On-Farm Two-Way Radios - Midland GMRS vs. Business Band

Learn more about Midland's GMRS offerings: bit.ly/3R1iSgs
After trying out some new offerings from Midland during harvest, Riley discusses some differences between GMRS and business band two way radio solutions and how they can affect communications on your farm operation.
Contact AgriStudios: [e-mail] // agristudios.com
Follow AgriStudios on Social Media:
- / agristudios
- / riley.slivka
- / rwslivka
- agristudios.com

[@wyattswayoflife]

Also I noticed on the screen of your hand held GXT1000. There was a L on the right side of the screen. That indicates power out put. When you transmit. If you change that to H for high or M for medium. You will have more transmitting power. Which gives your transmitting signal more penetration To make it through brush, and “some” trees likes a fence row. It will also help out if your inside a grain bin, or in a building of some sort. H means high out put, and M mean medium out put. You will get even more father distance out of those hand held. We where able to get about 10-15 miles out of them, And it all determines. The weather, line of sight, and the atmosphere. I do apologize if I missed spelled anything.

[@sunroofracing]

Nice review Riley! The live use demonstrations are particularly useful. Impressive communications without a license.

[@lesterslivka9641]

Midland does have a place in most ag operations. Good comparison. nice job riley

[@cedaroakfarm8596]

We just installed the MXT400, 40 watt in the home base and the RTV's, wow what a game changer and use the GXT1050 for the handhelds. Using the right GMRS channel and making sure they are set on H power covers our entire farm, and our neighbors so they too have invested in Midland. If you have a larger area, they make a Repeater set up that really extends the range.

[@BmooreproductionsIN]

the range part could also be the difference between UHF and VHF all GMRS is on UHF and business radioes can be both and on newer motorolas you can do digital witch can inprove your range as well, might also want to look into a repeater

[@AgriStudios]

Yes, I initially had this mixed up but the farm radios are on VHF, which doesn’t go through obstructions like UHF can.

[@mehransraa3608]

Nice job bro

[@sergeantstormball9008]

Midland always makes good radios from NOAA to commercial use I'll always trust their products.

[@chrisjimerson8790]

can you use these business band radios on midland X-talker radios my model is an T70 series model and yes they are the John Deere brand named

[@bulentkoyuncu1088]

I have midland gxt 1000 model. Can I program 446 pmr to this radio? Thank you

[@christophersmith1155]

ANOTHER BENEFIT IS THE MIDLAND REPEATER, PUT THE ANTENNA ON TOP OF A SILO AND INCREASE RANGE.

[@Jacob-mm8xq]

I was quite shocked at how bad the "business band radios" perform as one of them is a public safety radio used by law enforcement and fire rescue across the country, while now they are very outdated I'm still wondering if things were set up correct such as proper antennas and what not. But I have seen many farms switch from CB to GMRS and they do seem to work very well.

[@423tech]

Agreed. I seriously doubt a cheap Midland radio is outperforming an XTS2500.

[@gsaldana22]

He had the wrong antenna on the XTS. That was a VHF band whip.

[@TM-gv6zv]

It almost sounds like with the interference from the businessman that it is on a VHF. And sounds like you're getting interference from your lights. However the Midland is on a UHF band and you shouldn't get the interference from the lights great video good comparison

[@AgriStudios]

Thanks! Yes, those are LED lights in the shop so probably was causing issues with VHF. I should do a follow up now that I understand UHF/VHF better.

[@trickmytractor7187]

So my neighbor farmer just purchased Motorola GMRS radios , I help him during harvest some, so if I purchased a single radio, would it have to be programmed or can I turn a knob to the same channel to communicate with him?

[@AgriStudios]

If it’s GMRS and he doesn’t have any tones programmed into his channel, it will work regardless of brand.

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

your radio would have to be set on there tone then it will work

[@Number4lead]

​@@donalderickson-si8wwor no tone if the neighbor isn't using any.

[@kennymitchell809]

Maybe if you use the appropriate antennae on the business band radios for the UHF band the radios would perform as designed. The antennae on the business band radios are not tuned for the UHF frequencies

[@AgriStudios]

The business band radios are on VHF.

[@gsaldana22]

​@AgriStudios 8:50 And the HT series radio on the left had a UHF antenna, not VHF. Side by side, all things considered with the proper gear and same band, I would expect the Moto's to outperform the Midlands, especially in the receiving category.

[@RKingis]

As of 2018, FRS is 22 channels, with up to 2watts on 1-7+15-22, and half watt on 8-14. GMRS does allow business use, just everyone needs their own license, unless there family.

[@russwolf323]

Can the hand held radios use repeaters?

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

yes they need to be set on the input ton to talk to the tower as mine are

[@MargateFL33063]

This is NOT an apple to apples comparison. Your farm is using VHF frequency radios, as opposed to the GMRS radios which is on UHF. You need to switch your business band license over to a UHF license and radios over to a UHF 450-470mhz business band radios. The Motorola business radios should have smoked those GMRS radios, however, your operation is using VHF frequencies instead of UHF frequencies. A simple 25 watt repeater on your barn or grain silo, would have given great range also.

[@gmeister03]

They do have 20 watt Gmrs handhelds

[@Number4lead]

I bet the batteries run out fast on a 20 watt.

[@zachpeters7096]

I'm curious how the licensing works for GMRS on the farm with non-family members? I would think every non-family member would have to get his or her own GMRS license. Seems like way more of a hassle than business band. Your business band equipment looks like it needs a little maintenance and upgrading, and once that is taken care of... Business band would run circles around GMRS and make GMRS look quite silly. Especially if you installed a business band repeater. There would be no comparison.

[@rosco1883]

The new GTX1000 is only 2.8 watts as far as I know. Not 5 watts.

[@jmmorgenstern7005]

Just letting you know that what you want to do if you also want to set up you also want to set up a repeater building sorry a repeater building in middle of the farm even if it's not in the mountain Universe not anywhere you also want to set up a repeater building in the middle of the farm so that this way no matter wherever you are you get good signal you said of her repeated there a repeater on Hills you and the rest of the repeaters you generally spaced-out the best best best best place for the repeater in the middle of the farm then another repeated then the other sets of repeaters go all around the farm wherever the big huge hill or whatever this some kind of mountain or something that's where the those repeaters go but there's always an important step is always put a repeater in the middle of the farm even if it's not on a mountain even if it's not on the hill or Mountain Rankin High you always put a repeater in the middle this way no matter what wherever you are on the farm you should be getting very very very clear signal but remember it's more than one repeater it's about 425 repeaters and you should be getting excellent signal and this also depends how big your farm is if your farm is big and huge yeah you going to need that if your pharmacist small you're not going to need that so just letting you know try to be of help here and it all depends how big your farm is God bless you guys thank you for the video and I for one really appreciate it

[@Pops_607]

So your telling people to put in EMS and fire channels and talk on them ? What?!?!?!? Bro you got to fix that…. Why not tell them how much a BBfreq is to lic….

[@AgriStudios]

Most people in our area volunteer with their local fire departments and thus are trained to communicate with DES and the fire crew, so because of this many radios are dual-purpose (farm comms normally and fire comms during a fire response).

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

are radio's will not work on EMS or fire channels when thay set up there new systum EMS went 800 megahert's and we got there old systum

[@414RadioTech]

Only problem with Midland is they don't have the balls to get one of those murs radios built nobody likes that gmrs crap because the kids and what not keep hogging the band and it sucks so I've gone elsewhere along with others from a new company retevis they make the VHF Murs radios and they still haven't become popular at all like these dumb gmrs radios are that Midland makes I would rather see Midland make a murs radio I've reached out to them but still haven't heard anything back

[@rarefruit2320]

I already told you on that other channel

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

the kids are on family service channels I am on G M R S every one has there own call sign as I do and thing's work well.

[@Number4lead]

That's where the CTCSS tones come in handy. Everybody set to the same tone and you won't have to hear all the other crap.

[@donalderickson-si8ww]

that's ok with me I run 45 watts on gmrs