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Which Midland GMRS radio, MXT400 or MXT275?

CrazyCooter

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Except the radio is not certified for any of the stuff you claimed you put in it. Yes people do stuff all the time but doesn't mean its correct. Buy a correct radio, get your license and be compliant with the rules for each service. RR is one of the major issues with radio as they do not care its all about money for them.
I can agree with your argument.......There needs to be order and that's why the rules are in place to begin with.
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BajaDrifter

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I wouldn't waste my money on the gmrs specific radio. I'd get a tyt dual band ham radio and program it with Rugged's channel list, GMRS/FRS, MURS, and anything else you want.

I've programmed mine with our state's Calcord, SAR, and CLEMARS freqs just in case I need to communicate with first responders for emergency purposes.

Takes 10x the power to double your signal or 3db. Better to do it with a more efficient antenna than brute power.
I hear you, but I'm not getting into it as a hobby, nor do I want to program anything or partake in any SAR ops. I just want simple vehicle to vehicle comms for road trips. Still, I'm glad there are people like yourself helping out as you can. Be nice if there was an emergency broadcast channel on these things for warnings such as Forrest fires/flash floods or even a dangerous criminal in the area. The weather channels don't cover everything.
 

CrazyCooter

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I hear you, but I'm not getting into it as a hobby, nor do I want to program anything or partake in any SAR ops. I just want simple vehicle to vehicle comms for road trips. Still, I'm glad there are people like yourself helping out as you can. Be nice if there was an emergency broadcast channel on these things for warnings such as Forrest fires/flash floods or even a dangerous criminal in the area. The weather channels don't cover everything.
Sometimes I take for granted that I'm a licensed ham and used to be a radio geek before burnout.

Do people in your area use gmrs in vehicles? I know of one local repewter here locally, but I never got involved since I have access to all the good stuff!
 
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BajaDrifter

BajaDrifter

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Sometimes I take for granted that I'm a licensed ham and used to be a radio geek before burnout.

Do people in your area use gmrs in vehicles? I know of one local repewter here locally, but I never got involved since I have access to all the good stuff!
Believe it or not, in the early 70's I was a radioman in the Navy. We had old transmitters the size of commercial fridges, sometimes we had to give them a running kick to get them to work. Trying to find a freq with no interference to work on was our biggest challenge. We tried every antenna we could and they were huge. Our most reliable comms were with Morse code. We could blast through any interference with sits and dashes. After 4 years of that I was burned out too. Don't think I could make it my hobby, it's a tool to use.
 

jwilson2899

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Another vote for the MXT275. I have it in mine, and very happy with the performance and the size/mounting.
 

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Lucifer

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I'm also in the same boat here. Looking into both the 275 and the 400. I know the 275 has weather channels but i also have that in my Gladiator and on my phone. I want something with a long range, not for trails but am more on the prepper side of things. So for that, which is the best way to go. I would prefer to mount an 6db antenna on the bed rail of the Gladiator
 

Jay Gatsby

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I'm also in the same boat here. Looking into both the 275 and the 400. I know the 275 has weather channels but i also have that in my Gladiator and on my phone. I want something with a long range, not for trails but am more on the prepper side of things. So for that, which is the best way to go. I would prefer to mount an 6db antenna on the bed rail of the Gladiator
The 400 with a 6db antenna would be best :like:
 

prerunner1982

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I'm also in the same boat here. Looking into both the 275 and the 400. I know the 275 has weather channels but i also have that in my Gladiator and on my phone. I want something with a long range, not for trails but am more on the prepper side of things. So for that, which is the best way to go. I would prefer to mount an 6db antenna on the bed rail of the Gladiator
With VHF/UHF distance is more about antenna height and obstructions (earth curvature, buildings, trees, mountains, etc). You can talk to the International Space Station on 5 watts, so more power does not necessarily equal more distance. More power may help a signal get through vegetation which typically blocks much of the signal.
 

Idmt

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Prerunner - would you be concerned with a hood mount antenna and the 40w transmit power? I'm thinking that with the 275, the reduced power would make it a safer choice with the proximity of the antenna. It seems like many are not concerned with this with GMRS or the dual bands.
 

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prerunner1982

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Prerunner - would you be concerned with a hood mount antenna and the 40w transmit power? I'm thinking that with the 275, the reduced power would make it a safer choice with the proximity of the antenna. It seems like many are not concerned with this with GMRS or the dual bands.
That really depends on how long winded you are as the RF Exposure guidelines take into consideration how much time you transmit. I wouldn't want to talk none stop for hours with the antenna 18"-24" away on the other side of the window frame but you would likely over heat the radio before you over heated the smooshy gray matter in your head. An RF Exposure Evaluation isn't required for UHF until the power at the antenna exceeds 70 watts.
But given the brief trail chatter I normally experience I wouldn't worry too much about it.
 
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Lucifer

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I would be mounting the antenna on the back of the bed. I had seen a mounting bracket that connects to the trail rail
 

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For snowmobiling, we use gmrs handheld radios with 2 watts in mountain terrain without issue. Due to that experience my entire crew has installed the 275 in our side by sides and our offroad Jeeps to communicate. It's handy not having to charge a handheld between outings. We run within a mile or two of each other and can communicate just fine in trees, gullies and mountains. I even leave the antenna in the glove box most times.

The only negative to the 275 is that you have to physically turn it on. I have them connected to ignition power, so when I turn engine off, the unit turns off, but when I start the engine I have to then remember to turn on the 275.

The power output is more than enough for my use, but the biggest benefit is that everyone I know that I would ride or travel with has a 2 way radio.
 

EXTORTION

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MXT275, for us, it was the best option. Serves all our needs.
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