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Sorry, not familiar with a hands-free/VOX option for the MXT-400.

What repeater is it? Are you sure it's transmitting a PL tone (vs just needing a tone to access the repeater)?

Mounting ideas: This is on a 2018 F-150, but cup holders are cup holders. Cup holder ball mount with RAM adjustable arm. Clean, no drill option if you can afford to lose the cup holder.

Perhaps you can share your thoughts on the UV5R? ? For those running GMRS plus any other un-named VHF band, I just used a Diamond NR73BNMO dualband (2 meter and 440 MHz mobile antenna) on a road trip from RI to FL (I am entirely too lazy to install multiple antennas and radios). The SWR was 2/1 or less throughout amateur and GMRS bands. Wife had a Midland MXT275 with the included shorty magnet mount. We had excellent, quality comms the whole trip. I bought a UV5R as a backup radio. It is a competent, inexpensive handheld.

No, there's never enough growth. Midland and JJ teaming up is new. I'd like to see a graph showing the growth year over year. Midland marketing made a genius move by forming that partnership.

I've had a ham ticket since 1992. Over the years I've drifted in and out of the hobby. I obtained my GMRS license as I saw increased interest in the band, and am always interested in increased comms ability. My wife has zero interest in obtaining a ham license, but she's not shy about using marine radio on the boat, and FRS/GMRS when we travel or tow an RV. So it serves a purpose for me. In my area, there is VERY little GMRS activity outside of kids, landscapers, and some occasional hikers. On the other hand, the Amateur community is thriving and active. The increased popularity of GMRS is good for the radio hobby, as I believe many will seek to get their ham ticket (nobody who experiences UHF/FM comms is going back to using a CB). Midland and Jeep Jamboree are bringing in a lot of new users, and I would expect increased, informal "standardization" of channnel use as time progresses.

Jeep Jamboree teaming up with Midland is going to grow GMRS tremendously. Growth in GMRS will probably spark some increased interest in amateur radio. It's all good.

I'm using a Tram 1477 base antenna. It's less than 2:1 across 2M,440, MURS and GMRS.

That's a pretty good summation. FRS/GMRS might be all you need. Some get a taste, and move on to Amateur radio. I've been an Amateur since 1992, but I was/am excited to see the popularity of GMRS taking off. Once you're used to VHF/UFH FM, it's hard to accept crappy AM (CB) radio communications. Like I said, a wide spectrum of society likes "Jeeping" and off-roading. Midland's marketing to that niche group will expand the use of the band as they discover uses for GMRS off the trail. It's all good. I have the abilty to transmit and receive across the VHF/UHF spectrum here at home. I don't really mind hearing the kids playing around on there (except for that non-stop call "ring"). That's what the bubble packs are for. It's a good way to spark an interest in electronics and communications.

Why bother with any simplex PL tones out on a trail run? It's only going to cause aggravation as described.

I think 5 years from now, when GMRS has supplanted AM based CB radio, we'll look back at Midland and Jeep(Jamboree) as a catalyst for the change. It's marketing genius. Jeep enthusiasts come from varied backgrounds, and they'll end up using GMRS outside of Jeep related activities.

I doubt the FCC is going to come out and knock on the doors of folks using illegal baby monitors. Probably the most effective solution is for the FCC to send a strongly worded cease and desist letter to the USA sellers. The CCR baby monitors will fail in short order.

Well, if the FCC has that authority, I can't find an example of them using it. Here's a quote from a story about recent action against a pirate station on the broadcast FM band: "The seizure of transmitter equipment from the St. Nicholas Avenue building occurred April 10 but was only made public by the FCC on Tuesday. The name of the alleged operator of “Rumba FM” and other details of the radio station have not yet been released. But the FCC said it had in the past sent “multiple warnings” to the station’s operators. After those letters failed to convince the pirate to power down, the FCC worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York to secure a federal court order allowing them to seize the station’s equipment." So, I think it's reasonable to assume, right or wrong, that the FCC is not going to waste their time with the typical violations found on low power FRS or GMRS transmissions. Like I said earlier, there are amateur kilowatt power stations on the ham band, cursing, broadcasting music, and purposefully interfering...Nightly...For years...with no action.

"Tactical Unit Number"

Good enough. I've got a 50' end fed long wire, 100 watts, Yaesu FT450D. Feed end is 4' off the ground and slopes up to about 30'. I track almost every HF contact I make off this set-up. Have a confirmed QSO as far as Malta, 4468 miles.