Review on Enhanced Communication with Midland MicroMobile 15W GMRS Two-Way Radio and Control Microphone Combo by Chris Sisley

Pros: + Easy to hide and re-route RJ45 patch/extension cable to place microphone anywhere + Standard UHF connector means you can use any required compatible antenna + 15 watts of available power on channels 15-22 will blow any laptop with the right antenna + The included bracket allows the base unit to be easily removed or moved to other vehicles + Can be programmed to use a local repeater , which can significantly increase range Actions outside of simplex + Link to FRS radio only on channels 1-7 and 15-22 for more versatility + NOAA weather station channels - nice extra feature + Configurable squelch, beep, call alert tone, silent mode and display Background Color + Sounds Privacy Both CTCSS and DCS are ver available to disable busy channels (note: this doesn't really mean that other users on the same channel can't turn on monitor mode or use the same private signal and hear you). Screw on the oscillator (but not the base unit speaker?) - Interface and menus are cryptic due to the small screen real estate (in other words, keep the manual with you) - Cannot access channels 8-14 which are only FRS are (FCC bug, not Midlands) - Requires a GMRS license from the FCC for a transmission that exists for revenue purposes only (especially if you want to access repeaters as most of them require call sign identification). Noise frame (by the way, this was solved with the built-in mains filter). My MXT275 now suffers significant signal loss when the car is moving, almost ¼ to ¾ of the Rx signal strength disappears immediately and only gets worse with jittery static pops as you increase speed. It becomes so distorted that it makes communication over 80 km/h almost impossible. Even other people can hear distortions in my broadcasts. I've fitted it to several cars, tried different filters, changed wiring, played with different antennas and grounds and nothing has solved this annoying problem. It's only when I park in idle that the distortion goes away, rendering it useless as a "mobile" GMRS radio. I understand that radios can be tricky things, but what I personally find most unacceptable is the near-lack of customer service. There were also no fixes or suggestions in their documentation. I couldn't even get a reply to the email listed on the customer support list, forcing me to find an alternative address hidden on the Midland website. The response I received was basically "Call our warranty department and have the device replaced" so I did and paid for the shipping cost to have my device replaced. Luckily their warranty department was receptive and promptly sent a brand new MXT275 in the pits which unfortunately STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM! I'm really not sure how all the others are working well, I actually have two faulty devices at the moment. It's really unfortunate because it's arguably one of the best FCC-cleared GMRS cellphones out there, but it was nothing short of disappointing to me.