Also known as: MXT575, MicroMobile MXT575
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The Midland MXT575 is the current flagship of Midland’s MicroMobile GMRS line, and its defining trick is that the radio disappears: all 50 watts live in a hideaway black box, while every control, the display, and the speaker sit in the microphone.1 For a modern vehicle with no spare dash real estate, it is the cleanest full-power GMRS install you can buy — around $350–400.
Key takeaways Our best-overall GMRS mobile. 50 W (the legal max), 15 GMRS + 8 repeater channels, NOAA weather scan and alert, and the tidiest install story in the class — everything is in the mic. Split tones on current units (very early stock may need a firmware update). No GPS — no Midland MXT has it. Programming is Midland-software-only, not CHIRP. Transmitting needs a GMRS license: $35, 10 years, no test, covers your immediate family. Where it ranks: best GMRS mobile radios.
Overview
Launched in summer 2022 and still Midland’s flagship as of 2026, the MXT575 pairs the full 50-watt legal limit with the all-controls-in-mic design Midland proved on the cheaper MXT275. The main unit is a “black box” you bolt under a seat or behind the dash; one RJ45-corded mic carries the display, channel controls, speaker, and PTT. The upside is obvious in any tight modern interior. The tradeoff is just as plain: everything hangs on that one mic and its cord, and there’s no conventional control head to fall back on. If you’d rather have knobs on a real faceplate, the same-money MXT500 is the same radio family in a conventional body.
Midland began refreshing the MicroMobile line with “P” models in 2025 (the MXT115P is confirmed), but no MXT575 successor has been announced — the 575 is still front and center on Midland’s site.
License note: transmitting on GMRS requires a license — $35 to the FCC, valid 10 years, no exam, and one license covers your immediate family, which makes it the cheapest legal way to put real wattage in a family convoy. Listening requires nothing.
Channels, power & repeater use
- Power: 50 W — the GMRS legal maximum.
- Channels: 15 GMRS channels plus the 8 repeater channels (467 MHz inputs), with wide/narrow selectable transmit.
- Repeaters: programmable CTCSS/DCS tones including split tones on current units — Midland added split-tone and wideband support to this generation, and very early units may need Midland’s firmware update to get it. Split tones matter: many club repeaters use a different encode tone than their decode tone, and a radio that can’t do that is locked out.
- Weather: NOAA Weather Scan + Alert.
- Antenna: an NMO mag-mount antenna ships in the box; the radio side is SO-239 for a standard PL-259 feedline.
- No GPS. Despite recurring marketing confusion, neither the MXT575 nor the MXT500 has GPS — in this roster only the BTECH GMRS-50PRO does.
Keep expectations honest on range: 50 watts simplex still means roughly 1–5 miles in real terrain, because UHF range is line-of-sight-limited. What the wattage genuinely buys is margin — and the ability to reach a repeater input reliably, where usable range jumps to 20–50+ miles.
Quirks worth knowing
The MXT575 holds a genuine FCC Part 95E grant and Midland’s brand support is a real asset, but owner reports cluster on a few things. A squelch/static blast at vehicle startup and alternator-speed whine show up in forum threads; Midland points at low-voltage or loose power wiring, and the fix is wiring direct to the battery rather than an accessory circuit. There are scattered channel-stability complaints on myGMRS. And the repeater memory model is rigid — you can’t store multiple repeaters on the same channel with different tones, which enthusiasts bump into fast. Programming is via USB-C and Midland’s own software only — no CHIRP — and channel naming is essentially absent. If those limits chafe, the Wouxun KG-1000G Plus exists precisely for you.
GopherTrunk alternative
FRS and GMRS are analog narrowband FM at 462/467 MHz — squarely inside a cheap SDR’s range. A ~$30 RTL-SDR running free GopherTrunk monitors and records your local FRS/GMRS traffic and GMRS repeater activity, so you can scout what’s actually active — and whether a local repeater is worth the $35 license — before spending $400 on radios. GopherTrunk cannot transmit, so it complements the MXT575 rather than replacing it; but as a scouting tool and a base-station recorder for the family fleet, it’s the free half of the setup. Download GopherTrunk and listen first.
Who it’s for
- Buy the MXT575 if you want maximum legal power with the cleanest possible install — overlanders, trucks, and any vehicle where dash space is the constraint. View on Amazon →
- Buy the MXT500 instead if you prefer a conventional control head (and an IP66 body) for the same money.
- Skip it for the Wouxun KG-1000G Plus if you want 999 channels, wideband receive, and CHIRP — more features for similar money, less brand polish. On a budget, the 20 W Radioddity DB20-G does the repeater job for a third of the price. Full rankings: best GMRS mobile radios.
Sources
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Midland MXT575 MicroMobile product page — Midland Radio, on the 50 W output, all-controls-in-mic design, repeater channels, NOAA weather, and included NMO antenna. ↩
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a license for the Midland MXT575?
To transmit, yes — a GMRS license: $35 to the FCC, good for 10 years, no test, and one license covers your immediate family. Apply online through the FCC ULS. Listening requires no license at all.
What is the range of the Midland MXT575?
Vehicle to vehicle, expect roughly 1–5 miles in real terrain — UHF simplex is terrain-limited regardless of wattage. The real range upgrade is a GMRS repeater: through a well-sited repeater the MXT575’s 50 watts can carry 20–50+ miles.
Does the Midland MXT575 have GPS?
No. No Midland MXT radio has GPS, despite occasional marketing confusion. If you want GPS position sharing in a GMRS mobile, the BTECH GMRS-50PRO is the one radio in this class that actually has it.
Does the MXT575 support repeater split tones?
Current units do — Midland added split-tone support to the MXT275/500/575 generation. Very early production may need Midland’s firmware update, so if you buy used or old stock, verify split tones before counting on a club repeater.
Is the MXT575 CHIRP-compatible?
No. Programming is over USB-C with Midland’s own software only. If CHIRP support matters to you, look at the Wouxun KG-1000G Plus or Radioddity DB20-G instead.