MIDLAND XT511 2 Way Radio with Dynamo Crank Power
from: Midland
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Electronics : MIDLAND XT511 2 Way Radio with Dynamo Crank Power |
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Rating:  - * Disappointed ... I purchased this radio for this years hurricane season. Figured it would be nice to have an NOAA radio and the ability to charge cell phones in the case of a loss of power. Decided since Midland has been in the business for awhile, this would be my best choice. Unfortunately, this radio just didn't perform as expected. I'm not sure how others are able to get the advertised run time on the crank feature. You have to charge it with the crank (powered off) and hopefully you don't mind cranking for a while. A couple of minutes doesn't cut it. The light is pretty weak (it's an led light, so I didn't expect much). Reception with our NOAA station was decent and radio stations seemed to be average. Scanned the area's UHF and didn't pick up anything, so I'm not sure what kind of range it has (didn't really purchase it for the UHF anyways). The backlight is nice, but if you are running off battery you can't afford to use it (hopefully, you aren't in the dark or still have power). Haven't tried out the cell phone charge. It's also not very user friendly. In the end, I regret buying the Midland radio. Rating:  - * Childs toy at best ... This radio is a cheap piece of @#!%*&!!! The way it's advertised as a base radio for a sportsman's outing??? No way!! I wouldn't trust this thing to talk across the street no matter trust my life to it! If I had to rely on it in the event of an emergency I'd feel very nervous. Its construction is very light plastic that feels flimsy in your hand. Reception is mostly static. Range is even worse. The hand mic is a plastic joke. I was so disappointed when I received it I boxed it back up in the very same box it came in and returned it that very same day! For the price(100$), I expected a radio of similar quality as the C Crane C.C. Radio. This is a receive only radio but of great quality in the same price range(125$). I was expecting something similar because I have Midland two way hand held radios that I love and they work great? I can't even imagine that the same company made both of these products! My recommendation is to bring extra batteries and use a 5 watt hand held radio as your base radio and leave this radio at the store. Save your money and get an extra set of Midland GTX hand held radios that can be used at base camp or in the field. I've never given a review this bad ever but this product is so bad I thought people needed to know. Especially sportsmen like myself that rely on technology like this. Rating: - * Big features, small performance ... I have to think that there is tremendous quality control variability with this radio based on the wildly different reviews. I'm a radio geek and have been collecting radios for the last 40 years. When I saw the ad for this Midland I just had to have it. I thought it would be a perfect addition for my camping adventures. The radio seems to be totally loaded with just about anything you would need. It has a GRMS/FRS 2-way radio, an AM/FM radio, a weather radio, a clock with alarm and even a 3 LED flashlight. Add to this the fact that it runs on both alkaline and a wind-up rechargeable battery! Wow. Sadly, none of the functions work very well. Both the AM and FM reception are very subpar. AM reception could only receive the strongest stations and they bled over adjacent frequencies. Many stations that I could pick up on a cheap pocket radio could not be picked up on this radio. FM was worse, only picking up a couple of very powerful local stations. Weather band worked, but only barely. I was able to pick up many more channels on a little Grundig/Eton wind-up. FRS/GRMS radio functions were similarly mediocre to poor. Cranking was more awkward than on other emergency radios that I have used including those by Freeplay and Grundig. On a positive note, the LED flashlight is nice and the clock/alarm is also a nice feature. You also get a lot of accessories, including an external mic, both car and AC chargers and a carrying strap. Overall, I was disappointed by this radio. The fact that others like it suggests to me that there may be a lot of variability between radios. However, in general, I would pass on this radio. There are many inexpensive GRMS/FRS radios that would do a better job. If you are looking for a good emergency broadcast band radio check out those made by Freeplay or Grundig/Eton. Rating: - * Save your money ... The Midland XT511 Dynamo 22-Channel GMRS Emergency Crank Radio dose not work well and gets poor reception as weather radio, CB and am/fm radio. The very thing it was supposed to do well and the reason I purchased it. Rating:  - * Surprise Performer ... I bought this radio based on Google reviews as I wanted a crank AM-FM primarily. But the GMRS side of this radio is superb, the NiMH battery with additional AA alk options, hand mic/speaker are most welcome. I use FRS/GMRS quite a bit both on the Motorola commercial side, Ham and family. I have used scores of different radios from $10 junk FRS walkies to $1000 commercial 2-way. For the price, the GMRS performance is excellent. Sensitive receiver, credible power (not published; but I'm guessing 2 watts on the GMRS channels), good carrier and PL/DCS squelch systems and all the junk beeps and bops are disabled by default. The weather and other features are icing on a a fine cake. Only downside for my application is that the size of the unit is fairly large. It currently is on 7/24 in my office sitting on GMRS channel 7, PL 22. It is replacing my desktop Audiovox 2000 as my full time monitor radio. |
The two-disc set also includes The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon: A 10th Anniversary Special. In this 40-minute adventure, Dr. Yung invites Misty and Ash to take part in a special tournament on his new battle system. Yung creates formidable Mirage Pokémon from raw data, culminating in a super-version of Mewtwo, the powerful psychic Pokémon from the first features. Once again, friendship and kindness triumph over greed and arrogance, although the special ends with the words, "To be continued..." (Unrated, suitable for ages 8 and older: cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon
It’s unlikely that the full impact of the live performances will hit home to viewers unfamiliar with Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella Records stable of artists. Another frustration is trying to identify the array of visitors who trade raps on Jay’s stage. Included in the star-studded lineup are Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown, Pharell, Ghostface Killah, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, and R. Kelly. One unmistakable figure--and we do mean figure--is Jay’s squeeze Beyonce, who raises the temperature and the roof with her skimpy outfit, flowing hair, soulful yowl, and sexed-up dance routine that leaves her boyfriend and the whole of Madison Square Garden slack-jawed with animal desire.
Twenty cameras captured the event, and some of the most powerful sequences are sweeping moves across the swirling, blissed-out masses as they lip sync along in perfect unison with Jay-Z’s complex, profane, quick-witted raps. Less effective are intermittent cutaway segments that show the artist in various studio settings working up beats and rhymes. These amateurish home video breaks may give some insight to Jay’s perfectionism and dedication to his craft, but they detract from the visceral power of the beautifully executed performance footage. --Ted Fry
