Midland
Customer
0 stars . I ordered 2 sets neither of them turn on the charger never lights up left them on overnight read the book to make sure I’m not missing anything . It can’t be that hard to figure these things out . I thought the first ones were a fluke but no the second pair came and same issue plug into the wall and nothing happens tried them at work at home different outlets everything … terrible very unhappy
Alexis A.
These are great for what we needed them for. Very light weight, easy to carry radios. We use them for kids outdoor play time, or for walks and the range is great. It is clear, even at a very long distance with buildings in the way. Noise level/volume can be adjusted. And there are lots of channels to choose from. So glad we got these.
Adam V. Beeson
As a football referee, I’m excited to begin using these. However my package arrived with only one battery pack in it. That’s a problem….
Malone
This isn’t my first time using this type of item. These will not take a charge. The batteries are in properly. They’re connected to the base property. They will not take any charge (I’ve given it 24 hours). I made adjustments, they won’t charge
Michael C.
Battery r dead just use for fishing
Uncommon Sense
A nice price, but one of the two recharge units had an led that refused to work on one side. Im not even sure if its charging. I alternated 4 different walkie-talkies in the recharge slot, but it wouldn't light for any of them. I'll be making a return if its not charging on that side.
Kari
I am super happy with these radios! I love that they are simple and easy to use as well as affordable. I've considered installing a more complex comms set up in my rig but these radios get the job done well! I feel so much safer knowing that I have a way to communicate with others while out on the trails. Looking forward to using these radios on many more trips!
Our Gold Road
These Midland radios are good radios for the price, but they are not long-range radios by any means. They advertise that the range on these LXT500s is 22 miles, but that is only in flat areas with zero obstructions. We use our radios around campsites and while hiking, and the range for these radios in those situations is somewhere under a mile or less depending on how dense the trees or buildings are in the area. These radios are best for keeping track of kids or friends on short hikes or around the campgrounds.
Don’t get me wrong, I love these radios for just that fact because we mostly use two-way radios when traveling in a convoy or around our campsite. These are definitely entry-level radios for short-range use only. They do not have the range of 22 miles as stated.
I love Midland products, but they need to be more honest on their packaging about the real range in real-life conditions.
Nick C
These are great entry level radios. Perfect for the money. I would think they would work great for snowboarding/winter on the slopes since they worked well in the canyons in Utah. I went to Arches and Canyonlands and was able to talk to the "slower group" from a few miles away behind canyons. They are light and clip anywhere. One died faster than the other, but that could have been my brother's fault. The charging dock is clutch and they charge up quickly. They also seem pretty durable and like they will last a long time. Overall i'm happy with my purchase.
Rachel
As a regular backpacking party of 2, my partner and I were on the hunt for a means of communication when cell service was limited. Since we typically visit remote locations for our treks, primitive sites are usually very limited and we are guilty of wanting to set up camp at a location that serves our interests and duration of stay. This often means that one of us needs to forge ahead of the other to scout out additional sites while the other holds a reached site until we have settled on the option that best suits our time in the wilderness. We have debated for some time what might support our needs while keeping additional pack weight to a minimum and settled on giving the Midland X-Tra Talk LXT500VP3 a go—and we’re so happy that we did! These talkies meet our basic need to communicate regardless of cell reception (the main goal) along with a few other awesome features that we didn’t even realize we needed.
The units themselves are small which really helped since space in a pack for a multiple night trip is hard to come by. They also have a clip so that you can attach it directly to your belt and avoid compromising pack space altogether. There is a call button on the side that emits a sort of ring sound and we like to use this to cue each other in the instance static makes hearing difficult. However, static has only been a challenge when we tested them out within city limits—so the call feature just becomes great back up while in the backcountry. We were shocked at how clearly our voices can be hear when we tested them up to 3 miles from one another on a mini-trek. While the units offer multiple channels, again, the only time we’ve needed to use that is within city limits and other users can be picked up. It’s a great option though and we’re thankful to have it should the need arise for what we use it for primarily. We also really appreciate the option to turn off the Roger Beep Tone and control volume, as we like to travel sort of discreetly and this has helped us to move without disturbing our surroundings.
As mentioned, we like to use these the most while site scouting. One of us will stay at a found walk-up first come first served site with the packs while the other moves ahead to see if there is a more efficient site still available. This is hugely beneficial if you’ve hiked several miles to the first site and prefer to conserve remaining energy until you know it’s absolutely needed. One thing we wouldn’t mind is a smaller travel charger since the units do require being locked into a larger wall-charging unit. But the battery life is sufficient for our needs at this time since we really only use them at the beginning of a trip and then power off. We also like to use the talkies when camping in more developed sites with groups. The scout vehicle will move through the grounds while the others wait and this allows us to find our most desired site without creating a lot of dust and disturbance to other settled campers. They have also helped us stay in communication with base camp friends/family while on day hikes which is nice for coordinating mealtimes together between stationary and moving party members. We have tried to use them in city limits from 1-6miles apart and had some challenges hearing each other but were able to make do. In nature they perform with absolute clarity and excellence and are a great and functional addition to your gear!
Bryan R Holcombe
I’ve had these little Walkies for a week now and they have gotten the job done. We’ve used them to communicate between cars on our drive to Joshua Tree National Park as well as within the park, the park has zero cell coverage. Additionally, I left one at a friends house about a mile away to test them in the suburbs. In both cases, we had zero issues. When you purchase a bargain product like this it is all about trades offs and the Midland Radios make the right ones to get the right price.
Pros:
Perfect for camping, caravanning, and hiking with groups if you are staying relatively close
Compact durable design allows them to be stashed almost anywhere
Rechargeable batteries and base means less waste and a smaller footprint
Radios snap into charging base with a satisfying click and lights indicate you are charging
Enough channels to avoid congestion and background noise
Screen lock child proofs radio settings for communication with younger children
Cons:
Like all Walkie Talkies that claim 20+ miles, these will never actually get that
Would not count on these over a mile distance
If you are using these in the outdoors like me you will need to pick up a car charger adapter to charge on the road
If you want weather alerts you’ll have to upgrade to the Midlands LXT600VP3
Belt clips are not hinged and just a simple piece of plastic
At this price range, the pros easily outweigh the cons and this product is an easy recommendation.
Esther Yoon
Tried out these radios for the first time during a camping trip in WA. The camping sites are remote so phone reception is non-existent. Having these radios were a great way to keep in communication with the group. Didn't really test the range much on this trip but for the short distances in a wooded area we used them, transmissions were clear. Charging was easy with the dock provided and the radios were fairly lightweight with built-in clip. For a newbie in radios, these were easy to use and functional for my outdoor communication needs. Look forward to test these out again in the Sierra backcountry!
D. Siedlecki
I am very pleased with these radios. My partner and I are avid hikers, but we hike at very different speeds. Since we have gotten these radios, we have been able to start out at different times and check in with each other until we get to the designated meeting spots. It has been a great game changer! I have used these both in "line of sight" as it mentions on the website and in wooded and rocky terrain without line of sight. They worked great. Even in the rocky terrain, when we were pretty far from each other, we were able to connect. They are lightweight and hook well onto straps and pant pockets. They have been holding a charge really well. I like that there are 22 channels to choose from, as other hikers use radios too. :) Would definitely recommend.
A Wilson
The LXT500VP3 Walkie Talkies are great for camping. We use them to communicate while my husband is backing the camper into our camp site and around the park. I drove 1.7 miles from the campground and talked to my husband who was inside our camper at the campground.
Jessi
My son and I enjoyed them, we play with them all the time
Cathy
I only used the LXT500PA radioS twice in our RV. I went to charge it and the base light won’t come on. I replaced all 8 aaa batteries thinking that would fix the problem. Still the base does not come on to charge the radios. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. Only has a 90 day warranty. Brand new radios 39.99 and can’t use due to defective base.
eunice martin
I am very dissatisfied with these walkie-talkies. The batteries in both walkie talkies will not hold a charge.
Moto
We’ve had the product for 2 years, but only used it a dozen or so times for a short duration. Upon charging the batteries this last time, we noticed a very strong fume coming from the charging station and immediately disconnected the power. Upon further inspection, the charging station was beginning to melt and very likely would have caught fire if we didn’t discontinue the charging. Be veryyyy careful with charging this product and leaving it without supervision. Still awaiting response regarding warranty.
Karl
The range was great and the user interface and battery were also great, SO IT'S THE BEST!
CPT_ BUBBLEBEARD
Every parent needs these and I couldn't be happier with these radios!!! I bought them last year for my young daughter to go around the neighborhood and still keep us in touch and it's one of the best ideas I've ever had. They have a longer range than I expected and being rechargeable is fantastic. We just put them back on the charging stand at the end of the day and they're ready to go again the next afternoon. Best of all they last all day long on a charge (a full Saturday), even after a years worth of use. Other parents in the neighborhood have caught on and bought there own, now the kids can check with each other (each has a channel assigned) and parents can stay in touch with their kid. My daughter just ran out the door with hers, thanks a bunch Midland.
MTM
Unfortunately, even after >48 hours in the desktop charger, there was only 1 bar of battery life. Thinking it might be a defective included battery pack, I placed AAA batteries in the radio. The desktop charger would not recognize the radio when plugged in with AAA betteries. Also, with the included battery pack, the compartment cover is VERY difficult to remove. I was worried about breaking it trying to press and push down to open.
Knuckle Punch
I ordered these and like other folks I got the lxt500pa the cheaper older model with 18 mile Range instead of the lxt500pv3 that I thought I was buying with a 28 mile range none-the-less my son got in his car and drove about four blocks maybe five down the street and the reception was broken up and horrible I couldn't imagine 18 my little out of 28 with these do not buy their junk and the interface is very old, also the packaging and the sticker on the box everything had the proper part number for the high-end 28 mile range walkie talkies but the actual radios inside the package or the Lesser grade older models double check your part numbers somebody else posted the same problem and I thought maybe it was a once-in-a-blue-moon fluke.
Torrie Southern
Buyer beware. They are pulling a scam. The box says the right thing. But the product is not the same. If you get it. Look at the model number on the back of the radio. Also, it doesn’t come with the correct charger. Ordered LXT500VP3 received LXT500pa. I will make sure I read the reviews from now on.
UndrTheAZstrz
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time – on this trip I tested the Midland LXT500VP3 (Up to 24 Mile Two-Way Radios). The radio itself is a good size and sits comfortably in the hand. The antenna sits about 2 inches taller than the unit and is hard plastic. There are removable belt clips for each handheld unit. The top of the belt clips stick out from the back of the unit about half an inch as if they were hinged but they are in fact not hinged and therefor just push into whatever it is clipped to. The main button you use to transmit is textured and made of an easily gripped rubber so it made talking very easy. The LCD screen is not backlit and when turned on displays only the channel being used (until the battery is low then it has a low battery indicator). The handheld units were easy to control with clearly marked buttons on the front.
The set comes with a rechargeable battery for each handheld unit and a desktop charger. The desktop charging unit is small and light with red indicator lights to show when the units are charging. The desktop charger will charge both radios at once or you can use the power cord to charge one unit independently. The radios are supposed to be charged 12 hours for a complete charge. If you will not have access to an AC plug you can purchase the additional cable to allow these to charge via the cigarette lighter in a vehicle.
Channels 8 through 14 are low power channels. We tried these radios in town, on the highway, and in camp using these channels and at best only had a mile of range. However, when we did have enough signal to make contact the voices were very clear and easily heard. We were able to use the low power channels to drive through the campground with a lead car looking for a campsite while the truck/trailer were parked near the entrance to avoid getting stuck somewhere that we could not turnaround. We also used them on the low power channels around camp when going for walks or to the bathrooms.
Channels 1-7 and 15-22 are high power channels. We tried these in town (suburban area, no extremely tall buildings or geographical features… just houses) and easily got another half mile of range above the low power channels (somewhere around a mile and a half total). The voices normally came through very clear unless we were near overhead power lines in which case they had static interference. We also noticed that if I was near the end of the range of the radios and in a car I was able to receive transmissions but unable to send them.
Overall, these radios seem to be pretty tough and easy to use with a decent amount of range. For the price they could be great for kids getting into radios, for use around a larger property/park area, between vehicles in a caravan, or around camp.
JH2
Awesome! Clear sound, volume is loud enough and are water resistant (not waterproof). Battery seems to last long. Haven't checked the distance yet.
Akire
the batteries do not fully charge up to 40% And range only few miles
tonyabba
Thís product doesn't hold charge...?????
Chargers @ 1st time was 24h ,turn on in 2hr and no more juice???
Same thing on 2nd time????
It screw up my vacation trip !!!
I want to return it .
make sure QC inspect before shipping it out
Thank you for your hight products
Aaron
Wrong. Just wrong. Ordered these because they were supposed to work well, and advertised as a great radio. Which, the LXT500VP3's probably are. I was shipped the LXT500PA model number. Which is one third the price everywhere else. Returning the 3 pairs I bought. If you buy these, be sure to check the model number right above the serial number BEFORE you clip the belt clip on. Should say "LXT500VP3" not "LXT500PA" If it says the latter, you've been shipped an inferior previous model compared to what you paid.
Breana
I have yet to use my Midland radios out in the wild, but I thought it was very interesting that the charging cable was different for the two sets I purchased at the same time. This doesn't really bother me, because it means I can conveniently charge both in the same outlet at once, but it does not match what was on the box.
W. Newsom
Meh. The Button labels wore off pretty fast. (see picture) So after less than a year of use, there's no telling what each button does. If we loan one to a friend, they will not have a clue how to run it. The only thing I like is the base station and the charging is pretty good. The clips break too easily, so might as well have big pockets ready. (The belt clips have been gone for a long, long time) One radio is hard to hear things on due to a bad reception. Overall, not greatly impressed, but they are still working. This needs a new design all the way around except the power is acceptable. As for range, I am pretty happy with them, but the 24 mile thing is a blatant lie of course... everyone pretty much knows this. At a good 1/4 mile, you should expect dropouts and issues with reception in hilly areas. I guess if you need long range, move to a lake or Nebraska or something. I would not recommend these for serious use.
