Looking for what would give me the best audio quality from a helmet headset for snowmobiling. The midlands look like a better radio but I have read that the older midlands didn’t have good sound quality with a headset attached.
I wouldn’t buy a Midland.
They are usually the cheaper of the two, both in price and quality.
MOTOROLA bubble pack radios is all that I would buy.
I have a set of Midland 1000’s. I got them to replace a set of Midland G-11’s that I had since they first came out. :)The GXT 1000’s do everything that the G-11’s did :Dand more. I am VERY happy with the El chepo Midland bubble pack GXT 1000 radio.
( note that I also use:rolleyes: them with my GMRS lic. for my small bus.)
Although I like Motorola Talkabouts, there is a lot to be said for Midland. I have a set of GXT1050 radios, the camo version of the GXT1000, and they work great. I also have an XT511 emergency crank radio and a WR-120 weather radio.
While Motorola does have a new MWR839 weather radio to compete with the Midland WR-120 and WR-300, they don’t have anything that is equivalent to the XT511, which has come in handy in our household on several occasions, especially during extended power outages from storms.
Until Motorola comes up with one of those, I’ll stick with Midland.
I’m in the same situation as Grassman, i.e. I want to use 2-way radios with headsets on motorcycle helmets for group rides.
One thing that still confuses me is whether the FRS/GMRS “consumer” or “business” class radios would be the way to go.
What are the benefit of “business” radios other than the channels not being so crowded? Does the 5 Watt limit (as opposed to the 0.5 Watt limit on consumer models) offer a better range?
Right now I am thinking about getting Motorola MT352 radios. Are there better options (regardless of price)? Also, the Motorola Talkabout radios have both FRS and GMRS, but I thought you need a license to operate GMRS?
FRS radios are consumer grade, noticed by the cheap price. Business/commercial radios are much better specification and durability wise. A two-way radio is just a transmitter and a receiver. Now how it does that can vary tremendously from radio to radio. Obviously a $400 commercial radio will have less audio distortion on the transmit and receive sides of the radio. They also have a much better receiver (remember, it doesn’t matter how loud you yell if the other person is deaf). I hope you understand my point here. Spending a little more can reap great rewards down the road.