Midland BizTalk MB400 Advances in Building and Powering
The Midland BizTalk MB400 is a significant upgrade over the original BizTalk BR200, following the transition from a mid-size business class to a heavy-duty business class 2-way radio. We'll check these out to see if it fits the bill for your next radio upgrade or replacement.
advantage
- Twice the power of the BR200 (4 watts)
- IP67 waterproof grade
- Die-cast metal frame
- Lithium Ion Battery
shortcoming
- no major disadvantages
recommend
I really like the upgrades on the Midland BizTalk MB400 compared to the previous generation. With an IP67 rating, it's better suited for jobsite use and has a stronger construction. The extra range is a welcome change, and adds some meaningful minor features.
Overall, it's a great option, but it does cost more than the BR200. If you need longer range and/or a sturdier build, don't think twice about picking up the MB400. However, for business communications that don't require a heavy product, keep the BR200 in mind.
in the box
Each kit includes everything you need to get started. You have the radio, antenna, battery pack, charger, lanyard and belt clip. You'll need a small Phillips head screwdriver to install the belt clip, the rest is tool-free.
One thing we noticed differently is the charger for the MB400. The BR200 has an additional spare battery charging slot. This does not.
range and channel
One of the biggest changes to the Midland BizTalk MB400 is the doubling of power – 4 watts. On a practical level, you're looking at covering roughly 350,000 square feet of warehouse space or up to 30 floors of an office building.
This is not the same range as we've come to expect from the Midland Outdoor Series GMRS radios, but much greater than the range of the BR200. Although this radio cannot reach more than 35 miles, it does require an FCC license because it uses UHF frequencies.
The default 16 channel setting is 464.5500 – 467.9250 MHz. You can use the programming cable and Midland's software to reprogram the radio to access the entire frequency range (451.1875 – 469.5625 MHz) and 142 privacy codes. Midland also has a cloning cable that allows you to clone the setup of one radio directly to another without having to connect each radio to your computer.
The Midland BizTalk MB400 features a die-cast metal frame and an IP67 waterproof rating to highlight its build upgrades. Part of the tradeoff for its waterproof treatment is that the mic jack is screwed down. It can be inconvenient if you frequently switch to and from the headset.
I'd like to see a captive friction fit cap with an o-ring, but that's probably not a practical solution for the size.
feature set
Midland has packed a pretty strong feature set into the MB400. While there isn't enough time or space to detail all of them, here are some of my favorites we haven't mentioned yet.
Li-ion power supply
There are still plenty of radios using NiCad and NiMH batteries, but Midland sticks with Li-ion batteries like the BR200. No matter how much charge is left when you put it on the charger, you end up with more consistent performance and no battery memory.
Emergency call
The orange button next to the channel selection is your emergency call. It sounds a loud alarm, so if you're looking for subtlety, don't plan on using it. However, for trained responses such as fire, weather or lockdowns, it is very effective and very fast.
Programmable side buttons
The two buttons below the push-to-talk button are programmable to accommodate up to 4 functions. By default, the top is set to channel scan (short press) and priority scan (long press). The bottom button is set to monitor (short press) and VOX (long press).
To change them, use Midland's programming software and programming cables.
programming options
- not any
- Monitor on/off
- scan on/off
- Priority Scan On/Off
- High/Low Power Selection
- talk on/off
- VOX on/off
- reverse frequency
Additional features
- Bilingual voice broadcast
- busy channel lock
- battery life extender
- low battery alert
- timeout timer
- repeater mode
- Multi-port charger available
- Headphones available
Price
The Midland BizTalk MB400 retails for $199.99 and includes radio, antenna, battery, charger, belt clip and lanyard. That's a big price increase over the $89 BR200, but it's also a big upgrade. Compared to other products in the radio space, the MB400 still offers the excellent value you get in the classroom.
the bottom line
I really like the upgrades on the Midland BizTalk MB400 compared to the previous generation. With an IP67 rating, it's better suited for jobsite use and has a stronger construction. The extra range is a welcome change, and adds some meaningful minor features.
Overall, it's a great option, but it does cost more than the BR200. If you need longer range and/or a sturdier build, don't think twice about picking up the MB400. However, for business communications that don't require a heavy product, keep the BR200 in mind.
Midland BizTalk MB400 Specifications
- Model: Midland MB400
- Power supply: 7.4V, 1500mAh Li-ion battery
- Radio power: 4 watts
- Scope: 350,000 sq. ft. warehouse or 30-story office building
- Channel: 16
- Privacy Code: 142
- Protection class: IP67
- Warranty: 1 year
- Price: $199.99
Check out more information on Midland's website.