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xsBusiness - Midland Outfitter Series GXT950VP4 5 Watt 42 Channel 30-Mile Waterproof GMRS with NOAA All Hazard /Weather Alert and Direct Call, Mossy Oak Break Up Camo, Pair
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List Price: $89.99
Our Price: $62.46
Your Save: $ 27.53 ( 31% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Midland
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Batteries Included: 1
Binding: Electronics
Brand: Midland
Color: Camo
EAN: 0046014509504
Feature: 5 Watt 42 Channel Mossy Oak Break Out Camo with Up to 30 Mile Range
Is Autographed: 0
Is Memorabilia: 0
Label: Midland
Manufacturer: Midland
Model: GXT950VP4
Publisher: Midland
Release Date: 2008-06-15
Studio: Midland
Variation Description: Camo
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Features
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5 Watt 42 Channel Mossy Oak Break Out Camo with Up to 30 Mile Range
Voice Privacy Scramble
NOAA/All Hazard Weather Channels with Alert and Weather Scan
142 Privacy Codes
Direct Call
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: gmrs radios
Comment: great radios. i like the scamble feature,it gives you privacy plus you dont have the hassle of other people talking to you thinking your someone else in their group.battery life is very good.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Decent Radio
Comment: Midland Outfitter Series GXT950VP4 5 Watt 42 Channel 30-Mile Waterproof GMRS with NOAA All Hazard /Weather Alert and Direct Call, Mossy Oak Break Up Camo, Pair
These radios outperform the old ones I replaced. Even in the low power setting they operated better then I expected. I haven't had the opportunity to use the high power setting for long distance but I am sure they wont get near the advertised 30 miles that is claimed. Not that I think any of these types of radios get what is advertised. A simple google search of reviews will back up this statement time and time again. I researched 2 way radios for several hours before deciding on this set. I'm glad I bought them and my complaints or only minor things I think could be corrected. One of the cons would be that no lanyard attachment is designed into this unit. If this is important you might look elsewhere or consider altering the radio case. The scan feature is very slow. The animal call signs are a little whimsical if you ask me. I have never used the "group" settings but I can see where this would be really useful if the radios were being used on a cruise ship or large hunting party. All in all I like this radio and I am totally satisfied. The instruction manual must be read in order to get the full use of all the features. I hope you find this information useful. : ) TL
Customer Rating:
Summary: great radios
Comment: Overall quality is great! Radio performs well, looks great, easy to operate. I use these for communication between hunting party partners over a 200 acre farm. Clear and crisp RX and TX. Only down side is the included headsets. The microphone does not pick up very well and background noise is terrible. Would purchase again if needed.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Midland Outfitter Series GXT950VP4
Comment: This product has more features than the comparable others. I am still waiting for the bill, I was given a discount of $30 for obtaining a Amazon credit card. Still waiting for the bill after one month. I hope I get the discount and the bill is not more due to getting it late.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Rugged, Powerful and Features-laden, but...we were tricked!!!
Comment: I contacted Midland customer service to find out what these additional 20 channels' frequencies were, as they're suspiciously absent from the list of radio frequencies in the back of the owner's manual. I wanted to listen to these mystery channels on my home scanner when not using the radios. I was told by a rep that the information I requested was "proprietary". Translated that means "Screw you". So I did a little experimenting of my own, and here now it can be revealed the identities of these extra channels:
They're mere COPIES of some of the first 22 channels that are standard on most FRS/GMRS 2-way radios in the first place! That's right. Some of us have been duped into believing that Midland created from whole cloth twenty additional FCC-approved channels for this model (and the model 900 radios) that other devices lack. When in fact they've really just doubled up on several of the old boring channels. Here's how they get away with it. Channels 23, 24, 25 and 26, for example, are just FRS channels (in Hi power) that coincide with channels 1, 3, 5, and 7 found on virtually any 2-way radio with FRS coverage. What prevents signal interference between these souped-up 950's and someone using the lower channels on some other radio is Midland's use of an astounding number of Privacy Codes, which these high-end radios are liberally endowed with. The four channels noted above are simply PRE-SET at the factory with specific privacy codes. It's as if you were to utilize channel 1 and let the manufacture choose the privacy code for you instead of using the common '0' settting.
Try this: program a second radio (not a 900 or 950) with privacy codes by manually tuning through the code spectrum and then hitting the transmit button on the King Camo radio (as I call mine) repeatedly until you get a clear receive signal on the lesser unit. Voila! You've discovered Midland's privacy code for that "hidden channel" on this system. Don't believe me? I found an exact code/channel combination on one of the ostensibly bonus channel frequencies. If someone with one of these top dollar radios is transmitting on channel 27, anyone with a cheaper radio can't communicate with him/her, right? Wrong! They can, if they tune their cheapo unit to Privacy Code #26 on channel 15. Of course, that's assuming their privacy code range goes as high as 26. Many don't. But if so, they're talking to Richie Rich across town who shelled out three quarters of a C Note for his system while they're coasting along on the $25 HT their mom got them for Xmas (albeit using much less transmit power than the fat cat!).
So there you have it. Endowed with the same old 22 standard channels after all, along with several mirrored frequencies from that same lineup disguised as special channels, only with privacy codes in place to act as those additional channels, the makers of this radio have succeeded in pulling one over on the consumer.
I know, you may be saying that with all the privacy code combinations out there, we really have hundreds of channels at our disposal. These radios just add a few hundred more to the menu, so why nitpick? Fine, but there's no excuse for the company's less-than-honest marketing gimmicks. Anyway, now you know how this manufacturer has gotten away with it...Till now! That's why I'm deducting a star from my ratings. Call me petty, but I've got their "proprietary information" right here!...
Truly, this IS one superb radio system. While $70 is a bit steep for handheld communications, the Voice Scramble feature makes it all worth while. I've never been much for the silly privacy codes anyway. They're cumbersome to utilize on the fly, and everyone tuned to that channel can hear everything you and your partner(s) are saying, you just can't hear them when they try to break in. Voice Scramble is like the Mute button on your phone; it kills the transmit and receive to third parties while putting out an obnoxious gibberish that will annoy anyone within thirty miles. That's one way to clear the frequency.
Seriously, I agree with others who've written that this comes with more features than most people could ever use. But who cares? It's an excellent radio and I highly recommend it. Midland's disingenuous tactics be damned!
So until the FCC approves base station FRS/GMRS units with more power than handhelds, and huge rooftop antenna access for those inevitably hopped-up super system "shacks" that harken back to the glory days of C.B. radio (God help us!), then the Midland 950vp4 stands tall as THE Cadillac of 2-way radio communications! (As long as you think that Cadillac comparisons signify a good thing!)
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Editorial Reviews:
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The Midland GXT950VP4 Two-Way Camo Radio Set includes 2 camo radios, dual desktop charger, 2 rechargeable battery packs, 2 headsets, and an AC/DC adapter. Color: Mossy Oak Break-Up.
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