Adventure F150 22 Posted May 22 Hey guys, I have two 8 w handhelds that I’ve used for the past couple of runs, but they were small outings. I know nothing on radios and the such and looking for some teaching and if a midland 15w kit with a speaker would be a good vehicle based setup. For my f150, I figured the third brake light bracket would be the best spot to mount the 3or4inch stubbies antennas. let me know you thoughts and experiences! many thanks for your time and resources in advance! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4WLNRN 774 Posted May 22 (edited) Either the MXT-275 or the MXT-575 will work the best honestly, just depends on what you feel like spending on a GMRS to hardwire in your vehicle. Then pair either one with the SPKMINI Universal Mini External Speaker and you'll be golden. Then will just need to couple that with an antenna that works with your vehicle and where it can be placed to maximize signal. I am sure @theksmith or @4x4tographer can chime in on this as well to offer up some recommendations. Edited May 22 by 4WLNRN 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adventure F150 22 Posted May 23 12 hours ago, 4WLNRN said: Either the MXT-275 or the MXT-575 will work the best honestly, just depends on what you feel like spending on a GMRS to hardwire in your vehicle. Then pair either one with the SPKMINI Universal Mini External Speaker and you'll be golden. Then will just need to couple that with an antenna that works with your vehicle and where it can be placed to maximize signal. I am sure @theksmith or @4x4tographer can chime in on this as well to offer up some recommendations. I’m in the right ballpark then. There are whole kits that come with the 15w, speaker and a 3gain ghost antenna. just wanted to verify the antenna and power range of the radio before buying 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 5,778 Posted May 23 (edited) 4 hours ago, Adventure F150 said: I’m in the right ballpark then. There are whole kits that come with the 15w, speaker and a 3gain ghost antenna. just wanted to verify the antenna and power range of the radio before buying just having an external antenna is the single best thing you can do to improve your reception and your transmission range. plenty of people have good luck with the ghost antenna. getting as much of an antenna above the metal cab is what really increases your reception capabilities. i'd be hesitant to mount the solid ghost antenna sticking above the cab though out of fear of it catching a limb and not having any give. a longer steel whip that mounts lower but still extends up above the cab would be my preference so that it can bend completely out of the way without hurting anything. the 15W should be fine for transmit power. keep in mind that to double your transmission range, you have to multiply your output power by 4. so the 50W unit is potentially just under twice the reach of the 15w but costs more than twice as much. Midland is probably the most popular brand of GMRS. the advantage being that there is likely someone else with the same radio on most runs if you need help with an advanced setting. you might not need an external speaker depending on where you mount the radio. Edited May 23 by theksmith 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4x4tographer 3,642 Posted May 24 (edited) If you're interested, we have a number of in-depth threads on GMRS. GMRS for Beginners GMRS on a Budget General GMRS Discussion Midland is a widely used brand - decent stuff. I've run my MXT275 for about 5 years. I've recently moved to a Yaesu set-up. For antennas, I've been happy with Midland's MicroMobile 6DB high gain antenna. I also use the "ghost" antenna on occasion, but it certainly has its limitations, depending on where you mount it. It's always best to mount it as high as possible for direct line-of-sight to other transmitters/receivers. You could look into a magnetic mount for the ghost antenna. However, it's worth noting that almost every Midland GMRS radio comes with a magnetic antenna, right out of the box. I'd recommend using that for a few trips, playing with antenna placement to see how different locations impact your RX/TX quality. In terms of external speakers, I've never found it necessary - depending on the Midland radio you get, the mic and head unit will both have speakers. I'd also plug the importance of getting your GMRS license, just to keep you on the up and up. It's $35-ish, covers everyone in your household for 10 years. Easy to get. Edited May 24 by 4x4tographer 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adventure F150 22 Posted May 25 21 hours ago, 4x4tographer said: If you're interested, we have a number of in-depth threads on GMRS. GMRS for Beginners GMRS on a Budget General GMRS Discussion Midland is a widely used brand - decent stuff. I've run my MXT275 for about 5 years. I've recently moved to a Yaesu set-up. For antennas, I've been happy with Midland's MicroMobile 6DB high gain antenna. I also use the "ghost" antenna on occasion, but it certainly has its limitations, depending on where you mount it. It's always best to mount it as high as possible for direct line-of-sight to other transmitters/receivers. You could look into a magnetic mount for the ghost antenna. However, it's worth noting that almost every Midland GMRS radio comes with a magnetic antenna, right out of the box. I'd recommend using that for a few trips, playing with antenna placement to see how different locations impact your RX/TX quality. In terms of external speakers, I've never found it necessary - depending on the Midland radio you get, the mic and head unit will both have speakers. I'd also plug the importance of getting your GMRS license, just to keep you on the up and up. It's $35-ish, covers everyone in your household for 10 years. Easy to get. The newer f150s are aluminum bodies, so magnets don’t work. That’s why I was looking at the third brake light bracket and they don’t make overland roof racks that work with my satellite/ gps antenna from factory without serious modification to the rack or mustang antenna conversion. I do value @theksmith’s caution of mounting over the cab, specifically the ghost antenna. So, ideally, I could look at a chase rack or a custom fab mount on the bedside/ bulwark for a traditional style whip antenna. I was looking at the 275 kit personally and just gotta figure out where to mount in the cab. I’ll read into those threads you provided too! I also got my Gmrs license and state trust rec permit right after I joined up, too. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4WLNRN 774 Posted May 25 Was doing some research on my own for mounting options for antennas for my jeep, particular ones that mount to the hood, cowl or A pillar and came across the A-pillar antenna mount that says it works with the Ford F series line of trucks. There are others that mount to by the tail gate and in the bed of the truck that I have seen on line and at off road shows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
