Midland MXT500 firmware updates

[WRYZ926]

I decided to start this thread so as to not derail other threads.

The MXT500 I recently bought only had 30 channel slots and not the 127 slots as others have mentioned. And we all know Midland's software is not the best. When you go to their website, there is two different software versions to download. There is version V1.04 and version V2.01. Version 1.04 only works with the MXT500 with 30 channel slots while version 2.01 only works with the MXT500 with 127 channel slots.

When you download the firmware update tool there are two folders with the firmware update .spi files.  One is V1_149_2021_5_11 and the other is V1_172_2023_03_23. If you are fine with only 30 channel slots then use the V1_149 .spi file to update your radio and then continue using the V1.04 programming software.

If you want to have 127 channel slots then you must use the V1_172 .spi file. WARNING: if you use this file then V1.04 programming software will no longer work for your radio. You MUST use the V2.01 software to now access your radio and program it. 

Again if you update the firmware using the V1_149 .spi file then you must use V1.04 programming software. If you update using the V1_172 .spi file then you must use V2.01 programming software.

Updating the firmware using the V1_172 file does give you all 127 channel slots and the V2.01 software must be used.

Midland makes things difficult since the Readme file doesn't say anything about this. Hopefully this will help others that have the MXT500.

[WRYZ926]

You just can't help yourself can you. No one cares what you think and we definitely do NOT care for your Negative Nancy attitudes towards everything. You seem to have a mental issue and you really should go seek professional help for it.

[OffRoaderX]

25 minutes ago, Socalgmrs said:

Wow so again I ask why any one would ever buy a midland.  2-3Xs the price for a radio that doesn’t work out of the box.  Has programming and software issues.   Why, why, why.   I’ve never paid any where near the money a midland cost, I use all my radios literally every day in all types of conditions, 20deg snow, sleet rain hail, 120deg, dust storms….. I’ve never not once ever done a firmware update and they have all worked right out of the box and still work like brand new.   Again why?   Takes 5min to hook up to chirp, rt systems or Motorola cps and I’m in business.  

"some people" are born without the natural and normal ability to relate-to, or understand other people's wants and priorities, as if they think they are the center of the universe or that everyone thinks exactly the same way they think.  "some people" born without this very basic ability that also post proof of their defect on social-media or websites, over and over, time and time again, endlessly, again and again, non-stop and obsessively, are commonly referred to as retards.

 

[WRYS709]

1 hour ago, WRYZ926 said:

And we all know Midland's software is not the best.

Yet their prices are always the highest!

[Reklaw]

FYI

The radio has a menu setting to turn the USB port ON or OFF.

The default setting is OFF......only took me an hour of trying different cables and looking at Device Manger on my PC to figure that out, hopefully this post will save someone some headache.

[gortex2]

On 2/28/2025 at 7:54 PM, Socalgmrs said:

Wow so again I ask why any one would ever buy a midland.  2-3Xs the price for a radio that doesn’t work out of the box.  Has programming and software issues.   Why, why, why.   I’ve never paid any where near the money a midland cost, I use all my radios literally every day in all types of conditions, 20deg snow, sleet rain hail, 120deg, dust storms….. I’ve never not once ever done a firmware update and they have all worked right out of the box and still work like brand new.   Again why?   Takes 5min to hook up to chirp, rt systems or Motorola cps and I’m in business.  

Interesting...just installed one in the wifes JK this weekend (newest jeep in the family) and she even managed to turn it on and get it on he right channel to talk. Amazing I guess being they are junk and all that.... SMH... Oh and she even figured out how to change the speaker from the deck to the control head. Guess I got a keeper here. 

 

[nokones]

On 2/28/2025 at 5:54 PM, Socalgmrs said:

Wow so again I ask why any one would ever buy a midland.  2-3Xs the price for a radio that doesn’t work out of the box.  Has programming and software issues.   Why, why, why.   I’ve never paid any where near the money a midland cost, I use all my radios literally every day in all types of conditions, 20deg snow, sleet rain hail, 120deg, dust storms….. I’ve never not once ever done a firmware update and they have all worked right out of the box and still work like brand new.   Again why?   Takes 5min to hook up to chirp, rt systems or Motorola cps and I’m in business.  

I would rather spend more money on a better quality built radio one time than some POS cheap radio from Pandaland many times over time. I refuse to buy or give into buying inferior cheap products. There is a reason why low cost products are cheap and POS junk. Buying cheap is not saving money or even your personal time in the longrun.

I own a lot of Motorola mobile (12 various models)  and portable (47 various models) radios, and that count does not include my one Midland and 4 Kenwoods model radios. A few of my portable radios are 35 years old and still in almost brand new condition and have been used a lot over time in a harsh environment and still check out very well.  I doubt that any POS Pandaland radio would even stand up to any of my Motorola radios and there is a valid reason my Motorola radios cost a lot of money and we'll worth the cost.

None of my Motorola radios ever had a firmware upgrade, but my MXT500 did receive a firmware update about 2 years ago to expand the channel capacity from 30 to 128 programmable channels.

I have owned a MXT500 radio for about 3 years, but it is not my everyday radio now because my everyday radios are Motorola. I keep my Midland as a Loaner Radio for my radioless Jeep Creep friends for Trail runs.

I did start out using the Midland MXT 400 many years ago and eventually upgraded to a MXT 500, but my radio needs out grew the Midland capabilities. My radio needs have grown to the use of 43 separate radio zones, over a total of 800 programmed channels, and several radio features that consumer radios do not offer.

My Midland still puts out about 48-49 watts today as measured with a calibrated Bird 43 watt meter.

[Socalgmrs]

Wow so again I ask why any one would ever buy a midland.  2-3Xs the price for a radio that doesn’t work out of the box.  Has programming and software issues.   Why, why, why.   I’ve never paid any where near the money a midland cost, I use all my radios literally every day in all types of conditions, 20deg snow, sleet rain hail, 120deg, dust storms….. I’ve never not once ever done a firmware update and they have all worked right out of the box and still work like brand new.   Again why?   Takes 5min to hook up to chirp, rt systems or Motorola cps and I’m in business.