Midlands MXT575 Mounting ideas???

[menikmati]

Thanks, @FatRat250
I like the clean look and having everything centrally located and somewhat easy to remove!

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[bstottlemyer85]

This is where I installed my Midland MXT500, antenna wire ran to the back, once I get tire carrier and place properly mount will come in from underneath.

 

[da_jokker]

I'm torn with mine. I have the MTX275 and per Midland, there is no way to power on automatically when powered. Meaning, if I hooked it up to a toggle switch, I would have to toggle the switch on + press power on with the mic.

So as much as I want to use a toggle switch, I may end up just wiring it to something like the "cig lighter". Being that it stays on for a certain period of time after shutting off the ignition, I know that it won't stay on long enough to drain my battery, but it will stay on as we stop and start on the trails. There's been too many times, when I would hop back in the Jeep, start it back up, and forgot to re-power on the radio.

Fyi, Midland told me that they may be releasing a new mic for the 275 that fixes that issue.

 

[evgenyvasenev]

I'm torn with mine. I have the MTX275 and per Midland, there is no way to power on automatically when powered. Meaning, if I hooked it up to a toggle switch, I would have to toggle the switch on + press power on with the mic.

So as much as I want to use a toggle switch, I may end up just wiring it to something like the "cig lighter". Being that it stays on for a certain period of time after shutting off the ignition, I know that it won't stay on long enough to drain my battery, but it will stay on as we stop and start on the trails. There's been too many times, when I would hop back in the Jeep, start it back up, and forgot to re-power on the radio.

Fyi, Midland told me that they may be releasing a new mic for the 275 that fixes that issue.

That's a bummer. It works with 575.

 

[LostInArizona]

I have a 575 I have been itching to install. But I keep going back and forth on where/how to go about it. My first thought was to wire it to an aux switch like some people here have done. I thought going direct to the battery I would forget to turn it off and drain my battery, but I am just as likely to leave the AUX switched on so that point is moot lol, might as well go straight to the battery.

With that said, and with the ability to run ethernet cable for the microphone, what is stopping anybody from just installing it behind the side panels in the back cargo area? There is a LOT more space back there, would just have to run the ethernet for the mic and the power to the battery. Maybe an external speaker if I so desire.

I also bought a 6db antenna, so I guess alternatively if I were to mount it up front only the antenna wire would need to be run to the back since I am mounting on a bracket attached to the spare tire mount. I am not so concerned about running wires, but I'd rather not tear up my dash and center console trying to shove stuff in there that barely fits. I am just unsure about long runs from the mic. I assume I would need to use shielded cable. Has anybody done anything like that?

 

[menikmati]

I'm torn with mine. I have the MTX275 and per Midland, there is no way to power on automatically when powered.

So wiring directly to the battery would have the same problem?

I don't recall a single person mentioning this in all of the MXT275 reviews I've read and watched. Maybe this is standard operation for most radios, and people just shrug it off?

 

[Herbie]

I'm torn with mine. I have the MTX275 and per Midland, there is no way to power on automatically when powered. Meaning, if I hooked it up to a toggle switch, I would have to toggle the switch on + press power on with the mic.

So as much as I want to use a toggle switch, I may end up just wiring it to something like the "cig lighter". Being that it stays on for a certain period of time after shutting off the ignition, I know that it won't stay on long enough to drain my battery, but it will stay on as we stop and start on the trails. There's been too many times, when I would hop back in the Jeep, start it back up, and forgot to re-power on the radio.

Fyi, Midland told me that they may be releasing a new mic for the 275 that fixes that issue.

But we know that is not the case with other users that are hooked up to their Aux switch, it powers on and off for them with a flip of a switch and remembers the last setting. I'll be wiring mine up to an aux switch on Friday and will see if I get the same results.

 

[LostInArizona]

But we know that is not the case with other users that are hooked up to their Aux switch, it powers on and off for them with a flip of a switch and remembers the last setting. I'll be wiring mine up to an aux switch on Friday and will see if I get the same results.

Which excludes you from running anything more than 10amp, aside from the 1 30amp switch which would obviously be for something bigger like a light bar. It only "remembers" the last setting if you leave the aux switch on.

The power wire going to the unit itself has a fuse on it, so I am kind wondering if could just be wired up either with a dedicated rocker 20 amp rocker switch, or using a piggyback fuse adapter from the audio system. As nobody would ever have the stereo on full blast when using the radio, it seems like it should be safe. You could also directly wire the radio to the battery, but through an SPDT switch (if I am remembering the name correctly) that is triggered by something powered by a secondary current. e.g. using the aforementioned piggyback circuit from the stereo (or something that works on acc power), but just to actually power trigger the switch. So the current is not actually being drawn from fuse, but from the battery directly wile still being switched to the acc power technically speaking.

What I am looking at is something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Button-Switch-Latching-Stainless-Self-Locking/dp/B09M69PQ4W

Then mount it to the left of the usb plugs down low, so you can see that its on with the light-on.

 

[SwampCactus]

Does it not fit up under the dash where your feet are? To the left side I have the 275 mounted there and seems like lots of room. I know the 575 is bigger though.

 

[evgenyvasenev]

I have a 575 I have been itching to install. But I keep going back and forth on where/how to go about it. My first thought was to wire it to an aux switch like some people here have done. I thought going direct to the battery I would forget to turn it off and drain my battery, but I am just as likely to leave the AUX switched on so that point is moot lol, might as well go straight to the battery.

With that said, and with the ability to run ethernet cable for the microphone, what is stopping anybody from just installing it behind the side panels in the back cargo area? There is a LOT more space back there, would just have to run the ethernet for the mic and the power to the battery. Maybe an external speaker if I so desire.

I also bought a 6db antenna, so I guess alternatively if I were to mount it up front only the antenna wire would need to be run to the back since I am mounting on a bracket attached to the spare tire mount. I am not so concerned about running wires, but I'd rather not tear up my dash and center console trying to shove stuff in there that barely fits. I am just unsure about long runs from the mic. I assume I would need to use shielded cable. Has anybody done anything like that?

I was in the same boat about AUX VS battery VS fuse box. I went to the AUX, as it allows me to turn on/off the radio and not worry about draining a battery (as the AUX works only with the ignition on). It's a double-check, though, as I can turn on/off a radio with a button, and it looks like if you unplug the mic, the station goes off automatically.

It was my first project to wire and mount anything in my car, so I decided to go with a glove box as it was easier to connect everything and was accessible anytime (just in case).

I would hide it somewhere next time, but it's okay. It doesn't take up a lot of space, and it is accessible (not sure why I need it, but it feels safe).

 

[LostInArizona]

Does it not fit up under the dash where your feet are? To the left side I have the 275 mounted there and seems like lots of room. I know the 575 is bigger though.

Having just done my amp up in there, I will say, technically there IS room, but there is nothing really to attach it to without it getting in the way of the glovebox movement. Unless of course you have extra joins in your arms lol (or take the whole dash off), so you can get it way back up in there.

 

[SwampCactus]

Sorry I mean on the drivers side. Like up above your left foot on the side there is some room for the 275.

 

[LostInArizona]

Sorry I mean on the drivers side. Like up above your left foot on the side there is some room for the 275.

Oh sorry I misread, I tried to stick the amp up in there too. And while the key 200.4 technically would have fit, with a little trimming of the factory bracket there, the MXT575 is a lot wider and I think would hit the steering wheel. Pretty tight down there in general.

 

[da_jokker]

So wiring directly to the battery would have the same problem?

I don't recall a single person mentioning this in all of the MXT275 reviews I've read and watched. Maybe this is standard operation for most radios, and people just shrug it off?

I was looking into this yesterday, and think I may have figured it out.

I didn't know it at the time, but when I bought mine I guess I bought the MXT 275 USB-A. From what I read, it sounds like the MXT 275 USB - C may remeber the last power state.

If that is the case, I may just end up wiring mine to the cigarette lighter power. That way it'll stay on for several minutes after shutting the vehicle off, But eventually power off no matter what.

It would even address the concern of what happens when I unplug the mic.. since the sig lighter power will eventually shut off on its own, so will the mic-less unit

 

[mcinfantry]

I mounted mine UNDER the shifter under the center console
It fit fine

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