BoxCar

Welcome to the group - and prepare to attempt to fill the hole in the ether with dollars.

The spacing numbers are correct. Channels are 25 kHz wide, but the modulation deviation is 20 kHz leaving a 2.5 kHz guard band to prevent bleed over on adjacent channels.

Not bad for Bluetooth. Oh, wait, you were on GMRS weren't you?

Take a look at this antenna. It does work well on GMRS a is a 20" length. Super-Elastic Signal Stalk — Signal Stuff

The short answer is the radios are not comparable, at least comparing Anytone or other low-cost radio to Motorola. Motorola radios are in the very top tier of two-way radios which includes brands like Tate, Codan, Harris, Kenwood and other manufacturers of commercial grade and public safety grade radios. All the low-cost Chinese brands fall near the bottom of the quality list ranking below commercial only units and most amateur units. Within the top tiers there are really only two grades, public safety and commercial. the two levels may be identical inside but differ in the case and ergonomics. There may also be differences between the components used even though the values are the same. ICs, resistors, transistors and all come with different abilities to handle heat and other stress factors. Public safety units will use the highest or military grade while commercial will not resulting in a unit that doesn't meet the operating range of the public safety unit. Low cost units use consumer grade components which is an even lower grade than those used by commercial units. In other words, you get what you pay for.

Try these as well Business Radios-Mobile Radios– Radioddity

Yes. 2.1 dBi is unity or 1dBd.

Putting together a "good" repeater using components built as a repeater will run over $1000.00 before adding an antenna, feedline and installation. It's easy to spend $5K to get a repeater like you want on the air.

I second the advice on getting the ham Technician license and a good 2M/440 radio with the MARS/CAP mod. Another antenna to consider is the Signal Stalker from Signal Stuff (https://signalstuff.com/product/super-elastic-signal-stalk/).

I found another Ghost antenna for you -- Should work as well as the one you have.

My suggestion would be for handheld, a Yaesu FT-4XR or FT-65. Both can be set to receive outside the amateur frequencies through the keyboard on the radio. The instructions are easily found on YouTube.

You do not need an FCC license to LISTEN to any radio frequency.

Your passive solution works as it doesn't combine services.

The FCC regulations prohibit the use of a cross-band repeater as it combines two different services.

The UV-9GX is supported under the latest version (0421) of CHIRP.

I'd be wary of the gain claim. A unity gain antenna which means literally no real world gain, can be rated as a 2.5 dBi gain antenna and be correct. DBi gain is measured with an imaginary antenna or isotropic antenna. Unless the manufacturer states how they are measuring the gain the claim is suspect.

Power is always nice, but in the ham world the mantra is to use the least amount of power required. The key piece is always the antenna with the higher the better as height is more important than gain. I will state the 3 things to weigh in deciding the next step is always antenna height, antenna gain and then transmitter power. The antenna points are always affected by SWR and losses in the feed line.

Aye, Aye sir!

Or operate a pirate FM radio station and not keep your public file correctly.

I do not suggest you do this but, many of the amateur handheld radios can be unlocked to operate outside the amateur frequencies. Most of them will operate then in the frequency range you are looking for with 5W or more power.

The primary issue is the word "fixed". Steve is using in the sense it is stationary while the FCC uses the term to define a radio station meant to connect to another radio station where both are located in fixed locations and communicate only with each other. Fixed, in this case, means stations having a fixed or geocoded location that has been identified on their station license and application.

Gentlemen, Uncle Yoda is correct in the definition and use of a fixed station. Fixed stations only communicate to other fixed stations. Fixed stations DO NOT communicate to other mobile, handheld or base stations. The most common examples of fixed stations are SCADA stations used to monitor events and microwave sites. Microwave sites and SCADA stations only talk to another station of the same type, SCADA to SCADA and microwave to microwave. Base stations, operating from a "fixed" locations, communicate with other base stations, portable units and mobile units. A repeater site, even though it is in a stationary location is not a fixed station because of how it is used. It fits the definition of a base station as it passes communications between other base stations, mobiles and portables. Fixed stations use highly directional antennas such as a Yagi or parabolic dish pointed at the ONE station set to receive their transmissions. So, the radio in your house or the repeater you use, even though their locations are fixed - as in stationary - they are not fixed stations.

You can always ask them to repeat their call sign a little slower so you can log it.

Repeater hopping through passing codes across the air isn't possible with the current technology. Linked repeaters are connected through a separate network either through microwave or landline links.

Without being more specific a complete list would span DECADES of approvals and that could be over a 1000 units.