Midland GXT1050VP4 Review

Midland GXT1050VP4 Walkie Talkie Review

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Performance

If you’re in the market for a walkie talkie for hunting, there are several features or aspects you should consider before making a purchase. The range of the walkie talkie can vary greatly depending on the brand, model and location. The Midland GXT1050VP4 radio advertises an incredible range of 36 miles when used over open water or open rural land under optimum conditions. This generally means that in urban areas the range drops to 2 miles or less.

The Midland GXT1050VP4 has 5 watts of power, which is on the high end for typical two-way radios. Other brands and models will range from half a watt of power on up to 5 watts. While the optimum conditions are unlikely to be met in any real-world scenario, the higher wattage capabilities of the Midland GXT1050VP4 indicates that it will outperform the competition under similar circumstances.

Other Features

Make no mistake, the Midland GXT1050VP4 is designed with outdoor activities like hunting, trekking and hiking in mind. Besides the camouflage design, the radio includes 5 animal calls for turkey, duck, crow, cougar and wolf. NOAA weather alert connects to your local weather radio and gives you a heads up when severe weather is coming to your area. The radio includes a JIS4 waterproof rating, which is essentially water resistance. The radio should not be submerged in water, but can handle exposure to all types of weather and precipitation. The radios include an SOS siren or locator signal to be used in an emergency situation.

One of the features that sets the Midland GXT1050VP4 for hunting apart from the competition is the whisper feature. This allows you to talk quietly into the radio, and have the other person hear your voice at full volume. This is good news if you are a hunter, and need to communicate with your group while still remaining quiet. You can also set the radio to silent operation, which will disengage all operating tones.

The auto-squelch technology is an innovative feature that you won’t find on most typical walkie talkie sets. This feature is also known as noise cancellation, which will cut out extra background noise. When it stands up to the competition, The Midland GXT1050VP4 includes more features and better performance than other two-radios that fall in the same price range.

Hunting is certainly not the only use for these Midland radios. You can use them to interact with other employees at a concert venue, stadium or farm. The hands-free set also makes it a convenient option for motorcyclists or skiers who want to interact with other members of their group. Caller ids make it easy to speak with just one person in your group, rather than everybody.

Conclusion

The Midland GXT1050VP4 model has a rechargeable NiMH battery, which is similar to other walkie talkie radios that operate with lithium ion rechargeable batteries. The difference is that Midland has adjustable battery use settings, which can preserve the charge over a longer period of time. If you are out in the woods and the battery dies, you can also you use four AA batteries to operate the radio. This extra option is also unique to the Midland model, which is convenient if you are unable to recharge the battery pack. The radio also has a low battery alert indicator.

Some other walkie talkie models may have features that the Midland GXT1050VP4 doesn’t provide. For example, the Uniden GMR5089-2CKHS has an emergency strobe light, glow in the dark keys and it is completely submersible in water. Both of these models have a three year warranty. The Uniden model does not have the auto squelch technology or the alternate battery options, but it does retail for about $15 more than the Midland model.

The other brands that fall in the same price range fall short on features. The Midland GXT1050VP4 for hunting simply offers more value for the price than the similar models that are made by the competition. Many of the other brands offer only a two-year warranty, and do not include the weather alert features or the long distance range. Ultimately, you must determine what features are most important for the way you intend to use the radios. The Midland GXT1050VP4 model is the best value for walkie talkies under $100.