Newbie with buyer remorse, maybe

[WSDL234]

Hello one and all. Yes, I am a newbie with a question. I purchased the Midland GXT1050 and now realize two things. 1. Repeaters can provide a much wider range of signal strength and 2. The Midland GXT1050 doesn't provide repeater capability. My question, is the repeater capability a really big deal? I realize now, I should have done more research BEFORE buying. I still have the opportunity [via Amazon] to return and replace these with units that ARE repeater capable. Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your time!

[amaff]

Racer math says if you otherwise like them but you want repeater capability, you could keep these to hand to friends and family when you're out and about doing stuff and just need to talk amongst yourselves, and get a repeater capable radio for yourself in addition.

Is repeater capability a big deal? That's pretty much up to the individual. It does open up a lot more range (if you have repeaters in your area). Some people use them all the time. You're a lot more likely to find a random person to talk to on the repeater if that's what you're looking for. But if you just need radios to talk radio to radio among a small group, there's no reason these couldn't be part of the arsenal.

[SteveShannon]

29 minutes ago, WSDL234 said:

Hello one and all. Yes, I am a newbie with a question. I purchased the Midland GXT1050 and now realize two things. 1. Repeaters can provide a much wider range of signal strength and 2. The Midland GXT1050 doesn't provide repeater capability. My question, is the repeater capability a really big deal? I realize now, I should have done more research BEFORE buying. I still have the opportunity [via Amazon] to return and replace these with units that ARE repeater capable. Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your time!

Is there even a repeater where you are?  
I agree with amaff; use them until you outgrow them, then keep them for someone else in your family. 

[Hoppyjr]

If there are repeaters near you and since you’re within the Amazon return period, yes - I’d return and get something that offers repeater capability. No sense spending money for something you won’t end up using.

Consider watching some YouTube videos to get an idea of the different handhelds and their respective pros & cons. I’m not a “fanboy” but I’ve found Randy’s provides some good information on his “Notarubicon” channel.

[WSDL234]

Thank you for your insight! Perhaps I will keep what I have, learn more and possibly get another with repeater capability. There are, according to the map on this site, 3 repeaters in the area with 1 which the map suggests I am in range to use. The info on this particular repeater says, "open" but from my reading here, it's still a good idea to ask permission, although I'm not sure how permission is gained. Thanks again!

[amaff]

Just now, WSDL234 said:

Thank you both for your insight! As you suggested, I will keep what I have, learn more and possibly get another with repeater capability. There are, according to the map on this site, 3 repeaters in the area with 1 which the map suggests I am in range to use. The info on this particular repeater says, "open" but from my reading here, it's still a good idea to ask permission, although I'm not sure how permission is gained. Thanks again!

You can often request permission through the site (click on the repeater info and there's a Request Permission button), or, if it's open and the TX tone is published, you can key up, identify yourself and ask.

[dosw]

I bought a pair of GTX1000 radios before any of my repeater-capable radios, not thinking I would care about repeaters. Here's where they excel: They're weatherproof, they're rechargable, they came with a 12v and a 120v charge cord, and they're simple. So if I'm going on a hike, camping, or skiing with my kids or my brother, I'll set one or two of the GTX1000s to my preferred frequency and tone, LOCK them, and hand them to the kids. We don't need or even have access to repeaters within range for those activities, so they're fine for this sort of thing. The kids (13 and 15) don't want to be bothered with anything besides pressing a button and talking. We have access to a cabin that has spotty cell phone coverage, too, and is about a mile off the paved road. Again, no repeaters in sight, but these work fine for simplex. They also have weather alerting, which can be useful.

 

I think this claim on the Midland website is funny: "X-TRA TALK Power - Maximum allowed by law."

What does that mean? Are they saying that channels 1-7 are a full 5w, channels 8-14 are a full 0.5w, and channels 15-22 are a full 50w? They might come back with "Well, it's the maximum allowed except for channels 15-22." But then I really doubt that channels 1-7 are a full 5w with these radios. So what exactly are they saying?

[WSDL234]

Thank you all again! I appreciate all the feedback and yes, I will probably hang onto the GXT1050s and if I see a need, pick up additional radios with repeater capability. I did check the repeater info and it does have a "Request Access" button, which I may pursue. If everyone on this forum are as helpful as you good folks, that's a wonderful thing!

Thanks again!

[GreggInFL]

7 minutes ago, WSDL234 said:

If everyone on this forum are as helpful as you good folks, that's a wonderful thing!

You're in the right place. 

[dosw]

23 hours ago, WRQW589 said:

I bought a pair of GTX1000 radios before any of my repeater-capable radios, not thinking I would care about repeaters. Here's where they excel: They're weatherproof, they're rechargable, they came with a 12v and a 120v charge cord, and they're simple. So if I'm going on a hike, camping, or skiing with my kids or my brother, I'll set one or two of the GTX1000s to my preferred frequency and tone, LOCK them, and hand them to the kids. We don't need or even have access to repeaters within range for those activities, so they're fine for this sort of thing. The kids (13 and 15) don't want to be bothered with anything besides pressing a button and talking. We have access to a cabin that has spotty cell phone coverage, too, and is about a mile off the paved road. Again, no repeaters in sight, but these work fine for simplex. They also have weather alerting, which can be useful.

 

I think this claim on the Midland website is funny: "X-TRA TALK Power - Maximum allowed by law."

What does that mean? Are they saying that channels 1-7 are a full 5w, channels 8-14 are a full 0.5w, and channels 15-22 are a full 50w? They might come back with "Well, it's the maximum allowed except for channels 15-22." But then I really doubt that channels 1-7 are a full 5w with these radios. So what exactly are they saying?

Well, I asked Midland a question about what "X-TRA Talk Power - Maximum allowed by law" means:

Quote

 

davido

· a day ago  

What does the "X-TRA TALK Power - Maximum allowed by law" statement on this radio's web sales page mean? Is that stating that the radio transmits at a full 5w on channels 1-7, a full 0.5w on channels 8-14, and a full 50w on channels 15-22?

1 answer

Midland Radio Corporation 

· an hour ago  

Great questions. We are in the process of updating our website. GMRS handhelds and GMRS micromobiles have different watt regulations. The handhelds have can have up to 5 watts and the micromobiles can have up to 50 watts. Midland has recently added a 5 watt handheld the GXT67. At one point the GXT1050 was the highest wattage allowed. It is right under 3 watts.

 

With "type approved" 8w handhelds on the market, I don't think the answer is actually accurate; that there's a 5w limitation for handhelds. Maybe, though. And at what point in time was 3w the legal limit for handhelds? Maybe it was. I probably missed the memo. Anyway, they're "in the process of updating our website", so maybe that claim will be removed.

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, WRQW589 said:

Well, I asked Midland a question about what "X-TRA Talk Power - Maximum allowed by law" means:

With "type approved" 8w handhelds on the market, I don't think the answer is actually accurate; that there's a 5w limitation for handhelds. Maybe, though. And at what point in time was 3w the legal limit for handhelds? Maybe it was. I probably missed the memo. Anyway, they're "in the process of updating our website", so maybe that claim will be removed.

It is more a question of which channel the handheld is transmitting on. You could even have a 50 watt handheld on the Main channels but you wouldn’t want to.

462 MHz interstitial: 5 watts 

467 MHz interstitial: 0.5 watts ERP. 

[gortex2]

The industry standard handheld in UHF is 4 watts. Thats been the standard UHF LMR radio for as long as I have been in the field. All more power from a handheld does is drain the battery quicker. 

[WRPL700]

I kind of did the same thing with buying a pair of Midlands.  I then bought better units, but kept the Midlands for when I am out working in the garden so the wife can call me and tell me it's time for supper................  

[dosw]

22 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

It is more a question of which channel the handheld is transmitting on. You could even have a 50 watt handheld on the Main channels but you wouldn’t want to.

462 MHz interstitial: 5 watts 

467 MHz interstitial: 0.5 watts ERP. 

Yeah, the limits of 5w in 462 interstitial, 0.5w in 467 interstitial, and 50w in the 462 mains are not necessarily desirable in a handheld. Nobody wants 50w next to their ear. But I think the assertion "most power allowed by law" on a radio that outputs (as their answer says) nearly 3w is misleading, and I can't think of any way to reconcile the statement with the actual FCC rules, which is why I sent them the question.

[SteveShannon]

9 minutes ago, WRQW589 said:

Yeah, the limits of 5w in 462 interstitial, 0.5w in 467 interstitial, and 50w in the 462 mains are not necessarily desirable in a handheld. Nobody wants 50w next to their ear. But I think the assertion "most power allowed by law" on a radio that outputs (as their answer says) nearly 3w is misleading, and I can't think of any way to reconcile the statement with the actual FCC rules, which is why I sent them the question.

I agree.  

[WRZD727]

I have the GXT 1050’s, and use em for hunting and fishing trips and they work great! I give em out to use when on road trips. 

[Ian]

WSDL234, if you want to stick with Midland, they make two handhelds that are repeater capable -- the GXT3000, which is a nice "bubblepack" radio that does ~2.5 watts, and the five-watt GXT67 PRO, which is actually fairly high-end and capable with a well-thought-out user interface.  The former costs $150 for a two-pack with drop-in charger, and the latter costs $200 a piece, which also includes a drop-in charger.  

 

For reference, I've provided links to the FCC's available information on the two here:

https://fccid.io/MMAGXT3000

https://fccid.io/MMAGXT67