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Uncle Yoda, If you want a definitive answer on fixed stations, ask the people that wrote the rule. The Wireless Bureau answers email enquiries every day and the answer is free. The key piece is that fixed stations are stations that are not used for normal communications in the GMR service. If a unit does more than communicate to more than one station the class of the station changes to either a base or control station. It's really very simple.

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I gave you an example of what a fixed station is. Other people gave you examples of what it is. From the example I gave you alone you should have been able to figure out that whatever it is you want to do or buy, a fixed station is not something you have to worry about. You're overthinking this whole thing. A fixed station has nothing to do with whatever it is your wanting to do, not knowing what that is exactly you want to do I'm still 1000% sure of it. If you're looking to set up a base station, you don't have to worry about it because a base station isn't a fixed station, and a fixed station isn't a base station. Unless your looking to use a GMRS radio to set up some type of alarm system, or two-way intercom system or something similar you don't need to worry about what a fixed station is. Stop overthinking things and just do what it is you were planning to do.

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That’s not what the FCC definition says:

Unless things have changed, the MXT-115 (and likely the 275) are NFM (12.5kHz) only, and do not support "proper" GMRS 20kHz bandwidth. OTOH: my MXT-115 was at least reasonable in power output (only about two watts below marketed 15W). In contrast, the DB20-G I replaced it with (to get 20kHz bandwidth, and extra memory slots to store repeater configurations [for repeaters I'll rarely be in reach of ]). Two samples (returned first for replacement) both come in well below spec using the same measurement configuration. Others report reasonable power, but not mine. Sold as a 20W, manual documents 18W, mine puts out about the same as the MXT-115 on 462 Simplex, and even less than the MXT-115 on 467 repeater. "UNLOCKED" into a dummy load, it shows about 12W on 467, 13W on 462... But rises to 20W in the 2m band! Decided the power level was close enough to the MXT-115 so kept the second sample -- 20kHz bandwidth and extra memories made a reasonable justification (in Locked GMRS mode, it provides only 9 "custom" memory slots, and the rest are receive only for out-of-band receive -- Unlocked makes all memory slots usable for GMRS [given an RT97 repeater alone has 16 memories for the 8 repeater channels, so one can set up two configs per channel, having more than 9 custom memories is desirable]; granted, they also become transmit capable on non-GMRS frequencies). Still need to cut the power plug off and rig a wiring harness with in-line fuse to wire to battery, and add a quick-disconnect at radio end -- the MXT-115 is double fused; lighter plug and in-line, and has a QD coupling near the radio.

They sent me an invitation with a coupon. I suspected everyone registered on their site got it, but maybe I’m special. ?

i'll have to look at it again, but i think it did; it's currently tucked away in the spare parts bin now, to futz with another day. it has a coil in the middle, but it's the wound into the wire type (like the MXTA26), not adjustable/removable, so it'd just be the base. if i dig into trying to tune it, i'll dig out the nanoVNA, see where it's actually happy. in the end, i think it's just a little short to be very happy on 2m.

Were there any adjustment screws on that Diamond? Most all antennas I've seen, even if supposedly factory tuned, still provide set screws allowing maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length change (granted for those with a mid-level coil may have three tuning positions: top of coil, bottom of coil, top of base).

Actually I have CTCSS and DCS on receive disabled for repeater channels and only use tones on transmit. That way I can tell if somebody is running simplex on a repeater channel, if I have two repeaters on the same frequency, find new repeaters, etc. I've got a decent antenna and radio (KG1000+ feeding a Comet GP-6 GMRS) and don't really get much if any interference from out of band to really need tone on receive. I also keep the repeater input channels in my repeater scan group as well to see I can can receive the input and how strong it is (make a simplex buddy!) or if there is somebody talking simplex on them causing interference to the input of a repeater. This actually happens a lot, we have a shipping port near two of our repeaters and some foreign ships use 467.5500 and 467.7000 simplex causing havoc on the repeater inputs for a day or so until they depart the port.

short version, dual band NR72b...tested on 3 different mag mounts, roof, cowl, bed corner, and on the trunk of the car, both center and edge. all close to 2:1 swr on 70cm, and 3ish on 2m. Then found a little slip of paper in the package mentioning "direct grounding required", so i ordered a fender bolt mount and matching cable..that got 1.5ish on 70cm, and still 2.5ish on 2m, so off it came. later decided to order a different comet (sbb5) to go on that mount, but haven't gotten around to putting the mount back on and finding an actual good path to route the cable into the cab. the one thing that diamond has worked okay on is mag mounted on an 8"x12" piece of sheet metal..2m still sucked, but 70cm was like 1.05:1 edit: also tried it on a midland nmo mount (so239 to nmo), with a nagoya ground plane kit (both short and long radials...no better there either.

I won't say it's the end all-be all, but center roof mag mounts have worked well for me in almost all cases, both on ham and gmrs. good ground plane doesn't hurt either. I think the lip mounts are more common to have the mixed cable with a short run of something thin to pass the seal, and something with less loss for the rest of the run. I also have a fender bolt mount I'm planning to try, so I can run a bigger antenna without being an overhead height issue. I have one diamond (dual band ham) antenna that wasn't happy on anything, though...wish I'd left the fender mount on when I was testing that, as it's on my to-do list to put that back on so i can run a little more antenna without overhead clearance issues.

The only repeater I have with one is the linked repeater. And it's a three tone setup. One tone is for Linked RX, second is for local receiver RX and the third tone is only heard when the repeater is NOT linked to another node or hub. I do this to inform users that they are both local if that's the case so they can switch to the local repeater and not tie up the system. The third tone I use to verify the system is linked up. I can key and ID and know if things are working right or not.

That is what I did to mine, extended it just log enough to hear.

I like courtesy tones for digital radio, where there is no obvious break, but not for analog. I prefer a slightly extended squelch tail on analog. Dealers choice, as the say.

The most popular Ham 2M repeater in my area (Utah County 146.76) has almost no tail to where slower radios like Baufeng UV5R may no indication or tail which seems to actually encourage "Kerchunking" since people do not know whether they have hit the machine or not. The family repeater I put together had a decent squelch tail but I know what you mean about not being able to tell when you have keyed it up. I was not sure what kind of tail if any I would get from my RICK style repeater but it surprisingly has a decent tail on it. If not that would have been one of my first priorities. My thought is you may see some hams that look down on courtesy tones since the it feels too CBish, yet in my mind they do serve a purpose beyond cycling the transmitter relays. Without even thinking about it, it lets me know if the other operator unkeyed or otherwise dropped out of the machine versus the possibility that it is my receive that has changed, especially when mobile. Certainly there are plenty of ham repeaters out there with courtesy tones and not once have I ever thought to myself, "oh this tone is so annoying". I really have come to the conclusion that there are many people that just want to bellyache and complain. While, I would not add some CB 5-tone "roger beep" I think a modest courtesy tone is a great addition. Even NASA uses tones for the astronauts. ?

That’s the entire purpose of FCC regulations, capturing what it means to the FCC. No more and no less. Fixed stations are radios in fixed locations that may only transmit analog signals directly to each other, using no more than 15 watts output power. They are allowed to transmit on either the 462 MHz main channels or the 467 MHz main channels. They may be operated by remote control. I just added that last sentence, but it’s important because it allows a fixed station under direct control to communicate to another fixed station which you are remotely controlling. Thus, a pair of fixed stations, using audio tones, could be used to control an irrigation system or detect and report various alarm conditions, etc, similar to a very basic SCADA system. Or it could be used to form a full duplex intercom system. Or anything else that you can conceive of that can be done using full or half duplex, audio only with 15 watts. It’s really up to you. FCC simply put some limitations on.

I like it for that same reason.

You wouldn't be suggesting people use the busy channel lockout function on their radios would you? ? Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who actually uses that function on their radios lol. Seriously though, I'll sit and listen to 4 or five or more people shoot the shit on any given night and always hear people walking on one another and it annoys the crap out of me because it doesn't have to happen. I'm the keeper of the radios for my little group of people and every single one of our radios is programed the same and every single one is set up with BCL on every single freq on GMRS for repeaters AND Simplex channels that we use. There should be no reason anyone is walking over anyone else's transmission because the radio has a feature built into it to keep that from happening. Why people don't use it is mind boggling to me. (ETA: It annoys me more than people using roger beeps and call functions) What types of groups? When I read that I pretty much read it as people using GMRS for purposes outside the scope of what the service is intended for. Oddly I think a lot of GMRS use by most people (myself included) is outside the scope of what GMRS was intended for. Yes most of my use is also outside that scope as I mainly use it with friends more then family however it's used to facilitate our activities, on fishing trips, backpacking, hunting, camping, hiking, road trips, things of that nature. We don't use it for long conversations that are better had over the phone. We still use phones while doing those things if we need to talk to someone about something and that conversation is going to be more then something quick like hey were jumping off at this exit or need help dragging a deer or hey everyone come back to camp lunch is about ready, things like that. About the only time we use them for more then that were doing something like paintball or airsoft. But that's the type of stuff that it was meant for. It wasn't/isn't meant for nets and fat chewing sessions and a lot of the stuff that it's being used for.

My wild guess why this happens is due to the fact no license test is required, like Ham Radio where the above type of groups and activities are commonly found. Then, if some members are too cheap to even pay the $35 GMRS fee they try and use FRS radios. I agree with the points above with LMR radios. I'm, again guessing, that getting permission to use already licensed LMR frequencies by "affiliated" groups wouldn't be a big problem. I do not agree completely with GMRS "NOT to be relied on for life and death communications" in the event that local communication infrastructure is destroyed due to fire, floods etc. GMRS might be one of the very few ways the general public has available to maintain communications in a local area. In fact I think that was mentioned some time back in another thread.

Persuade the emergency groups to move to LMR/Business band...

It sounds as if the theater has licensed channels in the Business commercial spectrum. Adding radios will depend on the number of units authorized from the application and the class of the licensed operation. You can't always just add more radios to a licensed frequency.

If you’re certain the tone is correct then I would look at either the offset or the direction. Look at one thing at a time until you’re certain that it’s correct. Set the transmit to the correct frequency and tone. Listen with the Baofeng to the transmit frequency to make sure you’re transmitting. Switch the Baofeng to the receive frequency (no tone) and try again. Set receive on the XTS to the correct frequency but leave the tone clear. It should receive other people’s transmissions or a transmission from the Baofeng to the repeater. Only after all the above works reliably should you try to set a receiver tone. I doubt that I have anything more to suggest. Sorry I couldn’t help more.

The fact that your UV5R receives the XTS when the tone is cleared out but not when a receive tone of 136.5 is set strongly suggests that the XTS isn’t sending a 136.5 Hz tone. Same for the second paragraph. The fact that your XTS isn’t expecting a 136.5 Hz tone. Try using your UV5R to scan for the tone your XTS is actually sending. Randy has a good video explaining how to:

That’s how it should be.

So try clearing the receiver tone from the XTS to see if it receives.

So your transmitter on the XTS is working fine. Now set the receive tone on the UV5R to match the repeater input tone. Try it again. If you don’t receive the transmission then your transmit tone is wrong on the XTS. If you receive the transmission then there’s nothing wrong with your transmission.

It doesn’t seem to make sense that your radio works fine on simplex but fails on a repeater. Set your other radio to receive on the repeater input frequency but leave tones turned off and see if your transmission to the repeater is picked up by your other radio.

I have an RT97s as my repeater. It does not like to work with my ID O Matic Controller so I ended up send beacons every 15 minutes that I can power off and on remotely. My pair of motos did not have an issue with the controller but I discovered other challenges I will address after next spring with the motos again. I ordered this https://shop.mygmrs.com/collections/repeater-accessories/products/repeater-builder-rim-maxtrac-usb-radio-interface It does not play well with the RT97s either so I built a repeater from a pair of moto CDM1550's but I experienced desencing issues. I want to use one of the pairs to link the RT97s to the network. I ordered a rim lite (direct from repeater builder) as one of my last efforts to get it linked without the moto. On the moto, I can hear tones when testing the audio using sudo simple usb-tune-menu , and can hear a beep when the controller starts up and registers a kerchunk. I can't get the audio in to work with the sound card. I was thinking it had something to do with the tones and the repeater. After several attempts changing carrierfrom, ctcssfrom and duplex I don't know what else to do. I saw documentation for a similar radio for an allstar station for ham's https://www.parkerradio.org/community/projects/allstar-node-from-motorola-cdm-1250-radio/ and read up on getting started with allstar WIKI without any progress. Do I have wonky hardware at this point since I had issues with linking my RT97s (using the RT97 image) and my id o matic? What's weird is that existing sound card registers the RT97 audio in per the LED but not on the moto. My end goal is getting the RT97 linked directly or though the moto (least desirable). I know it's not commercial hardware but I did learn a hell of a lot about this infrastructure that I find intriguing. I will save up for a commercial repeater, but some of those have 2 mobile radios inside leading me to build my own.

Because Trump will need a project at his low-security incarceration.

Radios fail from time to time. That's why there are repair shops. Sometimes the repair cost isn't worth it. You can spend less or about the same buying another used radio.