Midland MXT272 or MXT575— thoughts?

I have the BF 25w radio mounted in my glove box. Mounting the bracket with double sided tape does not hold up on 600 miles of dirt trails in a week other than that it worked like a champ. If the midland is like the BF you might want to look into an external speaker. The hand set is ok but sometime when you are blasting 60 mph through the desert you miss some things.
I went with the 25w over the 50w because it is waterproof. Not sure about the Midlands.

My MXT275 works just fine when I'm out on the trail. I don't know if you need the extra power for your intended use or not. I don't know if anyone can offer a direct comparison between these two models Midland offers. Apart from the price, the MXT575 is a bulkier unit, so if you're trying to stash it somewhere, bear in mind that you will have to be very creative in how and where you install it. Time to dive into my photo library... 🙂

There's only so much room under the dash. That's why I installed my MXT275 in the glove box. I attached the mounting bracket to the roof of the glove box using Alien Tape (don't laugh...that stuff works beautifully!). I also wanted to keep the area above the glove box free so I could replace my cabin air filter; the access door is right behind the glove box. Even with the radio in the glove box, I still have room for my registration wallet and the Bronco tool kit and other sundries. Kudos to those who were able to use the M2M bracket to install their radios above the glove box. I gave up after leaving a lot of skin (and some blood) under my dash.

Here's a photo of my radio installed, along with the wiring going to various destinations:

We have MXT275 mounted above the glovebox with hood installed 6dB, MXTA26 antenna. Our reception was improved changing to their 6dB antenna from Midland's 3dB MXTA25.

To my ear while wheeling with large groups, the 50W radios have stronger signals and extended range over 15 watt'ers especially when traveling on the highway were we get really spread out.

No expert here, but antenna placement will have an effect too. Best antenna mount's usually on the center of a vehicle's metal roof. Of course, given Bronco's non-metallic roof this location would need a ground plane kit too.

Cheers

With the 25W and the Midland ghost antenna, we were able to pick up one of our crew with their 50W about 35 miles away. But this was a on the road between Vegas and Prim NV. So not much in the way.
This is the one I have by the way. Brian Clark suggested these radios.
https://baofengtech.com/product/gmrs-20v2/
There are some reviews on the YouTube too

Everyone’s setup is different, but I think most of us like our two-way radio solutions. That is, until something better comes along…

For me, the Midland MXT275 fit the bill. I was able to hear everyone’s broadcasts on the trail, and I’m guaranteed not to miss a thing now with the addition of the external speaker and high-gain antenna (easily swapping out the stubby). Also, it’s easy to enable the radio using my upfitter switch (#6) and hide the setup from view when not in use, thanks to a mic cable extension, coupled to a connector I mounted in the console. Portability is the name of the game.




I’ve since added ditch lights and a mic holder, courtesy of Heretic Studio and Tackform, respectively. Very happy with my solution. Wish you the best with your own. Let me know if you need help setting up your own rig.

I installed the Midland MXT275 on the metal plate under the steering column, stole power from fuse #35 (switched power) and installed an external Midland speaker above the dead pedal and set the unit to output audio to both the handset & speaker. Works great and was a super simple install.YMMV

Sounds like an awesome solution, @Bschurr. Excellent use of the dead space underneath the dash.

I have the 575. It works great. I installed it behind the glove box. Mountain Metals makes a bracket for the install. You can then use a cable to run the mike to the center of the dash. Works very well. If I had to do it again I would go with a CB and not GMRS. Not many folks use it on the highway. So if you are looking for the road reports from truckers, etc. you don't get that. If you are looking for a GMRS for trail rides with others, I would get a 10W handheld. I have a 5W handheld and using repeaters can get out almost as good as the 575. My 2¢.

I have the MTX275 installed with the Mountain 2 Metal bracket and the Midland Ghost Antenna. I am happy with it and doubt I'd ever need the extra power that the 575 offers.

I also have a ProClip mount for the Mic and it works great. Keeps the mic in a great position where it does not cover up any of the Bronco screen. https://www.proclipusa.com/products/855783-ford-bronco-angled-dash-mount?

I am solo most of the time so it's hardly ever used but it is still nice to have. If I were to do it all over again, I go the exact same route..

BuckYeah

Everyone’s setup is different, but I think most of us like our two-way radio solutions. That is, until something better comes along…

For me, the Midland MXT275 fit the bill. I was able to hear everyone’s broadcasts on the trail, and I’m guaranteed not to miss a thing now with the addition of the external speaker and high-gain antenna (easily swapping out the stubby). Also, it’s easy to enable the radio using my upfitter switch (#6) and hide the setup from view when not in use, thanks to a mic cable extension, coupled to a connector I mounted in the console. Portability is the name of the game.




I’ve since added ditch lights and a mic holder, courtesy of Heretic Studio and Tackform, respectively. Very happy with my solution. Wish you the best with your own. Let me know if you need help setting up your own rig.

Hey Chris, I am sure you posted the info somewhere in here but I am wondering is you could send me a PM regarding your mollie panel/speaker installation. That looks to be the perfect location. Curious as to what cable/extension you used to run the wire up to the speaker location?

TK1215

Hey Chris, I am sure you posted the info somewhere in here but I am wondering is you could send me a PM regarding your mollie panel/speaker installation. That looks to be the perfect location. Curious as to what cable/extension you used to run the wire up to the speaker location?

Done and done. 😜

For anyone else interested in this approach, you may find greater detail in post #5819 on page 291 of the "What Did You Do To Your Bronco Today?" thread.

Also, the wire extension that mates to the hardwired end coming from the external speaker itself may be obtained here:

3' 3mm Cable Extension

Also, it helps if you have a little experience running wires through the Bronco. Keep the Bandaids® handy. LOL

Everything else being equal, the 575 will give you more transmitting range. The reception will be identical.

A different antenna and it's positioning will affect the range as much. There are a couple options for the antennas, some have a shorter horizontal range but can reach higher elevations, more like a bubble. Others are better for more open areas. That will do more than just adding power, and help with reception. If you need max range, you'd do best with the 575 and an antenna that fits your area.