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Earlier this year we told you about a cool new GMRS radio from Midland that was due out this summer - The Midland GXT5000 Pro Series GMRS Two Way Radio - and gave you a sneak peek at the coming attraction on our blog. Today we are excited to announce that The NEW Midland GXT5000
has arrived - and Buy Two Way Radios is one of the first retailers to offer this unique GMRS experience!

The GXT5000 Pro Series Rugged Professional GMRS Two Way Radio is a professional quality radio for FRS/GMRS users, designed to communicate with other standard consumer radios using FRS and GMRS frequencies, but with the added durability of a commercial grade radio.

According to the FCC report, the Midland GXT5000 has 4 watts of power. Because of the fixed antenna (a requirement for radios supporting the FRS frequencies), it is equal to or surpasses the range of current consumer models.

The Midland GXT-5000 has plenty of standard features. The new radio supports 22 standard FRS/GMRS channels and 121 privacy codes. It features selectable high/low power modes, dual channel watch, channel scan, silent operation, five selectable call alerts, a time out timer and an out-of-range alert.

However, for all the bells and whistles, it's not the feature set that makes the GXT5000 unique. It's what Midland built around them.

This radio is designed for serious GMRS enthusiasts who use their radios in more rugged conditions than the occasional camping trip or day out about the town. If you find yourself in scenarios where your radio be may be exposed to elements such as rain, dust or some physical abuse, the Midland GXT5000 may be the radio for you.

The GXT5000 has an aluminum cast frame, is waterproof, shock and dust proof to IP67 standards, and meets MIL-STD 810 C, D, E and F specifications. It also includes a long life lithium-ion battery and features an impressive 5 year warranty! But if that isn't durable enough for you, get this. The GXT-5000 is also submersible, an attribute commonly associated with marine radios, but not so common for its standard consumer cousin.

In addition, Midland took the radio, its rechargeable lithium-ion battery, swivel belt clip, desktop charger, AC wall adapter and owner's manual and bundled it all up nicely in a zippered storage/travel case that was designed specifically for this radio and its included accessories, giving the whole package a neat, sharp, professional look. The case alone is quite impressive.

The GXT5000 Pro Series Rugged Professional GMRS Two Way Radio is new, is here, and is available now from Buy Two Way Radios!

You may have noticed that most of the consumer two-way radios you see around advertise a range of up to 30 miles. The truth is, consumer FRS and GMRS radios will not even provide close to the advertised "maximum range".

The range that a two-way radio advertises is the range that the radio should get in "ideal" conditions. Ideal conditions are line of sight, such as from a mountaintop to a valley below -- no interference at all. Most likely, you will not be using the radios in these circumstances! You will probably want two-way radios for things such as hunting, skiing, malls, car trips or vacations. Under these normal conditions, the range of the radio will be limited because of obstructions, such as trees, hills, or buildings. These obstructions block the signal and dramatically reduce the range of a two-way radio.

So what type of range can you expect from your radio? Usually half a mile up to two miles, depending upon your terrain and the power of your radio. In the same environment, a 2 watt radio with a long antenna would provide considerably more range than a half watt radio with a short antenna.

When choosing a radio, it is very important to consider both the amount of range that you need and the environment in which you will be using the radios. Naturally, you wouldn't have as many obstructions in a football stadium as being in the middle of a heavily wooded area. For use in a stadium you would likely be fine with a small, one watt radio. In a wooded area, however, that same radio may not provide sufficient range. These are things that you need to take into consideration when choosing which two-way radio is right for you.

Related Resources
GMRS Radio Range Chart
Getting The Most Range From Your Radio
The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-05 - Radios in Range
The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-45 - The Truth About GMRS Radio Range
Radio 101 - The truth about FRS / GMRS two way radio range
How To Optimize Range for Motorola Talkabout Two Way Radios