Also known as: MXT115, MXT115P, MicroMobile MXT115
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The Midland MXT115 is the cheapest way into a name-brand GMRS mobile: 15 watts, a small dash-mount head with a real dial and a separate mic, NOAA weather, around $130–150.1 It’s also a radio in transition — Midland’s next-generation MXT115P is arriving alongside it — and it carries the classic 15-watt-Midland limitations you should walk in knowing: no split tones and narrowband transmit.
Key takeaways Entry-level Midland, honest limits. 15 W, 15 GMRS + 8 repeater channels, 142 privacy codes, NOAA Scan + Alert, multicolor LCD. No split tones on the classic MXT115 — it’s locked out of split-tone repeaters — and its narrowband TX runs quiet into wideband repeaters. Successor watch: the IP67 MXT115P is replacing it; verify repeater transmit on early 115P stock (its initial FCC grant reportedly lacked the 467 MHz inputs). GMRS license to transmit: $35, 10 years, no test, covers your immediate family. Rankings: best GMRS mobile radios.
Overview
Unlike the mic-centric MXT275, the MXT115 is a conventional miniature mobile: a small head with a channel dial and a multicolor LCD, a standard fist mic, a USB charging port, and a mag-mount antenna in the box. For a family that wants a permanent radio in the second vehicle without studying anything, it’s the definition of adequate — simple, name-brand, weather-alert-capable, with a genuine FCC Part 95E grant.
The transition matters if you’re buying today. Midland lists both the classic MXT115 and the new MXT115P (“Next Generation,” IP67-rated), and classic stock is thinning at some retailers. One flag from secondary reporting, unverified against FCC records directly but worth acting on: the 115P’s initial July 2025 grant covered only the 462 MHz main channels, with the 467 MHz repeater inputs added by permissive change in June 2026. If that’s right, early 115P stock may not transmit on repeater inputs at all — so if you buy the P, confirm repeater transmit capability on the specific unit before you rely on it. If classic MXT115 availability dies, the family substitutes are the MXT115P itself or the 5-watt MXT105.
License note: GMRS transmit requires a license — $35 to the FCC, 10 years, no exam, covering your immediate family. Listening needs nothing.
Channels, power & repeater use
- Power: 15 W.
- Channels: 15 GMRS + the 8 repeater channels, 142 privacy codes.
- Repeaters: the big asterisk. The classic MXT115 has the repeater channels but no split tones — repeaters using a different CTCSS/DCS encode tone than their decode tone are simply unreachable. Check your local repeater’s tone setup before assuming this radio can use it.
- TX audio: narrowband, like the MXT275 — the documented “quiet into wideband repeaters” complaint applies here too.
- Weather: NOAA Weather Scan + Alert.
- Antenna: the 15 W Midlands historically use a small SMA-type radio-side connector (not the SO-239 of the MXT400/500/575) with included cable/adapters — verify the connector on current stock before buying mounts.
The value question
At $130–150 the MXT115’s real competition is the Radioddity DB20-G: roughly the same money for 20 W, ~500 channels, wideband receive, CHIRP, and — decisively — split tones. The Midland’s counterargument is legitimate: NOAA standby alerts (the DB20-G has none), a simpler interface, US-brand support, and plug-and-play tone compatibility with Midland handhelds like the GXT1000VP4. If your use is family simplex plus one open-tone repeater, the MXT115 is fine. If repeaters are the point, its tone limitation is disqualifying — spend the same money on the DB20-G or step up to the MXT500.
GopherTrunk alternative
FRS and GMRS are analog narrowband FM at 462/467 MHz — right in a ~$30 RTL-SDR’s range. Free GopherTrunk on a dongle monitors and records local FRS/GMRS traffic and repeater activity, which is especially useful before buying this particular radio: it will tell you whether your local repeaters use split tones — the one thing the classic MXT115 can’t do. Scout first, then choose the radio to match. GopherTrunk is receive-only and complements any of these radios. Download GopherTrunk to start.
Who it’s for
- Buy the MXT115 if you want the cheapest name-brand GMRS mobile for family simplex and NOAA alerts, and your repeater needs are zero or same-tone-simple. View on Amazon →
- Buy the Radioddity DB20-G instead if repeaters matter — same money, split tones, more watts.
- Skip it for the MXT275 if you like Midland but want the hideaway install (and, on the current revision, split tones). Considering the MXT115P? Verify repeater TX on early stock first. Full rankings: best GMRS mobile radios.
Sources
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Midland MXT115 MicroMobile product page — Midland Radio, on the 15 W output, channel/privacy-code counts, NOAA weather, and included accessories; successor: Midland MXT115P product page. ↩
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a license for the Midland MXT115?
To transmit, yes — a GMRS license: $35 to the FCC, valid 10 years, no test, and it covers your immediate family. Listening requires no license.
Does the Midland MXT115 support repeater split tones?
No — the classic MXT115 cannot do split tones, which locks it out of repeaters that use different encode and decode tones. That’s its biggest limitation for repeater work; the newer MXT115P and the import 20-watt radios can.
What is the difference between the MXT115 and the MXT115P?
The MXT115P is Midland’s next-generation replacement with an IP67 body. One caveat: reporting suggests the 115P’s initial July 2025 FCC grant covered only the 462 MHz main channels, with the 467 MHz repeater inputs added by permissive change in June 2026 — so verify repeater transmit on early 115P stock before buying.
What is the range of the Midland MXT115?
Roughly 1–5 miles vehicle-to-vehicle in real terrain — UHF simplex is terrain-limited. Through a GMRS repeater it can reach 20–50+ miles, but note the classic MXT115’s lack of split tones limits which repeaters it can use.
Is the MXT115 being discontinued?
It’s in transition. Midland lists both the MXT115 and the new MXT115P, and classic MXT115 stock is thinning at some retailers. If classic availability dries up, the MXT115P (or the 5-watt MXT105) is the successor in the same family.