Midland MXT275 Transmit issue

[Slufooted]

I sure hope someone out there can help.

I have a midland mxt275, I can receive from super far distances all the time, but I cant seem to get a response while transmitting IE: Radio Check.

Things I have done, checked ect.

I have both ghost and whip antennas. SWR reads 1.1 - 1.5 on either. I have a 12" ground plane, solid 14V to the unit, I have reset to factory defaults, repeaters on and off, changed radios, changed cars, changed antennas/cables and get same results on both. I'm completely stumped here and could really use some advise.

Going down the freeway, I hear tons of clear chatter close and miles away but I guess no one can hear me. I have tested in close proximity with 2 identical radios and I can receive and transmit on both w/out issues while 30 feet apart.

Please, any advise would be greatly appreciated.

[dosw]

8 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

Does the 275 need to have repeaters enabled before the repeater channels appear?

Yes. Out of the box the 275 doesn't have repeaters enabled. To set it to use repeaters you must go into the menu by pressing the Menu button, then up or down arrow until you arrive at "Rp" which will probably have a value set of "off". Hit the lock button (that's like "enter" on the Midland menu system). Now you're able to use the up/down arrow (on the volume rocker) to set "on." At that point repeaters are enabled. As a person pages through the channels using the arrows at the top of the mic, they will see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 15R, 16R, 17R, 18R, 19R, 20R, 21R, 22R.

 

The repeater he is hearing will be one of those 15R-22R channels, though he will also hear the repeater on one of the 15-22 channels, since simplex and repeaters both use those same frequencies. Once he's selected the correct R channel, he will need to go into the menu again and set Tx and Rx tones. The manual only shows Pt but when on a Repeater channel, it will have Rx and Tx Pt tones. The options will be off, ∿, and ⎍. The first one is for PL tones, and the second one is for DCF tones. The user will have to look up in his manual how to translate conventional PL and DCF codes into the appropriate number options for Midland.

[WRWE456]

Hello and welcome!

Sounds like maybe you have not found anyone that wants to talk to a stranger yet. GMRS is kind of a bring your own contacts radio service.

Most people use it to talk to friends while doing activities like hiking, camping, off roading, shopping, traveling with multiple cars etc.

Most users are not interested in talking to strangers. If you can find a repeater that is close enough that you can reach you may have better luck.

Get a friend to help test how far you can reach. Take another radio and see how far you can talk in different situations. That will tell you if the radios are working properly. Also just because you can receive signals from far away does not mean you are close enough to reach them. Best to test for yourself.

If the radios are working fine then its a matter of finding someone willing to talk to you.

It is also likely that many are using "privacy tones" and will not hear you.

[Hoppyjr]

Could it be you’re hearing conversations from a repeater, but unable to access it without inputting the correct tone?

I had the same radio for a brief period, but sent it back as it performed poorly. Midland did advise that there was a software update they could install if you returned it.

[SteveShannon]

It’s possible that the OP is on one of the simplex channels. They share the receive frequencies with repeaters. Nobody on a repeater would ever hear him because he’s not transmitting with an offset.

Or, it’s possible that the OP is on the correct repeater frequency but transmitting with the wrong tone or possibly no tone. 
Or it’s possible that he is simply out of range. A repeater has a much greater range than a mobile and the OP already said it’s “super far distances.”

[Socalgmrs]

At 15w with a ghost antenna you’re probably radiating less than 15w out of the antenna.  So your distance is. It going to be very far.  
 

you may me getting other people that are on simplex and further then you can reach or 

 

they are on a repeater threat you may or may not be able to reach after you set up your off set and tones.  
 

Fist if get into a good solid 20w radio or better yet an 50w and get a good 5db gain antenna going.   That way you will be radiating more like 42 - 105 watts.  Then I’d look into the local repeaters and get permission and set up your radio for those local repeaters. 

[wayoverthere]

Tone mismatch is my first thought as well. The simplex channels shared with repeater outputs makes it harder to tell if you're hearing simplex users, or someone on a repeater.

On top of that, the older compact midlands (mxt115 and 275...the USB-a is the giveaway for these) were not capable of using different transmit and receive tones ("split tones"), and were narrowband only.

I've managed 60ish miles to a gmrs repeater with 25 watts and a very compromised antenna location (indoors on a shelf), and I've managed 75ish on a 5 watt handheld with good line of sight and a better whip (signal stick, on 70cm). I don't think power is necessarily the limiting factor here.

[Hoppyjr]

^^ it’s true the USB-A Midlands were less capable, but the later USB-C “two seventy five” also could be impacted by a factory firmware/software issue as mine was.

* I spelled out the model because whenever I type numbers using Tapatalk it emoji bombs the post.

[Slufooted]

I got the 275 just because its nice to have it all in one, but Im afraid I made a poor choice here. 
I will contact Midland and see about a firmware and software update and if that solves it, cool. If not, then I need to think about a different setup. 
 

I appreciate all the help as Im pretty new to this stuff. 
 

[dosw]

5 hours ago, Slufooted said:

I got the 275 just because its nice to have it all in one, but Im afraid I made a poor choice here. 
I will contact Midland and see about a firmware and software update and if that solves it, cool. If not, then I need to think about a different setup. 
 

I appreciate all the help as Im pretty new to this stuff. 
 

Don't second guess your purchase yet. The possible factors are:

* Others have tones set and you don't have the same tones set.

* Others are on a repeater and you're just talking on a simplex channel, also without tones.

* Nobody wants to talk to a random stranger yet.

* Poor signal propagation.

* 800 other things not related to a defective radio.

* Bad installation (severed coax for instance)

* 200 more things.

* Finally, maybe a defective radio.

 

But if you can hear the radio on another GMRS or FRS radio such as a cheap handheld, it's not probably defective or in need of updating. It's one of the other 1003 factors. You have a simple and reasonably good quality radio.

[WRUU653]

I also wouldn’t give up just yet. More testing and more information is needed. 
What we know so far. 
* It works with another radio (as stated at 30’)

* The SWR is good

* You have the same results with both radios 

This leads me to believe something is going other than bad radios.
As it’s been suggested the possibility of tones with those that you are hearing or you are on simplex and hearing repeater traffic seem the most likely to me or you simply aren’t in range. A repeater can reach farther than you can in most cases. So you won’t necessarily be able to reach what you can hear. I doubt that both radios are bad. And the SWR readings suggest installation and cable are fine. 
So a few questions.
What channel are you on when you hear traffic? 
Do you hear them on both simplex channel and a repeater channel where you have not set tones?  
Have you tried getting someone you know to test at a further distance with your radios?

 

[SteveShannon]

Does the 275 need to have repeaters enabled before the repeater channels appear?

[Slufooted]

Pretty much all channels I can hear people. 19 usually my go to channel. I have never set tones?. I can hear on both simplex and repeater channels.

I will set up the radio in another car today and send em our for a drive. I live in a pretty open area with minimal things to interfere as well so that would be a good test. 

[Slufooted]

Yes, for me anyway. I only see the repeater channels if enabled in the radio.

[WRUU653]

1 minute ago, Slufooted said:

I can hear on both simplex and repeater channels

Are you hearing the same traffic on both? If so this would indicate they are on a repeater and you would need to also be on a repeater channel with tones set to reach them. 

[Slufooted]

So sometimes its the same traffic on both but other times, its just either or.

There was a time where I was a mile from the exit on the freeway and someone was warning others about an accident near said exit so I assumed they would be open. I talked back to confirm and give a heads up about it, but zero reply.

[amaff]

4 minutes ago, Slufooted said:

So sometimes its the same traffic on both but other times, its just either or.

There was a time where I was a mile from the exit on the freeway and someone was warning others about an accident near said exit so I assumed they would be open. I talked back to confirm and give a heads up about it, but zero reply.

Just because someone's giving a traffic report on a repeater doesn't mean the repeater is 'open'. And even if it's open, I don't think I've seen a repeater that doesn't want an input tone. I'm sure there's probably one out there, but it's not remotely the default.

This seems like a fundamental misunderstanding about how radios work more than a problem with the radio.

 

 

[Slufooted]

Oh probably 100% Im very new to this stuff.  

[WRUU653]

It really does sound like you are hearing repeater traffic. 

[Slufooted]

I can connect to MT Lemon 550 I think it is, I get the tone after transmitting but get same results.

[amaff]

1 hour ago, Slufooted said:

I can connect to MT Lemon 550 I think it is, I get the tone after transmitting but get same results.

Have you tried calling out while there's traffic on it? There's plenty of repeaters that just aren't monitored that often.

Also, what do you mean by 'tone after transmitting'? Repeater kickback (ie: what you often get on a repeater immediately after you've stopped transmitting) is usually a burst of static. Not really something I'd describe as a 'tone'

[Slufooted]

Yea the static 

Sorry, Im quite new to all this. 
i have tried quite a bit while people are chatting it up to get a radio check but no luck. 

[piggin]

5 hours ago, Slufooted said:

Yea the static 

Sorry, Im quite new to all this. 
i have tried quite a bit while people are chatting it up to get a radio check but no luck. 

Make certain you can transmit in wideband. If you are set to narrow band going into a repeater the users will hear you breaking in but your voice will be very quiet. It is critical to transmit wideband so others will hear you well.

[Hoppyjr]

I had the same radio, USB-C version, and wide band enabled. I could hear but couldn’t transmit, except on simplex and only within a couple blocks. Also had lots of static. I contacted Midland support and they advised of an update that required the radio be sent in to them.

Since I was within Amazon return period I sent it back.

[Slufooted]

I wish I could send it back but my window has passed. Bought in May (USB-C) version 2 of them and same on both radios. So jokes aside, I haven't been able to actually use it since I got it.

[Slufooted]

1 hour ago, piggin said:

Make certain you can transmit in wideband. If you are set to narrow band going into a repeater the users will hear you breaking in but your voice will be very quiet. It is critical to transmit wideband so others will hear you well.

From what Im reading, the MTX275 does not support wideband. I sure feel like I made the wrong choice going with Midland.