OffRoaderX

Randy, you're up...

I'm not sure why, but, I think I like this guy.

Don't be ridiculous.. It's a LOT overpriced.

I'll take "Things that never happened because people make things up to try and make a point" for $300 Alex....

I'll take "Things that never happened because people make things up to try and make a point" for $300 Alex....

Get the two radios more than 50 feet apart, and try again.

I rarely use the receive tone because anyone with functioning ears and an IQ above 80 can very easily determine if someone is talking on the repeater or on simplex. 

Just program your radio the way that you choose in the first place.

I'll take "Things that never happened because people make things up to try and make a point" for $300 Alex....

Get the two radios more than 50 feet apart, and try again.

I rarely use the receive tone because anyone with functioning ears and an IQ above 80 can very easily determine if someone is talking on the repeater or on simplex. 

Just program your radio the way that you choose in the first place.

Get the two radios more than 50 feet apart, and try again.

Jeep: XTL5000 w/Midland MXTA26 antenna
Out of the Jeep while off-roading: XTS2500
Base: XTL5000 connected to Tram1486
Office: KG1000GPlus w/MXTA26 on a cookie sheet in the window
Couch: XTS5000
Repeater: Vertex 7000 w/Tram1486 and LMR400 coax.
Other than the repeater all the coax is just inexpensive black-coax.
 

Yes.. Many repeater owners list their repeater then vanish.. Many also specify that it is an open repeater or that anyone can use it and dont bother replying..

If the tones are listed you can usually start using the repeater and ask for permission over the air, or just use it and wait until someone asks you to stop using it.. 

I cant put my finger on it, but you sound very familiar and I think I like you.

Jeep: XTL5000 w/Midland MXTA26 antenna
Out of the Jeep while off-roading: XTS2500
Base: XTL5000 connected to Tram1486
Office: KG1000GPlus w/MXTA26 on a cookie sheet in the window
Couch: XTS5000
Repeater: Vertex 7000 w/Tram1486 and LMR400 coax.
Other than the repeater all the coax is just inexpensive black-coax.
 

These are vestigial settings left-over from being a ham radio. Most GMRS radios are not designed as GMRS radios from the ground-up. Instead, they are repurposed ham-radios, and usually a lot gets lost (or remains) in the translation.
Look through the menus of most of these radios and you will find options that make no sense on a GMRS radio, they do nothing, or, both.

and for deconfuckulation: You will experience zero noticeable degradation in performance if you roll-up the extra few feet of cable and tuck it away somewhere, vs shortening it, in-despite of what "some people" will try to tell you.

Unless you are trying to bounce your signal off the moon, just mount your antenna in the best spot you can, as high as you can get it, and it will work fine for for highway/trail comms.
My antenna is mounted above the rear tail-light/rear fender of my jeep, below the roofline, where many "experts" warned me it "will not work". and while it certainly does not work as well as it could, it works just fine. I can hit a repeater with it at 92 miles and regularly get 20+ miles on simplex and have never had issues on the trail where i could not hear someone that others could, or they could not hear me.
My two words of advice are:
1) ignore the 'experts'
B ) - dont over-think it.

I've tested this 100-ways to Sunday.. and even Monday..
My results show that it might help.. a little.. maybe?.. on some radios.. I think?  Basically, any improvement was so slight, i wasn't even sure if it was an improvement or just my very vivid imagination, and it certainly wasn't worth risking my reputation by looking dumb walking around with a piece of wire wagging from my radio.
It should be noted that it almost always did show an improvement in SWR on my meter - but, a slightly lower SWR does not necessarily mean more farz

Yes.. Many repeater owners list their repeater then vanish.. Many also specify that it is an open repeater or that anyone can use it and dont bother replying..

If the tones are listed you can usually start using the repeater and ask for permission over the air, or just use it and wait until someone asks you to stop using it.. 

Yes.. Many repeater owners list their repeater then vanish.. Many also specify that it is an open repeater or that anyone can use it and dont bother replying..

If the tones are listed you can usually start using the repeater and ask for permission over the air, or just use it and wait until someone asks you to stop using it.. 

I cant put my finger on it, but you sound very familiar and I think I like you.

Hams are 100% the issue. 
 
And I  completely recognize that I just tipped the gas can and lit a match by saying so. Your profile is only 50% complete on MYGMRS until you add you ham radio call sign, so I recognize that i'm about to be in a fist fight with an upset beehive. 
IDGAF
I know what's right and what's not.
Hams don't like to be told that they're out of line in the world of radio because they've been used to being the "radio dudes". In this case they're actually the away team. This is actually not a ham band. It's not for hams. 
I know it's crazy to imagine. But there do exist radio people, who know and do radio, who don't hold a ham ticket. I know,.. it's nuts. Can't even be bothered to take a day off of work to sit for an exam by some self serious medically retired guy in a library and get 26 right out of 35 multiple choice.. IDK,.. We just don't do it.. Our idea of applying radio as a hobby doesn't require it. But we do have wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sister, etc who we'd like to be on the radio with. ,....and we don't want to always be like "WHISKEY TANGO BRAVO ZULU 554!!" on the radio all the time just to get on.. We don't call out CQ to eachother.. And we don't say 73's! (yuck)..
Some of the parties on the license might not even know what kind of radio they have when colostomy bag Larry asks, and I don't think they need to feel weird about that. They're just trying to relay a practical message to another party on the license when someone else in town hears traffic and thinks it's the 440 net.
 
 

and for deconfuckulation: You will experience zero noticeable degradation in performance if you roll-up the extra few feet of cable and tuck it away somewhere, vs shortening it, in-despite of what "some people" will try to tell you.

I've tested this 100-ways to Sunday.. and even Monday..
My results show that it might help.. a little.. maybe?.. on some radios.. I think?  Basically, any improvement was so slight, i wasn't even sure if it was an improvement or just my very vivid imagination, and it certainly wasn't worth risking my reputation by looking dumb walking around with a piece of wire wagging from my radio.
It should be noted that it almost always did show an improvement in SWR on my meter - but, a slightly lower SWR does not necessarily mean more farz