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Seeking User Comments on 25W to 50W GMRS Mobile Radios

nokones

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Looks like the Midland MXT500 is going to be a done deal today. Amazon Prime Days has it on sale. It even comes with a 2.1 dB UNITY gain mag-mount antenna!!!

View attachment 190907
The MXT500 radio is a great simple good quality radio for GMRS. You will find that the antennae offered by Midland will work very well on GMRS channels. Midland does a good job in tuning/trimming their antennae for GMRS channels.

I have always favored the Laird/ TE Connectivity products for many decades, but you should find the Midland MXTA12 mag mount has improved significantly in the last couple years to be on par, if not better, than the Laird mag-mount.
 

nokones

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Kenwood makes exceptional radios. I have a TK-790 at home and in the car for ham and commercial use and a TK-890 for GMRS.
I have a gazillion Motorola portables and mobiles in various models, but also I have a few Kenwood TK780 and TK880 radios. I think they are great radios and a perfect radio as loaner radios for my radioless friends to use on the trail, and when the vehicle doesn't have a whole lot of room for installing a mobile radio.
 

KF0NYL

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I personally didn't have much luck with the 2.1 dB Unity gain antenna when I tried it on my Ford Escape. I went with a Tram 1174 antenna. It works well but I did have to cut and tune it for GMRS frequencies. The SWR is 1.4 at 467 and 1.2 at 462. Can't get much better than that. I have an antenna analyzer which makes tuning antennas pretty easy.

If you don't have any height restrictions AND do not want to have to tune the antenna then look at the Midland MXTA26. It is well liked among GMRS users. The MXTA26 is 32 inches long.

If you don't mind having to cut/tune then you won't go wrong with a Laird/TE or even a Tram antenna.

I have always favored the Laird/ TE Connectivity products for many decades, but you should find the Midland MXTA12 mag mount has improved significantly in the last couple years to be on par, if not better, than the Laird mag-mount.

I have a few Midland MXTA12 mag mounts bought in the last 2 years. They are good quality and I haven't had any issues at all with them. I use one with a Comet 2x4SR antenna on my SxS and the mag mount is on an expanded metal rack. It stays put just fine as long as I don't hit a low hanging branch hard. I do have the spring on my 2x4SR which helps.
 
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