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I just programmed my MXT400 today it is programmable to dual tones and you can put it to wide band the channels it skips you can add repeater channels and split tones/dcs as well.

Heat has not been an issue with my Kenwoods. They will not get hot enough to set anything on fire, or melt plastic. They will need a bit of airflow around the heatsink however, so don't bury them under anything, or mount them in an enclosed area without ventilation.

There are a number of possible causes for what you are reporting, including the possibility the people just don't want to talk to you. However, the two most likely causes are: You are hearing a repeater, but you are transmitting simplex (i.e. on the repeater's transmit frequency) when you should be transmitting on a frequency 5mHz higher, on the repeaters receive frequency. The person you hear has set a tone filter (PL/Tone/DCS, etc.) on their receive and you are not sending the required tone.Note that with a repeater, you will usually have to transmit the correct tone to operate the repeater. This topic is commonly discussed on this forum. Talk a look around at some older threads and I am sure you will find a lot of information.

One thing to keep in mind is what kind of range you will actually need. For example, if you live in the center of a valley surrounded by tall mountains 5 miles away in every direction, there is no point in spending a lot of money for extra power or to reduce cable loss. For example 20 watts into a 6db loss feed line might still cover the entire area quite well. Also consider the criticality of the system. Is this just for fun and maybe a backup for a cell phone. Or, is this your sole means of communications. Once you answer that question, budget accordingly. And, also step back a bit and look to see if there is another way to organize your installation. For example, instead of locating the radio 50 feet from the tower, can you create a small enclosure and house the radio at the base of the tower. A good quality weatherproof garden shed, or even a large tool-box, might cost a lot less that 100 feet of high-end feedline.

BTW, it has not been directly suggested, but one possible explanation of your problem could be a very poor connector/cable connection that is actually radiating RF and desensing the receiver.

NOTE: RG-400u is NOT the same type of cable as LMR-400 or DX-400. RG-400u is a smaller diameter, double-shielded cable, the size of RG-58u, for use as jumpers in a repeater system, or internal radio connections where signal leakage would be a problem. LMR400 from TImes Microwave and its clone, the DX400 cable from DX Engineering is a larger cable, the size of RG-8u, that is supposedly rated for use up into the 400 MHz range with low-loss. It has its uses, and can be great for a GMRS base station, but not a repeater where it has to transmit and receive at the same time - that is where the trouble starts. RG-400u, and its larger cousin RG-214u are Mil-Spec double-shielded, silver plated cables, specifically designed so that the signals between two closely-ran cables will not cross-talk into one another. That's what you need is a repeater system.

Dang that's awesome Riktar. Hopefully some of the info here will sink into my thick skull. The recurring theme of bad cell phone coverage in rural areas is interesting on this thread and certainly educational for me. I know when I lived on the Blue Ridge in Virginia (if I put a repeater up it would have covered Winchester and halfway into West Virginia...dang it) and commuted an hour into Fairfax for work you could see the house if you slid off the dirt road on the ice, but couldn't punch a cell phone call through. Not good at my age, even then, when you leave at 5 a.m. year round. Guess I understood that the whole time, but eight years living on North Carolina's piedmont with topo maps that look like white sheets of paper erased that memory to a point.

Half the time I see people blaming a "bad duplexer" - it turns out to be the junk cables connecting the repeater to the duplexer. You should be using a good quality double shielded cable like RG400 with the correct ends (no adapters!). Type N is the preferred connector, but if your repeater or duplexer has different connectors, you need to work with those. Try someone like these guys - avoid the cheap "tin" or nickel plated connectors - there's a few USA based sellers with similar products: https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-10-RG400-M17-N-Male-Clamp-Jumper-Silver-coated-RF-cable-USA/131269263466

How warm does the heat sink get (too hot for carpet or plastics?) Thinking of where to mount in a already crowded Jeep, thanks

For me, it was a collection of conditions. My family spends a significant amount of time in rural and undeveloped areas with no cellular infrastructure. Being able to have some form of communication while on foot or mobile, without everyone getting an amateur radio license, was a must. Especially when we tend to move about in separate groups. Also, somewhat in the same category, I do things like 4-wheeling and other outdoor activities. Many of my friends use FRS and GMRS to communicate while spending time outside. It seems to be going more mainstream. Then, of course, there is always a risk of infrastructure failure. I needed a way for my wife to reach me while I am out of the house, if an emergency occurs. She had her amateur radio license, but it long expired and she is not interested in getting it again. There are several public GMRS repeaters around me that run on emergency power, if needed. So, it was just an obvious and affordable option for our needs.