The Midland XT50 two-way radio is another new line from Midland that we have gotten in. User-friendly, which offers ways to stay in contact outdoors, at home, on the campsite and even at festivals or hiking. The XT50 will keep you in touch, with 24 channels, 38 tones, a range of up to 8km and 12 hours of battery life. You will be well-equipped for license-free communication. We wanted to see if it really stood up to what it claims at such a very good value. Read on if you are interested in seeing how it got on!
Related: Top 10 Two-Way Radios of 2024
Midland XT 50 Design
The Midland XT50 design is very similar to the XT30 design. As this model is just an upgrade from it. The only difference that stands out from the XT30 is that this one comes in a nice silver.
Like the previous model, the XT30 the shape is the same and the buttons for all the main controls are in the same position. Still, easy use while wearing gloves for this model, which is a plus in our books.
Buttons are still the size with this model if you aren't used to using this size of radio. You might accidentally press the wrong button. It will come naturally, plus with the layout, you will get familiar with which button is which.
Range
The Midland XT50 two-way radio has a range that goes up to 8km. As long there aren't obstructions that would drop the range like trees, building but if you are in an open field the range is a lot better. Testing out in the city of Glasgow. The range did drop with all the buildings in the way we were able to get about 1-2 km. When we got to clearer areas, the range had picked up to 4-6 km. Reaching an open clear field in the countryside. The signals picked up really nicely to their maximum of 8km.
The lower power output on the radio partially contributes to its lower range. It isn't a huge problem with the low power requirement. This means that the relatively small battery can keep this walkie-talkie running for almost 12 hours compared to other counterparts like the XT30.
Features
An interesting feature of the Midland XT50 is the customisable sensitivity level for the VOX function. The function offers three sensitivity levels so you can set VOX through the sensitivity. So the loudness of your voice for example you can have the two-way radio respond to a whisper or only activates if it hears something louder. This can be pretty useful depending on the situation and the environment and gives a nice touch to the overall functioning of the radio. Which we think is a great feature to have especially with the sensitivity settings.
Unfortunately with this model of Midland, it doesn't come with a backlit display. It comes with more of an LCD display. So it does make it easier to read but sadly no backlight. It does make up for it with its sturdiness. It has shock absorption when being dropped from certain heights. The two-way radio is able to handle rough areas like school grounds, constriction sites, hiking and even around children.
The two-way radio does come with rechargeable batteries which are really handy. In the box, it also has a double desktop charger, where you can set your radio to let them charge. The batteries are meant to last 12 hours. So we had used to them quite a lot. They did last quite a while. We did not worry about keep checking. To see if we need to recharge them yet until near the end of the day.
Easy to Use
The Midland XT50 is user-friendly which is a benefit as soon as you take it out of the packaging, charged it and you are now on the go. It has a nice weight and feels to it when you carry it in your hand. Its belt clip makes it easy to carry around attached to your clothing. Selecting channels and sub-codes is straightforward whether you are familiar with Two-way Radios or are new to them.
The pairing is straightforward as you just need to select the desired channel. If you want to be on then press PTT to confirm the channel you want to be on.
Midland XT30 two-way radios are very easy to use when you get them straight out of the box. Pairing them up to the same frequency. You will be able to speak straight away. We do recommend though as these are license-free walkie-talkies. You will likely pick up transmissions from others who are also using license-free radios. As we had experienced ourselves when trying out the different frequencies. All that you would need to do is to make sure that you change all your radios to the same frequency. You will then be all set to go!
Midland XT50: The Verdict
For a mid-range two-way radio, the Midland XT50 is a great choice. It's rather easy to use and with its reliable range, these two-way radios are great for professional and casual users alike. With a battery life of 12 hours, it is brilliant to be used for day-to-day activities or events.
