 50-watt 575 may be of some use if you have to push the transmission through a lot of trees or buildings, but you still cannot receive any better than the 275 with the same antenna.  My 15-watt 275 hits a repeater 30 miles away through suburbia using a 6" quarter wave on the hood.  The 575 may have a few more features such as wide/narrow selection.

A 15-watt radio with a good antenna is much better than a 50-watt radio with a lousy antenna.

[bd348]

By the way, the MXT-275 comes with a small antenna with 20 feet of thin coax.  The antenna is fine, and I use it because it works on my vehicle's hood without getting in the way much, but the coax is a problem.  Either get a better antenna, or shorten the coax with a new connector to the length you require, or shorten it to a foot or so then use better coax the rest of the way.  Having said that, once the coax is addressed, the little 6" antenna works fine.  But it's much easier to spend a little on a better antenna and coax to begin with.

The 575 comes with a better antenna and coax, but again it would help to shorten the coax to whatever you end up needing.

If you live in an area with a lot of repeaters, or you routinely travel and want to use many repeaters as you drive, it would be worth it to get a radio with storage for lots of repeater combinations.  The Midlands store only one repeater per channel, and do not have repeater names on the displays.  But they are great for hiding the unit away in the dashboard with all the controls on the microphone.

[gortex2]

Depends on your use case. I have the 275 in both my jeeps and love them but use them 99% of the time as simplex with handhelds. I do run them on a repeater with no issues thats private. 

If you have an NMO mount already drop a 1/4 wave on it and use it. 

[Duck218]

Thanks for the replies.  I'm leaning towards the 575 to help get through trees.  Just wish for the price it had more channel storage options and listening for more frequencies.

[PartsMan]

On 1/29/2023 at 11:07 AM, Duck218 said:

 Just wish for the price it had more channel storage options and listening for more frequencies.

Maybe you shouldn't be looking at Midland then.

[wayoverthere]

1 hour ago, PartsMan said:

Maybe you shouldn't be looking at Midland then.

This. It's not that Midland gear is bad, per se, but that's one aspect they're kind of limited.

I wonder if the wouxun kg1000g might be a better choice, and it's similar price wise to the Midland, though it doesn't include the antenna. That said, a basic 1/4 wave is around $10, and it sounds like op already has a mount.

[Duck218]

16 minutes ago, wayoverthere said:

This. It's not that Midland gear is bad, per se, but that's one aspect they're kind of limited.

I wonder if the wouxun kg1000g might be a better choice, and it's similar price wise to the Midland, though it doesn't include the antenna. That said, a basic 1/4 wave is around $10, and it sounds like op already has a mount.

 

I have the KG100G on my list also but I like the handset on the Midlands better.  The idea of having everything hidden but the mic is appealing.

Also I'd like to buy something that at least has some profits staying in the US.

 

[wayoverthere]

4 hours ago, Duck218 said:

 

I have the KG100G on my list also but I like the handset on the Midlands better.  The idea of having everything hidden but the mic is appealing.

Also I'd like to buy something that at least has some profits staying in the US.

 

I get the appeal of being able to hide everything but the mic..it really comes down to which features are more important to you, the stealth or the ability to load the extra channels...all we can do here is suggest, and try to help you (and others) get the radio(s) that best fit your wants and needs.

On the profit thing, while the wouxun ARE made overseas, there IS definitely some profit staying stateside, with buytwowayradios (based in south carolina) ordering batches of them manufactured to spec to resell.

[nokones]

I have the Wouxun KG1000G Plus. I really like the radio. It has a lot of features and I can store up to 999 custom channels, I like the two receiver feature and the option to switch back and forth to transmit. The software is easy to use and straight forward. I wish the radio had a feature to have zones/banks of channels, and talkaround.

I had a Midland MXT400 but, you can't program it with the software using a Windows 11 PC. I got rid of it because you only get 8 channels for custom programming. I also have a Midland MXT500 and it has the same limited number of custom channels. Although, you do get 8 additional channels with fixed repeater channels which you can change the encode/decode tones. I only use this radio when my wife and I are traveling with two cars. I put this radio in her car.