Midland MXT100 GMRS Micro Mobile Radio

[@Linus007]

GMRS is nice because any member of your family can use the same licence.

[@Colin_In_VK]

We have had 5w UHF CB mobile radios for more than 30 Years(no license fees), they transmit on 476/477Mhz. use to be 40ch at 25khz spacing, now 80 ch at 12.5khz spacing, plus repeater stations all around Australia. Didn't realize you didn't have the mobile sets & only had hand helds. Keep up the great videos. :-)

[@Commsprepper]

+mags71 We have different radio services here. What we call Citizen Band (CB) radio used AM in the 27mHz band. This mobile was produced for the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) that started as a radio band for business and transitioned into what it is today. However, over the years companies stopped making equipment for this band. Nice to see at least one vendor make a GMRS mobile again.

[@Colin_In_VK]

Yep we have 27mhz CB am/ssb as well. not used as much as UHF CB these days. Maybe they will start selling all the brands we have in UHF CB in your GMRS service one day. Cheers.

[@RealitySurvival]

Its a great lil radio! I got one not along ago as well and have been really enjoying it. We should get together and see what kind of distance we can get from MXT100 to MXT100. Id be curious to see how well they do. Let me know! Cheers JJ

[@Commsprepper]

+Reality Survival Yes - need to do that. Right now I am working on getting it installed on the ATV.

[@RealitySurvival]

Very cool! Just let me know and Im there!

[@kg5radio716]

Good review! This is the only consumer-grade GMRS mobile radio on the market, I think. Everything else seems to be surplus commercial radios. One thing that you didn't mention was the "flip" feature. The "flip" allows you to install the radio with the speaker facing down, or the speaker facing up, and still have normal function of the channel and volume buttons, as well as normal channel display. (not upside down numbers if radio mounted upside down, and vice versa.)

[@TRprepper]

It is a good thing to have for groups that don't have a license to use the 2M/70cm radios.

[@Commsprepper]

+TRprepper I think I'm going to like this little radio.

[@1oldarmyguy]

Very cool. I can see this getting deployed with our off road club, and our Boy Scout troop.

[@Commsprepper]

+1oldarmyguy They are cool little radios.

[@realworldprepper]

Good video, again. That radio seems to be a good option and value for the price, including the license fee. Thanks for sharing.

[@Commsprepper]

+TheRealWorldPrepper It's nice to finally see a vendor make a radio specifically for GMRS users.

[@USNERDOC]

Very cool . . . Thanks!

[@Commsprepper]

I do like this radio. Great option for those folks looking for an exam-free option.

[@1OFGODSOWN]

The price for a license is beyond stupid also? The government is a bunch of greedy criminals so not a surprise at all.

[@HardcoreFourSix]

Field Test Video Please!

[@Commsprepper]

+HardcoreFourSix coming.

[@ChrisDIYerOklahoma]

This is cool...with 5w output what kind of range we looking at? I have a CB in my Silverado with a linear...and it works GREAT. However, CB channels seem to always be crowded. And, then there is that ONE dude with a tower and running 5,000 watts on skip and drowning out 1/2 of the country. I think this GMRS makes sense...esp if you have a dedicated team of users. Great review...and thanks for posting this!

[@Commsprepper]

Actually - the FCC would most likely terminate all commission issued licenses (commercial, Amateur, etc.) not just the GMRS license.

[@Mickey3Gun]

Midland Tech said the next model, "...expected earliy next year..." will work with repeater sites.

[@Commsprepper]

Very cool! I see GMRS making a comeback.

[@Devin82m]

nice simple radio.

[@Commsprepper]

+Devin82m In some cases - less is more.

[@73BDM]

Do you have GMRS repeaters in your area? I've had my Licenses for years and never knew about GMRS repeaters until I went to Dayton Hamvention and saw a flyer for two in my home town.

[@Commsprepper]

+Brian Meyer I don't know. I will have to check that out.

[@kg5radio716]

Use mygmrs. It's kind of like a repeaterbook for GMRS repeaters.

[@MrM2hb]

Interesting radio. Love your channel KG7VGH.

[@Commsprepper]

+Mr M2HB I think it has allot of prepper potential. It's also something the non-Amateur family members can use.

[@USNERDOC]

Agreed!

[@dalemyers9265]

is it set up to work gmrs repeaters? so i was checking for beam antennas for it too. i found one on eBay. it's a 3 ele and around 30ist bucks. using wire eyelets to connect the coax to the beam. i think you can place it in a piece of duct work and make a wave guide. to make transmitting more secure. or less likely to direction finding efforts. even if do use a beam. it still radiates energy in areas other than it's beam heading. but a wave guide is more focused. ok, peace out, 73 de kf4dcy.

[@Bootyhunter1971]

Not made to work with repeaters. Nice concept, but total fail because of that.

[@uhfnutbar1]

flash foreword to 2021 and still Canada wont open up the GMRS band to replace cb, we stuck with them crappy 1 to 2 watt crap handhelds fix antenna :(

[@Commsprepper]

sorry to hear this. Thanks for the comment and channel support.

[@RavenwoodAcres]

Perfect, I will be installing one of these into my wife's vehicle.

[@Commsprepper]

+Nomad-76 It's a neat little radio. I think you will like it. You may want to look at a better antenna (kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3nUknuDhauHorc). However, with a commercial antenna you will need to set the radio to 1 watt to make sure you don't exceed the maximum permitted ERP,

[@RavenwoodAcres]

+Commsprepper I have a GRMS license so I can operate above 1 watt. However, I am not sure that effects ERP and of course the FCC regulations are "so" easy to understand.

[@Commsprepper]

+Nomad-76 ERP is defiantly not a "consumer" term. The concept is: if a radio puts out 2 watts, the cable has 3db of loss, there is one watt at the antenna. If that antenna has 3db of gain - you are back to 2 watts of ERP. The regulatory issue is if the radio has 5 watts (GMRS max) and your antenna has gain that is more than the cable loss you will be in violation. The goal to be compliant is to have an antenna that makes up for the cable loss and has an ERP that matches the radio's output.

[@RavenwoodAcres]

Cool, thank you for taking the time to explain.

[@Commsprepper]

Glad the videos help. hank

[@NCICRESQ]

Can a radio like this be used a substitute for the CB’s on the hwy?

[@Commsprepper]

Can they be used on the highway - yes. Can these radios talk to legacy CB radios - no. CB radios are AM and these radios are FM.

[@scdave100]

CP, what GMRS handheld radio would you recommend to pair with this mobile? Thanks!

[@Commsprepper]

+Freedom Forged I cannot recommend one - I don't really like any of them. Vendors are not making dedicated GMRS radios much anymore. However, if I were to buy one, I would look closely at Cobra's MR HH450 DUAL VHF Marine/GMRS. On GMRS is runs 3 watts. I have not been able to find any other FCC certified GMRS radio with that power.

[@scdave100]

+Freedom Forged Thanks for the quick response CP.

[@bradnewhouse6094]

The fcc gmrs licence is actually $65 for 5 years now.

[@Commsprepper]

+Brad Newhouse Thanks for the clarification.

[@HugDeeznueces]

what other antenna do you recommend with this unit. i would like something more permanent than mag mount.

[@Commsprepper]

DPD Productions makes a GMRS base antenna. I have a video on it.

[@HardcoreFourSix]

Do you have a suggestion for a power supply for use from home (while 110 AC is available). How many amps should the power supply provide? Thanks.

[@Commsprepper]

Assuming you do not have plans to operate Amateur radio in the future, I recommend the Astron RS-5A (5 amp power supply). You could go with the RS-7A for bit more available amperage if you wanted to power something else. If you are planning on adding Amateur operations then I recommend to bigger for the 100 watt units and get the RS-35A.

[@HardcoreFourSix]

thanks!...and I do plan on HAM very soon.

[@MarkFields7]

Question on GMRS. If you have a license do you need to utilize your GMRS call sign like you do for Amateur radio? Curious how that works.

[@Commsprepper]

+Mark F Yes - you have to use your FCC assigned call sign. I'm not sure but I believe it's used every 15 and at the beginning and end of communications.

[@MarkFields7]

+Commsprepper Thanks! New to Amateur Radio and you provide great info. Have been looking at GMRS for the rest of the family since right now there is no interest in getting an amateur license.

[@Commsprepper]

For the price I think it's a good deal. Throw it in an ammo can and you have something for the field.

[@kj4ilk]

am i allowed to hook a amp to it since a person can use 50 Watts on GMRS if i have a a licence

[@Commsprepper]

Not sure.

[@signalstatstevedouglas1387]

Wal-Mart has it for $99.00 very nice rig great for travel like a convoy talk car to car .

[@Commsprepper]

They are great little radios.

[@tomsawyer3900]

does anyone know what channel you check the SWR?

[@Commsprepper]

All channels provided they are clear and you do not cause harmful interference.

[@timholtzclaw8930]

Is it repeater capable?

[@Commsprepper]

Yes. Pre-programmed for common GMRS repeaters.

[@theking-qe3jc]

can you program just like you can the Midland gb1

[@Commsprepper]

I don't think so.

[@nr3rful]

that is an interesting little radio, however, for only five watts I would buy an HT

[@Commsprepper]

+nr3rful That's the challenge - try finding a GMRS handheld with a removable antenna - I could not. Seems all the current radios are FRS and GMRS with fixed antennas and undisclosed power levels.

[@rowdyraider556]

+Commsprepper Kenwood makes some TK (commercial) radios with Part 90/95A acceptance.

[@rowdyraider556]

While the radio is not a bad radio for Midland to "test" the waters...it's very far from where it should be. For one, it lacks repeater offsets. Secondly, Midland pretty much castrated the thing to make it work with the interstitial (shared with FRS) channels which have an ERP limit of 5W. On the 8 repeater capable channels there is no ERP limit but a limit on RF power of 50W. I'm going to also bet that it is a narrowband radio (GMRS is actually a wideband service but all of the bubble pack manufacturers just make narrowband only radios) so there is the potential for signal loss there. Also as one could surmize, if someone where to put a 5/8th over 5/8th antenna on the radio then at high power the radio would not meet the interstitial limits (would at low power). Personally, I think there are much better mobile options out there (for the price). I used to find Kenwood TK-880s for under $100 all day. Or Motorola M1225s. Or Icom F221 radios (which have a 5W low power setting). Kenwood has current mobile GMRS options. The TK-8180 has part 90/95A certification, as does the TK-8302.

[@time4acodeb]

The license fee is no longer $80, it has gone down to $65.

[@Commsprepper]

+Bobb Cobb Thanks for the info. Hank

[@Mickey3Gun]

To bad it won't work with repeaters, as per Midland Tech Support.

[@Commsprepper]

Yes, they are simplex only.

[@sinisterspawn]

you need a license for this radio? thats not cool!

[@Commsprepper]

+Okin Angelo There is no test. Just a license fee.

[@sinisterspawn]

Commsprepper how do i go about getting this license?

[@nr3rful]

Cobra MR HH450

[@Commsprepper]

+nr3rful Very cool radio. I had not seen this one.

[@albertomadeirajr7824]

it cost $65.00 for your GMRS license now down from $80.00

[@Commsprepper]

That's good news. I hope it goes away one day.

[@Adamdaj]

Why buy a GMRS radio that is only simplex? The MIDLAND MXT 100 will not work on GMRS repeaters. Don't get me wrong, this radio has a purpose, but to really use it as GMRS radio, you might as well get a technician class license and get on a real radio.

[@Commsprepper]

+Adam Huffnagle If you can show me a "real radio" that is type accepted (approved) by the FCC for the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) I will look at it. So far, this is the only FCC approved GMRS radio that I could find. CommsPrepper

[@Adamdaj]

There really isn't a GMRS mobile part 95 typed accepted for strictly GMRS. Most mobiles and portables that are used on GMRS are surplus Business Band / Public Safety part 90 radio, which is altering the FCC typed acceptance rule for radio users.

[@Commsprepper]

I'm aware of the FCC ID look up page (I spend a bit of time there). My point (5 months ago) was it's hard to find a current production (not a dinosaur for 20 years ago) that is FCC Part 95 approved for the GMRS. While the lack of repeater options and 10K5F3E emission is disappointing - it's still a great little radio - especially for preppers and general emergency preparedness.