Until you posted this video, I never realized that you could install both the rechargeable battery pack and a set of alkaline batteries at the same time. For camping, that IS awesome. Using the USB output gives you a way to charge your cell phone if you accidentally leave it on. Nice! Thanks for taking the time to post the video.
Love the channel but still anxiously awaiting the range test with the Midland MXT115 an MXT400 base. Interested in how good with the 6dB antenna @ Base and short magnetic 3dB antenna on the truck...and 6dB on both
Oh yeah... Workin on my own MUTT right now. Picked up a 50 dollar Murray and had to order a 14 dollar carb..love it already. Ordered a trailer for it,makes wood runs a breeze. Matter a fact gonna do a water run right after I finish this comment. Six five gal buskets. I live off grid in Southern Missouri.
but bayofang can not be used on F RS as it is to sloppie. sunnie If you want a real radio with no extra junk lookm up RUGGED RADIO in google and thay will set you up with a real radio
Comments on how nice the manual is before he opens it, then fails to read it and understand the radio....LOL. I love the videos but I got a chuckle out of that. Good day sir :)
the smart ones do and the brand of radio I have does not have all the bells a whisels that one has MINE are strate F R S & G M R S with a license that gets my base station 20 miles
Wouldn't it be great if it had an SO-239 connection for an external antenna? In the woods, you could throw a ladder-line SlimJim over a tree limb and the range would be greatly increased. It seems as if every radio lacks at least one essential feature. That said, I wonder what the range would be if this radio were used inside houses for neighborhood comms. I would love to see more range-testing videos to show the power or lack thereof of these radios. Thanks for a great channel.
when I was listening to those sounds all i could think of was the atari and them old video games that you could sit at like a table, then you said atari so there it is
Looks like a nice little radio.As you know I've been a Ham for years but after watching you videos on GMR equipment .I got my license a couple weeks ago.
one year ago i was sitting on the east river side of manhattan talking to a gmrs operator in astoria queens. and a guy cut in using that midland from greenpoint brooklyn and made great contact to astoria and me across the river. thats 3 to 4 miles. im looking forward to a part 2 video. might buy for my sons.
Great vid. I've been trying to get one of these from Midland for a while! Always backordered or sold out. lol. So its nice to see someone actually get a hold of one recently.
I think with all that is going on people are grabbing them up for a communication source. Also close to where I live are a bunch of people who go camping a lot and these are great for them to keep in touch with with the rest of their group
Just read through the manual for this radio - which I like a lot, btw - and, in typical Midland fashion, they never say what the power level is. Expect 2w on high, if they stay true to form.
@@donalderickson-si8ww This radio (Midland XT511 Base Camp) does not support GMRS Repeater INPUT channels 15R - 22R. You can only listen to the OUTPUT of GMRS Repeaters, on channels 15 - 22, and cannot send anything back to the repeater tower.
It's a shame MIDLAND forgot to include repeater channels with the XT511. That's what I don't like about the radio. I mean a full fledge radio, I would want repeater channels or the ability to set up 5 or 15 watt makeshift repeater. Other then that, the Midland XT511 is cool looking radio and I assume it will come in handy WTHF. 73 Adam K3JCP / WQAI363
Done and done again. I spent FOUR hours editing it all down, but i did a regular 2 way range test GMRS to GMRS with my wife, and a second GMRS Vs. CB range test. Hang in there. They are on the way!
You are going to be disappointed! I have these radios. About 1.5 miles in town or suburbia if the weather is decent. About 2-3 miles on LOS on highway between 2 vehicles.
I have and appreciate this radio. BUT it needs 3 updates: 1) align power levels per channel closer with LATEST updates to FRS/GMRS channel/power max limits (0.5w, 2w, 5w or even higher max, depending on channel). 2) Add channels matching repeater input frequencies, number them channels 15R through 22R, which when selected also receive on the corresponding channels 15 - 22. 3) Allow selection of different CTCSS/DCS codes for send and receive when the channel is set to 15R - 22R.
@@donalderickson-si8ww Yes, channel 15 on FRS matches the same frequency as channel 15 on GMRS. However, FRS is for simplex (direct radio to radio) only, and cannot send to GMRS Repeaters. In GMRS (not FRS) there are Repeater channels. They are often numbered 15R - 22R on most modern GMRS radios. FRS radios can hear the OUTPUT from GMRS repeaters, on GMRS/FRS channels 15 - 22, but they cannot INPUT on the corresponding GMRS Repeater channels 15R - 22R. A good, modern, full-featured GMRS radio supports not only simplex on channels 15 - 22, but also supports the GMRS Repeater INPUT channels 15R - 22R, even though FRS radios cannot.
rpt channels are 5 watts on portables I have three and a 45 watt base radio on a 13.5 volt power supply and f r s run's on a half of a watt transmitter
Interesting little gem! Wish they had a full Ham Radio in this configuration with all the bells and whistles. Must be a Magnavox LCD monitor in the background, have the same one but its developed an audio issue, really distorted audio, I fígure it might be a bad electrolytic on the audio output board.
Do you know the IC2730a Icom? I want to turn something into a mobile repeater. I'm looking for something to use in my Jeep for when I go hiking with my baofeng and my Jeep buddies. I'm looking at an IC2730a but I'm looking for someone to guide me. I'm a newbie.
Interesting radio. Lots that I like about it but it appears that it's not repeater capable. That's not really a deal breaker but the option would be nice. The deal breaker for me is the antenna is not detatchable and no separate jack for an external antenna. Where I live I have to have an external antenna to get the weather alert channels. I'm enjoying your videos. Thanks.
the base camp radio you are looking at is two watts just like any FRS radio you can buy from anyone out there is when you move to g m r s that is 5 watts going into a repeter and rebrod casted out one second latter at 60 watts I HAVE his big brother running off car battery I do 45 watts into repeter then out repeter is on a tall building or a tower and I cover three county's her in my city.
I apparently single handedly caused everyone to sell out what little stock they had left. I asked for an update from Midland and they are hoping to have a fresh batch by the end of the month.
Since this is like a "bubble pack radio" the base station probably outputs 2 watts RF on GMRS channels and...is it 300 mw on FRS? Automatically switching based on what channel you go to.
There a bunch of items that are out of stock now but they are in production. There has been such a demand with various manufactures lately that are causing the issues. Just check back every so often to seen when they are available again.
have never been in to Gmrs or Frs radios, but it looks like a neat little package I like the fact that it runs on four double a battery's which most bigger c b's and ham radios.
@@FarpointFarms had mine for 6 years now. No problems. Usually lives connected to grid power. No problems with range over 70 hilly acres of mixed forest and cropland.
I just wanted to know if a president McKinley a good base station cb. I was going to get a Uniden , but it had bad reviews of the face not being able to see anymore. Thanks
Get an anytone 6666 way higher power if u want it more features u get a VFO too and fm if u ever wanna use it, it’s technically a 10 meter radio but the cb conversion is right in the menu it’s supper easy and around the same price no license needed at all to buy
I like the little radio I'm just now getting in the gmrs myself just got my license and a couple of cheap Midland GXT handhelds. Used to be in to CB back in the day. Definitely looking to get back into that as well. But I thought that gmrs would be a more private communication option for family. Of course we have cell phones but yeah. Definitely looking forward to part two.
Erik has dropped a bunch of hints on the region he’s in, but he’s pretty smart to be discreet. He even dropped a couple of hints right here on this video. :)
O R YOU CAN LOOK UP RUGGED RADIOS thay sell radios the only thing is there are no eatra funny buttions for what ever just a F R S and G M R S radio I Have three hand held an d a base station at 45 watts out with license
I was confused as well. I thought it was just an FRS radio, but it is apparently a GMRS radio. I hate when companies advertise FRS radios as GMRS radios, and GMRS as FRS radios. From what I am gathering it is an GMRS radio with just 22 channels. It is 5 watts, so it is not an FRS radio. It says it has just 22 channels, so I was confused about whether it comes pre programmed with repeaters, but I realized I had seen these radios for years and figured it could not use repeaters. I assume most people are wondering why'd they make a GMRS radio not capable of using repeaters, but they simply have never updated this radio. The radio is an old model made when GMRS rules were different, and they have never modernized it. So it is basically a GMRS radio with no repeater use. I'd still buy it.
GMRS is 5 WATTS ON TX, & FRS IS 2 WATTS ON ,TX. WHICH IS LINE OF SIGHT FOR TRANSMISSION.THE RADIO MAY BE ALRIGHT BUT I ,DONT LIKE THE IDEA THAT YOU CANT CONNECT A , EXTERNAL ANTENNA FOR GMRS& ALSO ITS NOT REPEATER FRIENDLY,.AND YES YOU DO NEED A LICENSE FOR GMRS FROM THE FCC WHICH IS $35.00 NOW FOR 10 YEARS.@@stephenedgecock
I had to use mine while camping. With standard antenna it got about 1 mile range to the other camper in forested area but not very clear. I added a speaker wire to the antenna and hung it in the tree as an experiment and the signal became more clearer when receiving and TXing. Not sure if the range increased as both stations were stationary.
the antenna is stock as the F C C orderd it to be short range radio only get you G M R S license and your talking 20 miles other than setting up the radio too a tower you talking 20 miles with no problum
I have and am happy with a number of Midland products. I bought this off their website and it quite working a couple days later. Then it worked again for a while, now not working again. I contacted them twice and they never got back to me. I will be sending it back to them. They can do whatever they want with it. Pretty disappointed. I will only buy their products off Amazon from now on, so I can send them back and get a refund. Sad to say.
Great review I had this radio but lost it in a move 6 years ago. Do you know where I can buy a new one? This radio is cool for sure with multiple charge options.
I love my Midlands GMRS radios, I have the 40 watt model, gave my son a 15 W for Xmas. But this model is not available anywhere. Which is a shame as it is a nice piece. Talk to your Midland contact and get it back into the supply channels.
He didn't know what C A was. Well then he knows the confusion us non radio folks went through when he went down a list of acronyms the radio would do without explaining a single one of them. Leaving the video knowing even less then when I came in. Like Adam Sandler's " The Water Boy " lol These ex military guys slay me.
I am a G M R S license holder and I clean up stuff like this on a Daly bases be course did not set down and read the book and look at what every button does I saved I went to RUGGED radio site and bought three HAND HELD's with no FUNNIE buttions as thay are on all off road unites and I bought a 45 WATT base radio with 6 buttons and I rock I am W R X N 824
It's nifty, but it has deficiencies worth noting: Non-removable antenna Not capable of using repeaters Not computer configurable If I'm wrong any of these, by all means, correct me here. I don't have one, but I came across it in my research, and was excited for a minute. Until I started looking at those specific features, which are apparently not present. These caveats don't necessarily make it a bad choice for its target use. But it's something that folks should know before picking it.
@@donalderickson-si8ww Not true. This radio cannot transmit on GMRS Repeater Channels 15R - 22R. Related to this, it also cannot send split CTSS tones nor split DCS codes, for Send vs. Receive, which is also required for many GMRS Repeaters.
Why do people think that the "Privacy" works? It is not a "Privacy" as in no one else can hear you. What it is is a discriminator that will only spring in to life when the code your device pulses out when you hit TX is recognised. To the rest of the world can still hear you, only THEY can't interrupt and cause confusion or hijack a channel as YOUR handsets and base stations do not allow that incoming to cause your radio to receive. I know this because I tested this, put 3 out of 4 hand sets in to a privacy mode (group) and the non-private one (public) was still able to pick up the transmissions but not send to the others in privacy mode.
That's mostly true. But if a listener wants to, they can scan for the 'privacy' tones/codes and then apply them to their radio to transmit into your conversation. It doesn't require any special hardware. Many GMRS radios can tone scan and apply that to the current channel.
They're discontinued because they didn't sell enough. They didn't sell enough because they adhere to an OLDER implementation of GMRS which did not include the newer GMRS Repeater INPUT channels of 15R -- 22R, and did not support split send/receive privacy tones/codes, and was limited to 5 watts on the GMRS channels, and did not allow for an external antenna. Other than that, it's a great radio (I have one, I'm not being sarcastic), and I particularly love the very wide variety of charging options.
thay runn at 2 watts just like every thing you buy from the big box stores with NO T E C seport my base at 45 watts and my hand held's are 2 watt and 5 watts each and my base IS 45 WATT.s
Being out of stock is just a little different than being unable to buy. They apparently sold out nearly as soon as the video was posted. They are telling me they expect more by the end of the month. I guess they didn't expect as high as a demand as it turned out they got. I don't work for midland, we didn't communicate over the release of this video. I am not an official spokesman for them. I bought the radio, I liked it, I made a video, and I posted it.
got mine about 1yr or so ago ITS A PIECE OF JUNK!!!!! heres why.... no matter what mode im in it will FREEZE UP A.K.A. JUST STOP WORKING!!!!! for what i payed for it its just not worth tryin to get it fixed.. and yes i got it from midland web site its self !!! i thought it would be a neat idea to try gmrs but so far NOT working out!! i am open to any ideas or suggestions!!!!!!
@@barneymm2204 yes i did, and thanks for asking... thats why i said its not money smart to send it back, by the time you do all that and it being out of warranty, plus trying to fix it you could by a new one...maybe a diff. brand???
Lots of neat features but typically, Midland dropped the ball in so many ways. As with most of their rechargeable battery FRS/GMRS radios, the battery capacity is pitiful. If memory serves me, the rechargeable battery is like 700 or maybe 1,000 mAh. That is literally nothing. Should be at least 3,000mAh (3.0Ah) for something like this, or more. Yeah, you can run AA batteries and get extended life but to offer rechargeable batteries as a feature, they need to do better. While on the topic of poor power and battery life, why not make the charger an adapter that allows running the radio 24-7 from 110VAC as a small base? Midland dropped the ball in so many ways by not making this radio all it should have been. Additionally, why no repeater access? If out in the woods and help was needed, repeater access could literally be a life saver? Again, Midland drops the ball. Do their design engineers possess the ability to think? By them missing so many opportunities to make this radio more useful, I gather not.
All of the reasons you just listed are why I chose to build my own with a btech mobile 50 watt transmitter, a glass Matt 12volt battery,battery tender and solar charger all packed into a pelican case. I use a 32 inch 6db whip antenna when mobile.
The positives heavily outweigh the nevatives as this video proves and i had this radio for a few years til I lost it in my move a few years back. It has multiple charge and power options. Not just double As and rechargeable battery but crank which you forgot to mention and the AC adapter not to mention the emergency weather, am and fm this thing is a bargain. Midland definitely didn't drop the ball. Its also picked up farther range in my tests compared to the normal hand radios.
MIDLAND MADE IT A CHEAP RADIO AND IT HAS LOW TRANSMITT POWER TOO,FOR GMRS AND FRS,AND NO EXTERNAL OUTLET SUCH AS A,SO 239 TO CONNECT A EXTERNAL ANTENNA TOO,SO SAVE YOUR MONEY AND BUY A BETTER RADIO.
Until you posted this video, I never realized that you could install both the rechargeable battery pack and a set of alkaline batteries at the same time. For camping, that IS awesome. Using the USB output gives you a way to charge your cell phone if you accidentally leave it on. Nice! Thanks for taking the time to post the video.
Love the channel but still anxiously awaiting the range test with the Midland MXT115 an MXT400 base. Interested in how good with the 6dB antenna @ Base and short magnetic 3dB antenna on the truck...and 6dB on both
I think the CB (in the background) was set to VOX...
Did you ever do a part 2?
Oh yeah... Workin on my own MUTT right now. Picked up a 50 dollar Murray and had to order a 14 dollar carb..love it already. Ordered a trailer for it,makes wood runs a breeze. Matter a fact gonna do a water run right after I finish this comment. Six five gal buskets. I live off grid in Southern Missouri.
PLEASE let me see what you come up with. I love these little mower conversions and there just isn't enough of them on the web.
I had thought about picking one up but figured the Bayofang works well enough..
that radio operates at two watts out put for family service radio
and I have heard it is not leagle to operate on G M r s
but bayofang can not be used on F RS as it is to sloppie.
sunnie If you want a real radio with no extra junk lookm up RUGGED RADIO
in google and thay will set you up with a real radio
Good morning Erik and the rest of the Farm Family . I’m up in the mountains myself visiting my folks in Wv for a few days taking a break from work !
That is awesome! Enjoy some time with family.
Comments on how nice the manual is before he opens it, then fails to read it and understand the radio....LOL. I love the videos but I got a chuckle out of that. Good day sir :)
Come on now, what guy actually reads a manual?!?! Ha!
@@FarpointFarms Not Me. I'll Struggle To Set It Up And A Day Or To Afterwards I Read The Manual To See What Features It Has.
the smart ones do and the brand of radio I have does not have all the bells a whisels that one has
MINE are strate F R S & G M R S with a license that gets my base station 20 miles
that's why I go through and answer his mail
my radio is big brother to his at 45 watts radio
with a license also
Thank You Tully Awesome INFO !!!
Any time!
Wouldn't it be great if it had an SO-239 connection for an external antenna? In the woods, you could throw a ladder-line SlimJim over a tree limb and the range would be greatly increased. It seems as if every radio lacks at least one essential feature. That said, I wonder what the range would be if this radio were used inside houses for neighborhood comms. I would love to see more range-testing videos to show the power or lack thereof of these radios. Thanks for a great channel.
I think it lacks the antenna jack due to FCC regulations for FRS radios.
the radio has a out put of 2 watts just like all the other radios do
your radio was built under F C C rules so don't do any thing your running
on a 1/2 of a watt radio
the answer is right you don't fool with the f c c.
This is really cool . As an adult I’m impressed , if I would’ve owned this thing as a kid I would’ve thought I made it to the top of the world !!
Seriously! I'd have strapped it to my dirtbike and hit the trails.
@@FarpointFarms do the 2 meter VHF 5 watt radios have better talking distance range ?
yes,2-meter has all have a better range in both talking and receive,.@@unitedstatesirie7431
yes and require a ham radio license
where as G M R S does not have a test with it
yes thay do but we do not requirer a license as ham radio does
Looks like you're transmitting on your cb behind you. As you talk the meter goes up
when I was listening to those sounds all i could think of was the atari and them old video games that you could sit at like a table, then you said atari so there it is
Very interested to watch part 2
Great functionality. Try the crank generator -- on flashlights I've used, you need to crank hard and long to get any sort of reasonable charge.
How long does it take to charge it up enough to use the radio for a few minutes?
@@CMCSS-to3to Depending on the state of the rechargeable battery, about 10-15 minutes generally.
then hope like hell the crank dont break,lol.????
That's a very well priced emergency/camping radio for all it's features.
but everyone forgets that is only 2 watts out put F C C rules my base would work I am running
a 45 watt radio with license and I cover three county's
Looks like a nice little radio.As you know I've been a Ham for years but after watching you videos on GMR equipment .I got my license a couple weeks ago.
well come abord
one year ago i was sitting on the east river side of manhattan talking to a gmrs operator in astoria queens. and a guy cut in using that midland from greenpoint brooklyn and made great contact to astoria and me across the river. thats 3 to 4 miles. im looking forward to a part 2 video. might buy for my sons.
Those little Base Camp sets look so cool. I've wanted to get one ever since they came out. I'm glad to see that they are still available. :-)
thay are no better than any hand held thay all put out a 1/2 of a watt
Was yours on back order my is shipping out this Thursday and coming sometime next week
Great vid. I've been trying to get one of these from Midland for a while! Always backordered or sold out. lol. So its nice to see someone actually get a hold of one recently.
I think with all that is going on people are grabbing them up for a communication source. Also close to where I live are a bunch of people who go camping a lot and these are great for them to keep in touch with with the rest of their group
Just read through the manual for this radio - which I like a lot, btw - and, in typical Midland fashion, they never say what the power level is. Expect 2w on high, if they stay true to form.
there is no hi power that means I can use that channel with my 5 watt radio
on G M R S YES YOU CAN your 5 watt's go to a tower that your radio is tuned to
@@donalderickson-si8ww This radio (Midland XT511 Base Camp) does not support GMRS Repeater INPUT channels 15R - 22R. You can only listen to the OUTPUT of GMRS Repeaters, on channels 15 - 22, and cannot send anything back to the repeater tower.
It's a shame MIDLAND forgot to include repeater channels with the XT511. That's what I don't like about the radio. I mean a full fledge radio, I would want repeater channels or the ability to set up 5 or 15 watt makeshift repeater. Other then that, the Midland XT511 is cool looking radio and I assume it will come in handy WTHF. 73 Adam K3JCP / WQAI363
ADAM it is restricted to1/2 watt I run a 45 watt G M r s radio at 45 watts
I would take mine before a low power lunch box any day
Great video definitely going to look into one of those babies 😍
Pretty darn cool!
it puts out no more watts then your hand held radio do
Hey Eric, Can you do a distance test on those two GMRS radios please? :)
Done and done again. I spent FOUR hours editing it all down, but i did a regular 2 way range test GMRS to GMRS with my wife, and a second GMRS Vs. CB range test. Hang in there. They are on the way!
@@FarpointFarms Awesome buddy! Take care. :)
You are going to be disappointed! I have these radios. About 1.5 miles in town or suburbia if the weather is decent. About 2-3 miles on LOS on highway between 2 vehicles.
the range will be 2 miles with 2 watts
I have and appreciate this radio. BUT it needs 3 updates: 1) align power levels per channel closer with LATEST updates to FRS/GMRS channel/power max limits (0.5w, 2w, 5w or even higher max, depending on channel). 2) Add channels matching repeater input frequencies, number them channels 15R through 22R, which when selected also receive on the corresponding channels 15 - 22. 3) Allow selection of different CTCSS/DCS codes for send and receive when the channel is set to 15R - 22R.
channel 15 on F R S matches G M R S 15 on are side
@@donalderickson-si8ww Yes, channel 15 on FRS matches the same frequency as channel 15 on GMRS. However, FRS is for simplex (direct radio to radio) only, and cannot send to GMRS Repeaters. In GMRS (not FRS) there are Repeater channels. They are often numbered 15R - 22R on most modern GMRS radios. FRS radios can hear the OUTPUT from GMRS repeaters, on GMRS/FRS channels 15 - 22, but they cannot INPUT on the corresponding GMRS Repeater channels 15R - 22R. A good, modern, full-featured GMRS radio supports not only simplex on channels 15 - 22, but also supports the GMRS Repeater INPUT channels 15R - 22R, even though FRS radios cannot.
rpt channels are 5 watts on portables I have three and a 45 watt base radio
on a 13.5 volt power supply and f r s run's on a half of a watt transmitter
The only thing missing is a solar panel does it have a head phone jack?
It does have a jack, and I plan on using solar to charge it once it's in the camper.
Interesting little gem! Wish they had a full Ham Radio in this configuration with all the bells and whistles.
Must be a Magnavox LCD monitor in the background, have the same one but its developed an audio issue, really distorted audio, I fígure it might be a bad electrolytic on the audio output board.
thay do make a ham radio just like that radio but ham radio does not have all the junk
you radio has it like G M R S NO LICENSE required HAM does.
@@donalderickson-si8ww you need a license for GMRS.
let me say houdy from the W R X N 824 radio station that's me 73's will talk soon I am out
As usual, great content. Is that your old Army issue T shirt? Love my old Army T shirts lol
It sure is. I'm almost out of them. My wife will probably throw a party when they are gone, but they remind me of the days of my youth.
Do I need a license to use one of these?
No you don't
@ thanks soeoneelse said I did
I ordered one on Amazon and I getting the license manual today.
Do you know the IC2730a Icom? I want to turn something into a mobile repeater.
I'm looking for something to use in my Jeep for when I go hiking with my baofeng and my Jeep buddies.
I'm looking at an IC2730a but I'm looking for someone to guide me. I'm a newbie.
Save your money,ok
I have the same radio
My AM will no longer work
Any factory reset that you know of? Thanks
I am not sure of one- sometimes there is a tiny reset button on the back/side of the unit. I hope you can get it working
@@FarpointFarms thanks but no reset button
Interesting radio. Lots that I like about it but it appears that it's not repeater capable. That's not really a deal breaker but the option would be nice. The deal breaker for me is the antenna is not detatchable and no separate jack for an external antenna.
Where I live I have to have an external antenna to get the weather alert channels. I'm enjoying your videos. Thanks.
When are you gonna do the range test on that midland base camp radio
the base camp radio you are looking at is two watts just like any FRS radio you can buy from
anyone out there is when you move to g m r s that is 5 watts going into a repeter and rebrod casted
out one second latter at 60 watts I HAVE his big brother running off car battery I do
45 watts into repeter then out repeter is on a tall building or a tower and I cover three county's her in my city.
2/9/21 - Amazon and Walmart are both out of stock. Hopefully, they will get some in soon... Actually, I could not find anyone who had one in stock.
I apparently single handedly caused everyone to sell out what little stock they had left. I asked for an update from Midland and they are hoping to have a fresh batch by the end of the month.
I am getting in like two weeks
Since this is like a "bubble pack radio" the base station probably outputs 2 watts RF on GMRS channels and...is it 300 mw on FRS? Automatically switching based on what channel you go to.
sorry it's 1/2 watt on all FRS radio's in clouding the lunch box the G m r s
channels operate at 5 watts hand held's and my base comes in at 45 watt's
and yes I have a fed radio license
Wasn't this discontinued? I can't find them anywhere
It shows it on Midland's website for $90. I know people have been buying radios lately, driving the price up too
@@blackhawk65589 any website I check says out of stock, even Midland's!
There a bunch of items that are out of stock now but they are in production. There has been such a demand with various manufactures lately that are causing the issues. Just check back every so often to seen when they are available again.
go to RUGGED RADIO AND THAY ARE ALWAYS IN STOCK Google it
Thanks for the helpful information on GMRS. Looking to pick up that radio for my teardrop.
Glad it was helpful!
don't for get the license as you will need one
@@donalderickson-si8ww YOU WILL NEED A LICENSE FROM THE FCC,FOR GMRS.
Pretty neat radio
I thought so too!
If you could charge that device with a solar panel, that would make it great for extended camping.
Seems like you easily could
have never been in to Gmrs or Frs radios, but it looks like a neat little package I like the fact that it runs on four double a battery's which most bigger c b's and ham radios.
the ham radio portables have a battery pack not aa's like these
Have the same unit
Seems well built, is your radio holding up well?
@@FarpointFarms had mine for 6 years now. No problems. Usually lives connected to grid power. No problems with range over 70 hilly acres of mixed forest and cropland.
I just wanted to know if a president McKinley a good base station cb. I was going to get a Uniden , but it had bad reviews of the face not being able to see anymore. Thanks
Get an anytone 6666 way higher power if u want it more features u get a VFO too and fm if u ever wanna use it, it’s technically a 10 meter radio but the cb conversion is right in the menu it’s supper easy and around the same price no license needed at all to buy
The McKinley is a slightly better radio, but I've never had any issues with my Uniden 980 either. I'd say go with either and you will be happy.
Thanks, I’ll probably go with the McKinley. This is bearded drag from Athens Alabama-aka 6012
That Was The First Version And It Was Notorious For The Screen To Go Out But The New Version Is Great.
YOU NEED A HAM RADIO LICENSE TO BE ABLE TO TRANSMITT ON 10- METERS FROM THE FCC.@@mattm5941
i find a set of two Midland XT511 on ebay
Ebay is a great place to look for them
Do you think this would be useful in the city or is it something that works better in a rural area?
I think it would be fine for city use as well.
I like the little radio I'm just now getting in the gmrs myself just got my license and a couple of cheap Midland GXT handhelds. Used to be in to CB back in the day. Definitely looking to get back into that as well. But I thought that gmrs would be a more private communication option for family. Of course we have cell phones but yeah. Definitely looking forward to part two.
using G M R S there is no private channel ON G M R S
@@donalderickson-si8ww And a, license is required for GMRS,Which you can get for,$35.00 for 10-years.
what private is you pwen the channel becse you can talk and all I can do with mine is I hear you
but cannot put in my 2 cents in to you radio.
It should be made by Bearcat. Because you have to be either a Bear or a Cat to climb high enough to make that antenna useful. 🤣🤣🤣
that is stock antenna by rules of the F C C reg
What town is closest to you Erik
Well...... I try not to give that info out online. There are a lot of nuts out there.
@@FarpointFarms yeah I was just curious I got a place in western North Carolina in Maggie valley
Erik has dropped a bunch of hints on the region he’s in, but he’s pretty smart to be discreet. He even dropped a couple of hints right here on this video. :)
Yeah, I'd keep that one near and dear to my heart as well.
on G M R S or CB ORE Ham we do not do that my base 20 is twelve blocks from my real base
Cool little radio
that is if you stay with on 2 miles of camp
This radio seems to be out of stock as of now from most major suppliers.
When I ordered mine I had to check back a few times, last I heard they have more on order. Just check back in a bit
O R YOU CAN LOOK UP RUGGED RADIOS thay sell radios the only thing is there are no eatra funny
buttions for what ever just a F R S and G M R S radio I Have three hand held an d a base station
at 45 watts out with license
Private conversations? No! That just means THEY cannot hear YOU! on their receivers. They block you but You can hear them!
well Ok then
So is this like a ham radio ? or just for comm with walkie talkies ? confused,,,
It's an AM/FM radio that also has FRS and GMRS two way radio functions built in.
I was confused as well. I thought it was just an FRS radio, but it is apparently a GMRS radio. I hate when companies advertise FRS radios as GMRS radios, and GMRS as FRS radios. From what I am gathering it is an GMRS radio with just 22 channels. It is 5 watts, so it is not an FRS radio. It says it has just 22 channels, so I was confused about whether it comes pre programmed with repeaters, but I realized I had seen these radios for years and figured it could not use repeaters. I assume most people are wondering why'd they make a GMRS radio not capable of using repeaters, but they simply have never updated this radio. The radio is an old model made when GMRS rules were different, and they have never modernized it. So it is basically a GMRS radio with no repeater use. I'd still buy it.
@@FarpointFarms FRS,IS 2 WATTS TRANSMIT POWER AND GMRS IS 5 WATTS,OKI,M A HAM A RADIO OPERATOR TOO AND HOLD A GMRS RADIO LICENSE AS WELL.
I found out in Canada you don't need a GMRS license. I know what I'm gonna get!
But in Canada you are limited to 2 watts power. In the USA you can go up to 50 watts and any kind of antenna.
@@MagicRoosterBluesBand Yeah, that's the annoying part of it, but hey, better than nothing!
@@JonathanMcKeythe 2 watts does a good job in the bush and line of sight. I'm in BC.
it's only 1.5 watts output on high power not 5 watts
GMRS is 5 WATTS ON TX, & FRS IS 2 WATTS ON ,TX. WHICH IS LINE OF SIGHT FOR TRANSMISSION.THE RADIO MAY BE ALRIGHT BUT I ,DONT LIKE THE IDEA THAT YOU CANT CONNECT A , EXTERNAL ANTENNA FOR GMRS& ALSO ITS NOT REPEATER FRIENDLY,.AND YES YOU DO NEED A LICENSE FOR GMRS FROM THE FCC WHICH IS $35.00 NOW FOR 10 YEARS.@@stephenedgecock
Nice gadget, is there a way to attach a different antennae to it?
Unfortunately there is no way of adding an antenna on it.
I had to use mine while camping. With standard antenna it got about 1 mile range to the other camper in forested area but not very clear. I added a speaker wire to the antenna and hung it in the tree as an experiment and the signal became more clearer when receiving and TXing. Not sure if the range increased as both stations were stationary.
the antenna is stock as the F C C orderd it to be short range radio only get you G M R S license and your talking 20 miles other than setting up the radio too a tower you talking 20 miles
with no problum
how about any accessory possibilities antenna for longer range?
That figures, out of frigging stock!!!!
I single handedly managed to sell all the ones they had left!
I have and am happy with a number of Midland products. I bought this off their website and it quite working a couple days later. Then it worked again for a while, now not working again. I contacted them twice and they never got back to me. I will be sending it back to them. They can do whatever they want with it. Pretty disappointed. I will only buy their products off Amazon from now on, so I can send them back and get a refund. Sad to say.
It would be super sweet if they made one of these that worked on a ham band. 2 meter or 70cm maybe?
you can buy one for about 150. dollars and get a license after you test out
@@donalderickson-si8ww I'm already a ham, I don't think this radio is offered for the ham bands
Great review I had this radio but lost it in a move 6 years ago. Do you know where I can buy a new one? This radio is cool for sure with multiple charge options.
That’s quite the little gadget there
Like the swiss army knife of camp radios!
I have this radio I love it but I just got my wouxun-805g now it's in second place
Your Wouxun Is a better radio.
Looking forward to the range test.
the range is two miles just like all the other big box store sell's
I love my Midlands GMRS radios, I have the 40 watt model, gave my son a 15 W for Xmas. But this model is not available anywhere. Which is a shame as it is a nice piece. Talk to your Midland contact and get it back into the supply channels.
They are working on it, there is a supply chain disruption with the chips for them. They are hoping to have that fixed soon
13:44
Ok.
He didn't know what C A was. Well then he knows the confusion us non radio folks went through when he went down a list of acronyms the radio would do without explaining a single one of them. Leaving the video knowing even less then when I came in. Like Adam Sandler's " The Water Boy " lol These ex military guys slay me.
I am a G M R S license holder and I clean up stuff like this on a Daly bases be course did not set down and read the book and look at what every button does I saved I went to RUGGED radio site
and bought three HAND HELD's with no FUNNIE buttions as thay are on all off road unites
and I bought a 45 WATT base radio with 6 buttons and I rock I am W R X N 824
Which is the range of the radio?
Not Far about 2-miles if your lucky they operate on line of sight. Plus they are transmitting 2-watts on transmitt
Purchased one, lasted about a month stop working. Not worth the money.
Did you send it back for warranty? Mine is nearly 3 years old and still going.
It's nifty, but it has deficiencies worth noting:
Non-removable antenna
Not capable of using repeaters
Not computer configurable
If I'm wrong any of these, by all means, correct me here. I don't have one, but I came across it in my research, and was excited for a minute. Until I started looking at those specific features, which are apparently not present.
These caveats don't necessarily make it a bad choice for its target use. But it's something that folks should know before picking it.
THATS WHY I STAY AWAY FROM THIS RADIO,
you get your no test license tune your radio to a tower your I did and it is fun I talk 20 miles on one repeter
@@donalderickson-si8ww Not true. This radio cannot transmit on GMRS Repeater Channels 15R - 22R. Related to this, it also cannot send split CTSS tones nor split DCS codes, for Send vs. Receive, which is also required for many GMRS Repeaters.
Wow
I read my manual cover to cover and my 45 watt radio will out do your
lunch box any day
OK
how long range in km
Not far for 2-watts transmit power.
Sounds like Space Invaders...
Maybe that is why I like it so much, it brings back memories.
Why do people think that the "Privacy" works? It is not a "Privacy" as in no one else can hear you. What it is is a discriminator that will only spring in to life when the code your device pulses out when you hit TX is recognised.
To the rest of the world can still hear you, only THEY can't interrupt and cause confusion or hijack a channel as YOUR handsets and base stations do not allow that incoming to cause your radio to receive. I know this because I tested this, put 3 out of 4 hand sets in to a privacy mode (group) and the non-private one (public) was still able to pick up the transmissions but not send to the others in privacy mode.
YEah, thats them, those binatone *uckers...
That's mostly true. But if a listener wants to, they can scan for the 'privacy' tones/codes and then apply them to their radio to transmit into your conversation. It doesn't require any special hardware. Many GMRS radios can tone scan and apply that to the current channel.
Well it's not trying to walk in doggie
Not sure what you mean?
That 📻 is the Holy grail emergency crank radio l can't figure out why did they discontinued it I'm glad there back
there still at 2 watts out put
They're discontinued because they didn't sell enough. They didn't sell enough because they adhere to an OLDER implementation of GMRS which did not include the newer GMRS Repeater INPUT channels of 15R -- 22R, and did not support split send/receive privacy tones/codes, and was limited to 5 watts on the GMRS channels, and did not allow for an external antenna. Other than that, it's a great radio (I have one, I'm not being sarcastic), and I particularly love the very wide variety of charging options.
I have only had my license since
june 3 of 2023 thanks
Call rhonda radio
Yep.
I would like to get one of those
thay runn at 2 watts just like every thing you buy from the big box stores with NO T E C seport
my base at 45 watts and my hand held's are 2 watt and 5 watts each and my base IS 45 WATT.s
Nice
Thanks
Why you test a radio that you cant even buy????
Being out of stock is just a little different than being unable to buy. They apparently sold out nearly as soon as the video was posted. They are telling me they expect more by the end of the month. I guess they didn't expect as high as a demand as it turned out they got. I don't work for midland, we didn't communicate over the release of this video. I am not an official spokesman for them. I bought the radio, I liked it, I made a video, and I posted it.
Nice features for emergency radio. Looks like it is out of production though.
They have had more success with the unit and sold out. From what I heard they are making more of these to keep up with demand
got mine about 1yr or so ago ITS A PIECE OF JUNK!!!!! heres why.... no matter what mode im in it will FREEZE UP A.K.A. JUST STOP WORKING!!!!! for what i payed for it its just not worth tryin to get it fixed.. and yes i got it from midland web site its self !!! i thought it would be a neat idea to try gmrs but so far NOT working out!! i am open to any ideas or suggestions!!!!!!
Might be a fluke or one-off. Let's see if Eric's further testing yields the same issues. Have you contacted Midland?
@@barneymm2204 yes i did, and thanks for asking... thats why i said its not money smart to send it back, by the time you do all that and it being out of warranty, plus trying to fix it you could by a new one...maybe a diff. brand???
Lots of neat features but typically, Midland dropped the ball in so many ways. As with most of their rechargeable battery FRS/GMRS radios, the battery capacity is pitiful. If memory serves me, the rechargeable battery is like 700 or maybe 1,000 mAh. That is literally nothing. Should be at least 3,000mAh (3.0Ah) for something like this, or more.
Yeah, you can run AA batteries and get extended life but to offer rechargeable batteries as a feature, they need to do better. While on the topic of poor power and battery life, why not make the charger an adapter that allows running the radio 24-7 from 110VAC as a small base? Midland dropped the ball in so many ways by not making this radio all it should have been.
Additionally, why no repeater access? If out in the woods and help was needed, repeater access could literally be a life saver? Again, Midland drops the ball. Do their design engineers possess the ability to think? By them missing so many opportunities to make this radio more useful, I gather not.
All of the reasons you just listed are why I chose to build my own with a btech mobile 50 watt transmitter, a glass Matt 12volt battery,battery tender and solar charger all packed into a pelican case. I use a 32 inch 6db whip antenna when mobile.
The positives heavily outweigh the nevatives as this video proves and i had this radio for a few years til I lost it in my move a few years back. It has multiple charge and power options. Not just double As and rechargeable battery but crank which you forgot to mention and the AC adapter not to mention the emergency weather, am and fm this thing is a bargain. Midland definitely didn't drop the ball. Its also picked up farther range in my tests compared to the normal hand radios.
MIDLAND MADE IT A CHEAP RADIO AND IT HAS LOW TRANSMITT POWER TOO,FOR GMRS AND FRS,AND NO EXTERNAL OUTLET SUCH AS A,SO 239 TO CONNECT A EXTERNAL ANTENNA TOO,SO SAVE YOUR MONEY AND BUY A BETTER RADIO.
Hello I'd like to buy it off you if interested.
That's OFF The Hook...Device...
Says ya just uploaded this today..goofy YT
Sometimes UA-cam can get goofy on the notifications
Cool little radio
it still put's out 2 watts