Midland GXT1000 Two-Pack: What You Get, the GMRS License, and Realistic Range

The Midland GXT1000 is a pair of handheld radios in Midland’s GXT line. It is a GMRS radio, which means the person using it needs an FCC license. This post covers what the set includes, how licensing works, and what range to actually plan on.

What Midland says it includes

Midland’s product page lists 50 channels (22 standard channels plus 28 extra), 142 privacy codes, NOAA weather scan and alert, 10 call alerts, an SOS siren, eVOX hands-free operation and a three-year warranty. The radios are rated JIS4, which Midland describes as protection against light rain and splashing, not submersion. They run on a rechargeable pack or four AA batteries. Midland’s spec sheet lists a pair of radios, belt clips, headsets, rechargeable battery packs, a desktop charger and AC and DC adapters. Check the store page to confirm what ships in the box.

The GMRS license, in plain terms

• GMRS is a licensed service. The FCC issues individual licenses to applicants who are 18 or older.
• The FCC application fee is $35 for a new license, and the license lasts ten years.
• There is no exam. The license covers the licensee’s immediate family, which the rules define broadly (spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, in-laws and others). Family members of any age may use the radios within the licensed system.
• Friends who are not family members are not covered by your license.

Operators are also expected to identify with their FCC-assigned call sign, at the end of a transmission and about every 15 minutes during a long exchange. See FRS vs GMRS if you are still deciding between a licensed and an unlicensed radio.

Working with FRS radios

FRS and GMRS share 22 channels. Midland says the GXT series drops to FRS-level power on channels 8–14, which lets it talk to ordinary FRS handhelds on those channels. Matching channel numbers and privacy codes is what matters.

Range: the box versus real life

The box states 36 miles. Midland itself explains that figure is for ideal conditions, such as mountaintop to mountaintop, and that the GXT averages about half a mile to two miles in normal conditions. The FCC describes GMRS range generally as one to twenty-five miles depending on station class, terrain and repeater use. For a handheld on a trail or in a neighborhood, plan on the lower end of those figures.

Who it suits

Families, small groups and campers who want a step up from basic FRS radios and are willing to obtain the license. Anyone who does not want to deal with a license should look at FRS radios instead.

The Midland GXT1000 two-pack is available in our store.

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