Midland MXT575 GMRS 2-Way Radio Install & Photos *SWR Report*

[BlueBoy]

FYI, on the Midland website, discount code SECRETSANTA will still get you $50 off

Sponsored

 

[Bo-Ronco]

I coiled it up, bundled it in velcro straps and stuffed it right next to the overhead switch wiring sorta inside the fender

Samesies lol

 

[F150rubyred]

What if I occasionally off road and want to try and get by with hand held GMRS what would you recommend?? Would hand held units work OK for a small ground of 3-5 Broncos? The few times I have been with a group someone has always let us use hand held and they seem fine.

Please educate me?

 

[JB1901]

What if I occasionally off road and want to try and get by with hand held GMRS what would you recommend?? Would hand held units work OK for a small ground of 3-5 Broncos? The few times I have been with a group someone has always let us use hand held and they seem fine.

Please educate me?

Youd want handhelds like this. Technically they are FRS 5watt radios but you can talk to the GMRS radios on the lower channels which is a big benefit.

Midland 50 Channel Waterproof GMRS Two-Way Radio - Long Range Walkie Talkie with 142 Privacy Codes, SOS Siren, and NOAA Weather Alerts and Weather Scan (Black/Silver, Pair Pack) https://a.co/d/0pAsA6q

 

[BroncoJoerg]

What if I occasionally off road and want to try and get by with hand held GMRS what would you recommend?? Would hand held units work OK for a small ground of 3-5 Broncos? The few times I have been with a group someone has always let us use hand held and they seem fine.

Please educate me?

On the runs I've been on, as long as it's a relatively small group of Broncos, a handheld has worked just fine. Personally, I like the Baofeng BF-F8HP tri-band hand held radio since some clubs around here use 2-meter, and some use GMRS and occasionally some people show up with FRS radios. That hand held will work with all of the above. I handle the channel/ease of use issue by programming the radio with CHiRP so that I can see both the freq. and the channel number for GMRS (GMRS1, GMRS2 ... GMRSx), and the 2-meter freqs. that the clubs use with the name of the club and a number (SCB Gen, SCB1, SCB2 ... SCBx). You can do all that from the radio itself, BTW, but CHiRP just makes it a lot easier by allowing me to plug the radio into my laptop. Since I've been going with much larger groups lately I've now installed a BTECH UV-50X2 mobile into my Bronco. With the 50 watts available from this radio I can talk from the front all the way to the back of a 30 Bronco line no problem (depending on conditions and how spread out that line is). Keep in mind that these radios are more of less "line of sight". Large obstacles (like mountains) between you and the other guy you're trying to communicate with are going to interfere. Overall, I've been happy with both the hand held and my mobile. I will say this about the BTECH UV-50X2. Pay attention to the part of the manual where they tell you that you should keep the SWR below 1.5:1. That's an average, different bands will likely give you different results, but keeping that SWR as low as possible is important on these radios since there have been a lot of reports of the radios failing when they are run continuously with a high SWR. I experimented with a bunch of different antennas and found a cheap one that works the best (if you want to know the brand, PM me I don't remember). I constantly have an SWR below 2:1 no matter what freq. I'm transmitting on.

 

[UncleBuck]

So, to get this out of the way, I'm a licensed HAM and GMRS operator (nerd alert). Never cared much for mobile HF operations but having a mobile HF rig is fun (if you're into that sort of thing). And operating a radio shack is a whole different matter! Setting up an international shot from the beach campsite and hitting an eastern European station from a mobile HF rig is if fun. But I digress.

Please note, this is NOT a debate of HAM and GMRS, HF, or VHF, long wire antennas, the existence of aliens, Yagi’s, etc. I'm simply describing my mobile comms choice for this vehicle based on my planned use/application and the subsequent install.

2M VHF and 70cm UHF are much more practical for licensed mobile use. But again, require more radio manipulation than I care for while driving. That said, I've always run a 2M radio in my rigs. This time, given the maturity and wide adoption of GMRS, I made the decision to use a GMRS radio as the mobile unit (installed) and keep either an HT or mobile 2m/440 in a case in the back. Get the license (more like registration-no tests), it's $30, lasts ten years and covers your whole family.

So, now what? Well, GMRS is really taking off in my neck of the woods. Mid-Atlantic Virginia, eastern shore of Maryland, George Washington National Forest, etc. Several repeaters popping up too. It's the new CB radio and is far simpler to use than HAM- very practical for the whole family or inexperienced group to use. 22 channels (vs. frequencies and tuning--and yes, the 'channels' are actually frequencies but like a CB, they are numbered and thus easier to access and use) and are repeater capable. There are some channels shared with FRS but if you stick with GMRS, you can access up to 50W of power.

Locking the group on 'Channel 6', is much easier than ten rigs trying to tune in say 144.275MHz. Max power is 50W which makes GMRS very handy when out in the field/woods/beach and comms are spotty or non-existent. Add a repeater to the mix, either an existing one, or set up a portable one (using your licensed call sign) and you've created a very easy to use, semi-private, practical, and reliable communications network for your excursion. The weather alerts are a great feature especially when your on the coast, surf fishing, etc. Finally, even if you're all alone, having secondary or tertiary comms is like having a jack and shovel.

Anyway, I settled on the new Midland MXT575. I picked the version with the controls on the mic. That allows me to hide the transceiver elsewhere. For that, Mountains2Metal (M2M) makes a very cool and inexpensive mount that puts the transceiver or small amp, right above the glove box. Just have to love how Ford created all this space, nooks, and crannies for mounting stuff. And kudos to M2M for finding the space and making the mount! For me, it saved the under-the-seat, in the console, under-the-console, remove everything, debate. If you don't have plan for that empty cavity, use it. It couldn't be easier.

Step one, attach the radio mount to the M2M mount using supplied hardware. Tip, the 575 is the largest of Midland MicroMobiles (there's a little mod that needs made and we'll get to that). So, mount the radio with the 'M' or Midland as close to the front of the M2M mount as possible. Tip, get the Midland mic extension cable MXTA31 (you'll thank me later) and connect it once the radio is attached to the mount and before you install it in the horse:

I took the extra step of driving a self-tapping screw into the mount for extra stability. The other two connectors are bolts and lock washers.

Now the fun part. Remove your glove box and look for the two 'rails' and open space directly above. Make sure that mic extension cable is plugged in now! And forget about using that USB-C port. None of it will be accessible post-install. You figure out how to lay on your back, twisted half sideways with the door sill digging into your ribs.

Lift the rig into that free space:

It will look like this when set correctly, attach it with the two black torx screws that come with the M2M mount. I used one of the two screws as a ground point. Verified the ground and it looks like this (from the floor up, directly under the glove box. The coax and power wires are facing the firewall):

Notice from this angle, you don't even see the radio. I ran my hot wire and coax to the drivers side firewall. There is a very nice hole there with a removable cover (unless you have an manual trans because that's where the clutch cable runs).

You can also use one of the Aux wires just behind the passenger kick panel for power. But the pull to the battery is so easy, I didn't want to waste a switch position. The hot is fused and the fuse is accessible near the steering column and the radio has a time out feature. But, if you're not transmitting, battery drain is minimal, but a risk nonetheless.

Tip: Fully unwind/stretch out your coax and hot wire before pulling to the engine bay. Just makes life easier.

Hot to battery and coax to either side a-pillar (or wherever else you want to run the antenna). Mounting any antenna is slim pickens on a vehicle with no metal roof. Metal roof = ground plane. There are a lot of antenna mounting options. Hinge mounts, bumper mounts, spare tire rigs, etc. I like to keep things clean and simple. I used the M2M NMO mount which I installed over top my SDHQ a-pillar light mounts. Very simple and straight forward. I also chose to use the Midland MXTA25 Ghost Antenna with an NMO mount. Claims -3db gain and looks amazing on the bronco. Blends right in.

Slight digression. I've now bought 3 different a-pillar light mounts. The SDHQ are by far and away the best of the three. All three were good (Baja Designs and ZROADZ) but the build, finish, and 'lift' for the SDHQ are fantastic. It also move the lights out and away from the edge of the hood and gives ample room for the largest of cube lights. I'm running two XL80s which are some of the largest and they sit perfectly on the SDHQs. The SDHQs also align perfectly with M2M NMO mount.

A word on SWRs relative to GMRS. I haven't tested SWR yet. There's no trimming of the Ghost Antenna but I will and post the results. I suspect this Midland set up will yield decent SWR. If so, I'm done. If the readings are unacceptable, I'll switch to a 1/4 wave antenna, trim and test. I doubt that will be the case and if the results warrant it, I'll do a new thread. Generally, standard transceivers, unmodified coax, and appropriate antenna combos should be ok, but certainly not always. I just didn't want to turn this in to a thread on antenna theory. I'll test later this week and add if there's anything worth reporting.

So here's the catch. This is the mod you aren't going to like. But I swear, as a guy who like clean, neat, OEM-like installs, this one is a trim and forget kind of things. You have to notch the back of your glove box if you chose the MXT575 using the M2M mount. The heat sinks are bigger (50W) than their other rigs. No way around it. But, for the clean, neat, permanent kind of placement, I'd do it again and again. I highly recommend this mounting approach and once you make the trim, you don't see it and will forget it's there! I used a Dremel and cutting wheel. Marked a space and cut away.

Here's what the un-sanded notch looks like:

I cleaned it up and reinstalled it. Like I said, you can't even see it.

I also installed the Mountains2Metal MOLLE panel. Very nice product! Great for adding a small MOLLE bag to make up for the lack of driver accessible storage. Here is the mic extension tied in.

I just realized it took me more time to write this post than it did to mount and install the rig and wires...

Hope this helps someone. Up next, JCR winch plate and Warn Zeon 10-S.

Any plus to using the MTX 575 over the 275? I want to install a GRMS radio in some fashion but I don't really know which to buy. I like these mic control setups to hide the base behind the dash so I'm just deciding which to buy. Thanks for your write up!

 

[0321_Bronco]

Any plus to using the MTX 575 over the 275? I want to install a GRMS radio in some fashion but I don't really know which to buy. I like these mic control setups to hide the base behind the dash so I'm just deciding which to buy. Thanks for your write up!

Thanks. The question is power and fit. More is better when it comes to RF. That said, the 575 requires some trimming of the glovebox (which didn't bother me in the least and you'll never see). If you're of that mindset, I highly recommend the M2M mount, trim the glovebox and enjoy the rig. If cost/power is an issue, you'll be well served by the 275.

If you didn't see the update with SWRs, the numbers are worth a looks and may influence your choice of antennas.

Lastly, when you pull the trigger, make sure you check that the model has the mic-based controls. There are two versions. Hope that helps!

 

[HorizonHunter]

@0321_Bronco Thx for this write up. Looking at all the same components, except the M2M light mounts. I'm on Seven Sparta for now until I'm running dual A-pillar. I am a 7MT, so I guess I'll need to modify your plan a little bit there. Hate wiring.

 

[0321_Bronco]

@0321_Bronco Thx for this write up. Looking at all the same components, except the M2M light mounts. I'm on Seven Sparta for now until I'm running dual A-pillar. I am a 7MT, so I guess I'll need to modify your plan a little bit there. Hate wiring.

Sounds good. If it's just the coax and hot wire, you can still steal some room in the gasket. The bigger loom above it is an option too. Poke a coat hanger through from the inside and pull inward. Love the M2M stuff. I'm using the SDHQ pillar mounts with the M2M NMO mount on top. Perfect combination. Well made and a better value that some of their competitors.

I ran duals on ZROADZ and loved those mounts. But, if your going to put an antenna there, you in for a change. I just love the new configuration. The bigger BD lights are perfect for my app and the mid range is filled in by the bumper lights.

Best of luck, whatever you do! Just have fun.

 

[UncleBuck]

Thanks. The question is power and fit. More is better when it comes to RF. That said, the 575 requires some trimming of the glovebox (which didn't bother me in the least and you'll never see). If you're of that mindset, I highly recommend the M2M mount, trim the glovebox and enjoy the rig. If cost/power is an issue, you'll be well served by the 275.

If you didn't see the update with SWRs, the numbers are worth a looks and may influence your choice of antennas.

Lastly, when you pull the trigger, make sure you check that the model has the mic-based controls. There are two versions. Hope that helps!

Helps a ton! I like your install, might mimic it. If I'm going with a base unit I may as well go as powerful as I can...I don't mind trimming the glove box. Is you plug for the mic connected to the mountain 2 metal molle panel? I kind of dig how @Bo-Ronco put his plug through the plastic of the center console. I also really like his hidden base, but it seems like it could get pretty hot on top of the transmission...does heat negatively affect the base substantially on these types of radios? Also, do you activate power to the base or do you just plug in the handheld and turn it on? Sorry for all the questions!

 

[vzqhsg]

**Updated w/SWRs at end of thread**

So, to get this out of the way, I'm a licensed HAM and GMRS operator (nerd alert). Never cared much for mobile HF operations but having a mobile HF rig is fun (if you're into that sort of thing). And operating a radio shack is a whole different matter! Setting up an international shot from the beach campsite and hitting an eastern European station from a mobile HF rig is if fun. But I digress.

Please note, this is NOT a debate of HAM and GMRS, HF, or VHF, long wire antennas, the existence of aliens, Yagi’s, etc. I'm simply describing my mobile comms choice for this vehicle based on my planned use/application and the subsequent install.

2M VHF and 70cm UHF are much more practical for licensed mobile use. But again, require more radio manipulation than I care for while driving. That said, I've always run a 2M radio in my rigs. This time, given the maturity and wide adoption of GMRS, I made the decision to use a GMRS radio as the mobile unit (installed) and keep either an HT or mobile 2m/440 in a case in the back. Get the license (more like registration-no tests), it's $30, lasts ten years and covers your whole family.

So, now what? Well, GMRS is really taking off in my neck of the woods. Mid-Atlantic Virginia, eastern shore of Maryland, George Washington National Forest, etc. Several repeaters popping up too. It's the new CB radio and is far simpler to use than HAM- very practical for the whole family or inexperienced group to use. 22 channels (vs. frequencies and tuning--and yes, the 'channels' are actually frequencies but like a CB, they are numbered and thus easier to access and use) and are repeater capable. There are some channels shared with FRS but if you stick with GMRS, you can access up to 50W of power.

Locking the group on 'Channel 6', is much easier than ten rigs trying to tune in say 144.275MHz. Max power is 50W which makes GMRS very handy when out in the field/woods/beach and comms are spotty or non-existent. Add a repeater to the mix, either an existing one, or set up a portable one (using your licensed call sign) and you've created a very easy to use, semi-private, practical, and reliable communications network for your excursion. The weather alerts are a great feature especially when your on the coast, surf fishing, etc. Finally, even if you're all alone, having secondary or tertiary comms is like having a jack and shovel.

Anyway, I settled on the new Midland MXT575. I picked the version with the controls on the mic. That allows me to hide the transceiver elsewhere. For that, Mountains2Metal (M2M) makes a very cool and inexpensive mount that puts the transceiver or small amp, right above the glove box. Just have to love how Ford created all this space, nooks, and crannies for mounting stuff. And kudos to M2M for finding the space and making the mount! For me, it saved the under-the-seat, in the console, under-the-console, remove everything, debate. If you don't have plan for that empty cavity, use it. It couldn't be easier.

Step one, attach the radio mount to the M2M mount using supplied hardware. Tip, the 575 is the largest of Midland MicroMobiles (there's a little mod that needs made and we'll get to that). So, mount the radio with the 'M' or Midland as close to the front of the M2M mount as possible. Tip, get the Midland mic extension cable MXTA31 (you'll thank me later) and connect it once the radio is attached to the mount and before you install it in the horse:

I took the extra step of driving a self-tapping screw into the mount for extra stability. The other two connectors are bolts and lock washers.

Now the fun part. Remove your glove box and look for the two 'rails' and open space directly above. Make sure that mic extension cable is plugged in now! And forget about using that USB-C port. None of it will be accessible post-install. You figure out how to lay on your back, twisted half sideways with the door sill digging into your ribs.

Lift the rig into that free space:

It will look like this when set correctly, attach it with the two black torx screws that come with the M2M mount. I used one of the two screws as a ground point. Verified the ground and it looks like this (from the floor up, directly under the glove box. The coax and power wires are facing the firewall):

Notice from this angle, you don't even see the radio. I ran my hot wire and coax to the drivers side firewall. There is a very nice hole there with a removable cover (unless you have an manual trans because that's where the clutch cable runs).

You can also use one of the Aux wires just behind the passenger kick panel for power. But the pull to the battery is so easy, I didn't want to waste a switch position. The hot is fused and the fuse is accessible near the steering column and the radio has a time out feature. But, if you're not transmitting, battery drain is minimal, but a risk nonetheless.

Tip: Fully unwind/stretch out your coax and hot wire before pulling to the engine bay. Just makes life easier.

Hot to battery and coax to either side a-pillar (or wherever else you want to run the antenna). Mounting any antenna is slim pickens on a vehicle with no metal roof. Metal roof = ground plane. There are a lot of antenna mounting options. Hinge mounts, bumper mounts, spare tire rigs, etc. I like to keep things clean and simple. I used the M2M NMO mount which I installed over top my SDHQ a-pillar light mounts. Very simple and straight forward. I also chose to use the Midland MXTA25 Ghost Antenna with an NMO mount. Claims -3db gain and looks amazing on the bronco. Blends right in.

Slight digression. I've now bought 3 different a-pillar light mounts. The SDHQ are by far and away the best of the three. All three were good (Baja Designs and ZROADZ) but the build, finish, and 'lift' for the SDHQ are fantastic. It also move the lights out and away from the edge of the hood and gives ample room for the largest of cube lights. I'm running two XL80s which are some of the largest and they sit perfectly on the SDHQs. The SDHQs also align perfectly with M2M NMO mount.

A word on SWRs relative to GMRS. I haven't tested SWR yet. There's no trimming of the Ghost Antenna but I will and post the results. I suspect this Midland set up will yield decent SWR. If so, I'm done. If the readings are unacceptable, I'll switch to a 1/4 wave antenna, trim and test. I doubt that will be the case and if the results warrant it, I'll do a new thread. Generally, standard transceivers, unmodified coax, and appropriate antenna combos should be ok, but certainly not always. I just didn't want to turn this in to a thread on antenna theory. I'll test later this week and add if there's anything worth reporting.

So here's the catch. This is the mod you aren't going to like. But I swear, as a guy who like clean, neat, OEM-like installs, this one is a trim and forget kind of things. You have to notch the back of your glove box if you chose the MXT575 using the M2M mount. The heat sinks are bigger (50W) than their other rigs. No way around it. But, for the clean, neat, permanent kind of placement, I'd do it again and again. I highly recommend this mounting approach and once you make the trim, you don't see it and will forget it's there! I used a Dremel and cutting wheel. Marked a space and cut away.

Here's what the un-sanded notch looks like:

I cleaned it up and reinstalled it. Like I said, you can't even see it.

I also installed the Mountains2Metal MOLLE panel. Very nice product! Great for adding a small MOLLE bag to make up for the lack of driver accessible storage. Here is the mic extension tied in.

I just realized it took me more time to write this post than it did to mount and install the rig and wires...

Hope this helps someone. Up next, JCR winch plate and Warn Zeon 10-S.
+++++++++++++++++++++
SWRs. Interesting results tonight (12/06/22). The 575 only has two power modes (Low/High, 5W/50W respectively). I tested two antennas, the short wire that came with it and the Midland Ghost.

The SWRs with the wire antenna were terrible:

1.9 on average on the low power channels, 2.09 average on the high power. Unacceptable for an out-of-the-box configuration. To be fair, this could be influenced by any number of environmental/installation factors, not just Midland's tech.

When I switched to the Ghost antenna, things got a lot better. 1.01 average on the low power channels and <1.04 on high! With no other factors changed, those are exceptional results, all things considered.

Last word on this, power.... I'm disappointed. Midland calls this a 50W radio ("all values are approximate"). Low power was ok @4.4W on average. But, on high power, I didn't see an output of more than 42W. I would have liked to see something closer to 50W. Could +/-5W make a difference? YES. If I knew this would I have not bought the radio, no. I'm still very satisfied with the unit, antenna, install, etc. We'll see what Midland says, but I'm still a happy camper!

I didn't read your entire post. I'm looking at the same radio, does the speaker in the mike work well? I did watch a video where to guys on the 50 watt radios were 26 miles apart, and other then a small amount of static, they worked very well. They were in the Grand Canyon area. One was done in the canyon about 1/2 mile. Could understand them in the video. Also I'm looking at the whip antenna. Do you know if it wokrs better then the one you installed?

Thanks, Dave

 

[F150rubyred]

Youd want handhelds like this. Technically they are FRS 5watt radios but you can talk to the GMRS radios on the lower channels which is a big benefit.

Midland 50 Channel Waterproof GMRS Two-Way Radio - Long Range Walkie Talkie with 142 Privacy Codes, SOS Siren, and NOAA Weather Alerts and Weather Scan (Black/Silver, Pair Pack) https://a.co/d/0pAsA6q

I was looking at this same Midland on amazon earlier and didn't know if that would do the job or not? Some research I have been doing recommends to spend a little more such as the Radioddity GM30. I don't know? Thanks for the input.

 

[mcinfantry]

i need to check the swr, I’m running this antenna

https://midlandusa.com/products/mic...MIkeuBxMDm-wIViiZMCh1I0gUdEAQYASABEgL25vD_BwE

 

[JB1901]

I was looking at this same Midland on amazon earlier and didn't know if that would do the job or not? Some research I have been doing recommends to spend a little more such as the Radioddity GM30. I don't know? Thanks for the input.

You're legally limited to 5watts on FRS. Most are gonna be tomatoe tomato. If you're gonna be line of sight in a convoy or pretty close it likely won't matter what you buy. Just don't expect to talk over or around a mountain regardless what you buy.

 

[kodiakisland]

What if I occasionally off road and want to try and get by with hand held GMRS what would you recommend?? Would hand held units work OK for a small ground of 3-5 Broncos? The few times I have been with a group someone has always let us use hand held and they seem fine.

Please educate me?

If you are looking for an easy to use, low cost option, the Midlands work well and are priced right. I keep a set charged for loaning to people who don't have a radio or for the times I want to leave the Bronco and have a hand set. I just have the base on a Velcro mount on the rear shell near the 12V plug in. They've been used a lot by a lot of people and I don't really worry about them getting damaged as they weren't that expensive to begin with.

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