Midland MXTA25 Ghost Antenna vs Retevis 7.2dBi High-Gain GMRS Mobile

The Retevis edges ahead, but neither antenna is particularly strong for GMRS mobile use.

The critical difference is electrical length. The Midland Ghost operates at just 0.14 wavelengths on GMRS, making it severely compromised regardless of its compact appeal. At that length, the antenna struggles to radiate efficiently and will underperform even modest expectations. The Retevis claims 7.2 dBi, which is almost certainly overstated for a mobile antenna, but without published electrical length data we cannot fully assess it. However, its higher overall score and price point suggest a longer, more functional design.

This is a case where neither option represents genuine value for GMRS mobile work. The Midland prioritizes compactness over performance, resulting in a short stub that sacrifices radiation efficiency. The Retevis likely offers better real-world results, though its claimed gain deserves skepticism.

Buy the Midland Ghost only if extreme compactness justifies accepting reduced performance. Buy the Retevis if you want the better of two compromised choices and need a mobile antenna now. For serious GMRS work, both deserve comparison against longer, half-wave or near-half-wave designs that actually work as intended.