Midland MTX275 Review
Review of the Midland MTX 275 GMRS Radio
Time to do a review of a radio that I put into the Discovery: The Midland MTX 275. I wanted to update the truck to have comms instead of just using the handheld FRS that would constantly get knocked around in the cab while off roading. I was looking for an affordable, yet capable permanently mounted solution that can be used on the trail and on road with others in our group. The solution to this after doing plenty of research was the Midland MTX 275. I have used their handheld FRS radios with success for many years, so I knew I was going to get a quality product.
Here are some stats on the radio itself from Midland’s website:
Full 15 Watt Radio
8 Repeater Channels and Split Tone Repeater Capable
15 Hi Power Channels (GMRS Channels: 1-7 & 15-22)
Fully Integrated Control Mic
Speaker Mic Jack
142 Privacy Codes
NOAA Weather Radio
USB-C Fast Charging
Channel Scan
Compatible with All Midland GMRS Radios
Radio Dimensions with Bracket: 5" x 5.25" x 1" (D x W x H)
The cool thing that really brought me to this radio instead of the other MTX line radios is that the mic is also the controls for the radio. No need to fiddle with the base to change the channel or volume, everything is literally in your hand. The mic features a nice blue lit background that doesn’t hurt night vision but is also easily visible during the daylight. Another cool feature is the NOAA weather band channels, if any of you reading own or have owned an older Land Rover, you know that you had access to those through the stock radio. With the new Discovery’s, that was no longer available, even though not really needed since we have smart phones that give us constant information. Still cool to hear the old robot give the weather on the fly.
I upgraded to the bundle, which got me the nicer antenna. They call it the MTXA25 Ghost antenna. It features a 3dB gain and is a compact 3 and half inches tall, so it will fit nearly anywhere. We mounted ours on the roof rack and is barely visible as it blends in nicely.
On to the installation of the radio. I wanted it out of the way but easy access. I also took a page out of our fire trucks at work and the locations of our truck radios. In the Discovery, there is a nice blank piece of trim where the sunroof controls are, centrally located and out of the way but easily accessible. With the removal of the visors and about 10 or so screws, the trim piece comes out and we easily mounted the bracket. I chose to run the cables through the headliner, so they were out of the way and gives a clean, professional look. The power wires were ran through the headliner down to the firewall and directly connected to the battery so it will always have power even if the truck is off. Once everything is fitted like you want, we just simply reversed the process to reinstall everything.
The last piece of this project was taken out of the fire truck as well. We use something called the Magnetic Mic. This replaces the holster style mic holder that is included with the kit. It’s a super simple solution that will keep the mic where you want it, no matter what kind of bouncing and thrashing you throw at it. It is a universal mount, so if you’re reading this and have a different radio, it will still work, and it’s awesome, trust me! Like the rest of the radio install, it’s super easy with just 2 screws for the magnetic mount and then simply install the mic side of the mount to the existing mount clip.
I am writing this after about 8 months of this set up on the truck. We have tested this mostly at home and Uwharrie NF. At home, I have been able to reach out to about 2 miles. Our area is mostly flat, farmland so take that into account. On the trails at Uwharrie, I could talk to the last in line when I was leading about 15 trucks. I probably wouldn’t try must more distance with all the natural obstacles involved but you never know. I’m sure if we were out west, where there is plenty of unobstructed open space, this radio could stretch the distance.
Overall, this radio has met my expectations. The kit that I purchased retails for $249.99 but they do run sales so if you time it right you can find it cheaper. The Magnetic Mic retails for $39.99, haven’t seen this one go on sale but it’s worth the money. So, for less than $300, you can get a great in vehicle set up for the trails. I give this radio two thumbs up for quality, affordability and usability. If you want/need more range they do have a stronger model in the MTX575.
*NOTE* You are supposed to get a GMRS license to transmit with this radio, we did get our FCC GMRS license but use at your own discretion.