Midland GXT 36-Mile 50-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Series

All manufacturers exaggerate the range of these little radios. I have used these to hear users on top of a 14,000 foot mountain from 6 miles away, but there were no obstructions between me and them. That’s the best distance I’ve achieved. I had a lower power version of these and they worked well for several years before one of them died. I saved its battery as a spare for these and I can still use the one working with these. Most Midlands use the same rechargeable batteries, although you might carry at least four alkalines along if you expect to be away from the recharger for more than a day. If you’re camping out you might want to establish a timetable to use them to extend battery life. They have excellent channel security, either with just two of them or in a group. Hearing other users of the same channel can get very annoying. The numerous privacy choices prevent that almost 100%. Like others, in a city or any enclosed space the range is very limited. The headsets can be handy of you’re fishing or hunting. I’ve used 2-way radios for more than 40 years. The first ones I had were the size and weight of bricks. These are state-of-the-art, light, with good clips and among the best currently available.

I recently purchased these back in January. I have had Motorola and Cobra’s before, but not that happy with their range, about 1-1 1/2 miles. I took these out with me on a day hike 2 weeks ago. I live in Idaho and it was cold and snowing a lot. My partner’s wife decided to wait in the truck, so we used this to test these radios. Very hilly terrain. Conditions sucked, cold, blowing snow. We got about 3 miles separation is all for the day, but they worked great. I dropped mine in the snow several times, banged it on trees, sat on it. It held up great. For the money these are great radios for in the field. I love them and have since purchased two more. Oh ya the batteries held up great as well, we had them on for about 6 hours.

These midlands are pretty decent little HTs for what they cost. They are not indestructible, but they are relatively robust–much tougher than most blister pack radios. I’ve used these in urban environments and in the woods with good results. I got about 1.5-2mi with one RT inside a wood frame house and the other inside a vehicle in a relatively populous, yet wooded area…line of sight was gone after 100 yds and there were lots of trees and houses in between. That is about all I would expect from an MBITR or other military grade 5w TR in those conditions, so I am relatively pleased. In a hunting situation, these worked well, and range was good, although I didn’t do an objective test in this environment. Battery life…used these for a 10 hour day on several occasions and the battery meter never dropped, although this was admittedly mostly in receive, with maybe a dozen transmissions over the course of the day. These are an upgrade to the old 950 series, and I wish they retained the scramble function. Although it limited range, it was a neat feature. The only thing that would make these radios better is a TNC or BNC connection for the antenna so you could swap out a more efficient design when required. I use these with the Midland security earpieces, which also work great…good audio, stays in your ear, and works under muff-style hearing protection.

I am writing this review to save you time and money. I did a side by side real world test with the Midland GXT1000VP4 and the Motorola MR350s. Both good radios, but the Midland is deffinately better. Here is why. The test was done with the radios in town and out of town. My brother was standing in his back yard with one of each of the radios, and I was traveling in my car from location to location to test both range and clarity. The best I did was 2.67 miles with the Motorola. When I mean the best, I actually mean I could hear a word or two, but made out what my brother was saying. The Midland, in the exact same location, same channel, and even used the same hand to talk with, was not struggling at all. The range was not only better, but the clarity of the speaker was like night and day. I also brought along my older 18 mile Cobra radio, with also out performed the Motorolas. Better sound and better range. In four locations, the Midlands could communicate with no problem whereas the Motorolas would not even break the squelch. Before you think anything about it, I had the sensitivity on both radios set correctly and I had both radios on HI power. The Midland, is a bit harder to operate then the Motorola. I give that to the Motorola. I also like the feel of the Motorola better in my hand, but the bottom line is range with clarity, which easily goes to the Midland. The only reason I did not give the Midland an 5 star rating is because I think the user interface is a bit difficult to use. The symbols used to represent the functions of the radio are not the easiest to figure out.

These radio’s work very well after you get over the fact that no portable radio will work long range in an urban setting. The advertised 37 mile range is not realistic in most settings. No portable radio will work over about a mile unless there is an unobstructed line of sight to the other party such as over water (or maybe mountain top to mountain top). These are 5 Watt radios. The FCC limits the power output on GMRS Radios to 5 Watts maximum. Some brands are not even 5 watts, however these are.

I ordered these and received them in two days. Overnight shipping. I have used these every time I go hunting. In the woods, I’d say the reception was pretty good as long as your terrain is flat. Belt clip them to your bibs or pocket and use a headset instead of fumbling for them all the time. Get rid of the headset that comes with them (too bothersome and don’t fit worth a darn). Get the avp4 (surveillance type) and you’re set. Plenty of choices for channels to select and all the other features are a bonus. The animal alert calls are pretty cool too. If you use a headset, remember to run the wire under your shirt and clip your collar. If not, be ready for a tanglesome event. Will be using them every time in the woods.