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You'll get yourself all twisted up trying to find "Legal" Part 95a radios with Type Certification. Especially if you want a certain standard of actual (not just advertised) performance. Take a deep breath, and go searching the FCC violations for ANY instance where a user was fined specifically for using Part 90 radios in GMRS. You'll search high & low without finding a single instance. Your options for good (and relatively inexpensive) radios increases dramatically once you take the step over to Part 90 equipment (which meets or exceeds all Part 95 technical spec's.) I am not a lawyer, your mileage may vary. Caveat emptor, etc.

Can you program PL tones from the front panel?

I literally laughed out loud at that. That's awesome... :-)

If you use the beam I would go with less gain on the yagi for a more usable beam width. I had a 5 element on a rotor and was able to work repeaters 45 miles away at my last house. Yet again a DB-404 30' off the ground in my attic with 45 watts gets me into my chain o lakes repeater 35 miles away full quieting and I have talked simplex to other base stations 25 miles away. How high can you go? A 3' tripod and 10' mast on roof may just do the trick.

I scare the kids that are using the GMRS repeater outputs on simplex, I bet my XTL5000 base is the sound of god with its desk mic. I have even had some parents yell at me for freaking the kids out.

I tried an Ed Fong j-pole in the attic 6 years ago and it went in the trash 10 min later, worthless as far as resonant, basically a nice dummy load. Several years ago I purchased an Andrew DB404 for my base, still 30' in the attic but I am able to hit my repeaters 35 miles away. I regularly talk simplex 25 miles without an issues. As with anything, you get what you pay for. http://mwgmrs.com/mygmrs/uhfbase2.jpg