Hello I am new here and have a question about range that I just experienced between models of Midland gmrs radios. I have an older set of gxt550 radios that I like to use between cars on trips. I recently purchased the newer version, the gxt1000vp4 because I thought they would be more powerful. In a recent test through a Housing Development I tested the radios and found that the older model, the GXT 550, actually came through louder. I’m wondering whether or not the older radio actually put out more power than the newer ones or if the newer ones being the GXT 1000 just have more noise suppression built in but since the antenna is slightly longer actually have better range. Can anyone help with this? Thank you.
I need to add that the gxt1000vp4 radios were tested with their stock 6 volt lithium rechargeable battery in them. The gxt550 radio that I used for a comparison had four 2,500 milliamp nickel metal hydride rechargeable Double A’s.
I left one of the GXT 1000 radios at the house and I walked through the Housing Development with the two other radios I believed the gxt1000 would perform better but when I turned it off and turned on the GXT 550 in transmitted the person on the other end on the gxt1000 said that the 550 was coming through louder the gxt1000 was a little bit clearer but not as loud
First thing is that louder is volume, as in x radio used in a noisy vehicle isnt loud enough. The enemy of distance is noise not volume, that’s what the volume knob is for. Signal to noise ratio. How much wanted signal (voice) contrasted with the noise (the hiss). Different radios have different sensitivity, so a poorer receiver gives more noise in the output for the same signal level in. Antennas increase the ‘collection’ of signal, and the longer the better, but the longer the more horrible the radio is. The killers are obstacles, as in vehicles, buildings, hills etc. the helpful components are height and antenna orientation. In most cases, receiver sensitivity is not normally a big problem because the differences are when you go from strong no noise signal into the hissy zone, then when that hissy zone drops to silence. Increasing power is a partial improvement only, because it’s often a one way solution. A doubling of output power isnt really a lot, and that extra oomph is totally wrecked by the antenna of the receiver being 30-45 degrees away from the orientation of the sending radio. Often, with 90 degree difference the result is total silence. All this is important when you want every last bit of distance. A mag mount on a vehicle roof increases range far more than a few extra Watts.
If you want radios for extreme range, hand held, the only improvement is operator training. Learning to listen to the noise and how it changes with small movements, so you hold the radio in the optimum place, in the optimum position. This might mean a speaker mic is the best improvement, so the radio gets put into the right place, and kept there. When a user is NOT using the radio where is it? Laying on a seat in a car, in a pocket etc? A more sensitive radio might, just might perk up and work, letting you pick it up. Remember that the feature that matters is the squelch. Some are set to ONLY allow strong noise free signals to be heard. Others can be set right on the edge, allowing weak ones through, but lots of farting and fizzing. Non technical users expect magic. Some makes deliberately have squelch set high so their radios only give you nice noise free audio, but prevent you from even hearing the weak stuff, unless you reprogram them!
Thanks for the help. When I ran the second test all radios had either the Tenergy cells (2500mAh/GXT550 Xtratalk) or the black Eneloop Pro (2550 mAh) in the new GXT100 VP4 radios. All radios appeared to transmit/receive well over a hill with the addition of houses to break up the signal (on purpose for this test)
I am just confused as to why both models of radios stating that they’re five Watts have apparently different output levels when placed across the room. The GXT 1000 radios brake squelch and audio comes through nice and clear. When I key up a GXT 550 radio and transmit to the GXT 1000 radio, I get feedback which makes it seem like the 550s are actually putting out more wattage. When I take my trip next week I still don’t know if I’m going to use the stock 6 volt 700 milliamp batteries or whether I’ll use Energizer AA alkalines or the Eneloop Pro 2550 milliamp cells instead.
I spent 30 years using VHF Motorola Police radios so I’m very familiar with the antenna placement and how it changes your reception/transmission. I didn’t think with these models of radio I would experience such a difference in sound quality. I want to make sure I’m using the radios that get the best range and because of the longer antennas I’m going to assume that the gxt1000s have better range.
You are in the same room? Feedback is related to audio volume - so loudness coming out of the radio, getting into the TX mic. RF power is immaterial - a radio mic with 50mW can feedback perfectly well! OR have I misunderstood. You need a friend a mile away with both radios and a cellphone to make sure you are doing the right things to test the power output.
That’s what I tried but I wasn’t a full mile away. I just meant if the radios are near each other like in the same room and I key up the 550 version it causes feedback in the 1000 Series radio whereas keying up the 1000 Series radio doesn’t cause feedback in the other 1000 series. I’m sure they’re going to work fine for long distance. We don’t often get further than a mile away from each other when we’re traveling in the cars anyway. Usually it’s all line of sight.
The radios are all on ch 20 for these tests, high output and a GMRS channel.
I see now for around 150 i can actually get a mobile unit smaller than the CB’s I used to use. I’m sure with that roof mount antenna I would get much better range.
No bother - audio feedback is just a function of the volume control, that’s all. The size of modern gear is amazing - but today I found a Yaesu radio (an FT23) that I had in the early 80s - and that is smaller than a hand mic - not bad for the date!
Open where the batteries go and look up the FCC ID. On the FCC grant, power output is shown.