A Midland MXT275 That Kept Working After a Jeep Fire

A Tennessee Jeep owner unexpectedly and accidentally lit his vehicle ablaze, resulting in significant damage. Despite the fire, his Midland MXT275 15-Watt MicroMobile® GMRS Two-Way Radio continues to perform.

His son shares how they're working to rebuild and why they say the MXT275 MicroMobile lives up to the hype.

The MXT275- Easy to Use and Reliable

Jacob Calhoun's dad, Donnie Calhoun is a Kentucky off-roader and the proud owner of a 1999 Jeep TJ Wrangler.

His son added to the build last year when he purchased his dad an MXT275 15-Watt MicroMobile after discovering them himself.

"When he got his Jeep, I got him the radio and he installed it because when we go on trips together, we like to talk back and forth."

He has his own MicroMobile in his Jeep and was looking for something that's both reliable and easy to use for his dad.

"I thought the MXT275 would be a great fit for him because they're so simple to use. I had gotten my own GMRS license last year and when I was doing the research, I came across Midland's MicroMobiles."

Jacob especially likes the simplicity and ability to connect to repeaters while he's out on the trails.

A Fire Erupts

Donnie was at home one day, working on his Jeep when the fire began.

"There's these grab bars near the door. One of his broke, so he replaced it with another one and it had a string hanging down. He took a lighter and singed that string up to get it out of the way, making sure it wouldn't fray anymore."

Jacob said his dad thought he had gotten it out and walked off.

Then, the unthinkable happened. He turned around and the whole top of his Jeep was on fire.

"It started at the top of the vehicle, but it spread quickly because of all the material in the Jeep. The whole passenger seat burned up and the center console burned too."

Jacob's mom called and he immediately rushed home to help. By the time he made it, a neighbor brought over a hose. Jacob immediately sprayed the whole fire down.

While the Jeep was damaged, luckily everyone was safe and unharmed by the blaze.

Midland's MXT275 15-Watt MicroMobile Prevails

Donnie installed the MXT275 under the passenger seat, below the glove box where it's easily accessible.

The younger Calhoun is certain the radio was hit by water as they worked to put the fire out.

"I know I hit that MXT275 with water multiple times. It had been sitting in water by the time everything was done."

While the MXT275 has a few melted spots, it immediately turned back on when Donnie powered up the Jeep for the first time.

"I have my own radios and repeaters so I keyed up my radio and my dad's MXT275 was able to both transmit and receive. I was amazed that it still turned on and worked!"

Jacob took the radio out to let it dry out even more. He found a bit of condensation behind the screen.

"I plugged it in again the next day and it was like nothing ever happened to it. The speaker was working great, the condensation was gone! I tested it with another radio nearby and it was as clear as a bell!"

A Testament to Midland's Quality

The fire, it's effect, and the MXT275's ability to operate after both a fire and water exposure has turned both Calhouns into Midland fans.

"I'm part of a Jeep group myself and we're really growing. Everyone comes to me about radios and I always recommend the MXT275 MicroMobile."

He said the durability of the MXT275 MicroMobile and its performance make it the go-to radio for the trails.

"I know some people like to cheap out, but if we had a cheaper radio in there during the fire that wasn't high quality, I guarantee you it probably wouldn't have worked. It probably would have taken water damage and been fried."

Jacob Calhoun has since added Midland's GXT67 PRO 5-Watt Walkie Talkie to his communication arsenal, allowing for accessible communication in and out of the vehicle.