No audio from repeater when using two GM-15 handhelds

[WSCU774]

More of an observation than a question  -

I have two Baofeng GM-15 Pro handhelds that can each "kerchunk" a local repeater. This tells me the CTCSS subaudible tones for transmit are set correctly. But when transmitting from one radio, I could hear no audio from the other radio. 

However

I was able to be heard by others using the same repeater.

Explanation - The two handheld radios were located too close together - moving them 10-15 feet apart made the audio clear from the second radio. So you can't sit in a car and check that two handheld radios are working with a repeater. Apparently the repeater circuits mute the audio when the slightest feedback is detected.  

[Guest]

It’s called desense.   It has nothing to do with the repeater.  The radio that is tx,ing will mute out the other radios rx. I’ve never actually had this issue but it’s very common 

[wayoverthere]

53 minutes ago, Socalgmrs said:

It’s called desense.   It has nothing to do with the repeater.  The radio that is tx,ing will mute out the other radios rx. I’ve never actually had this issue but it’s very common 

Expanding on this with an example ..I think of it like you and a friend in a room, 6 ft apart. In the absence of other noise, you can carry on a conversation at a normal speaking volume just fine. Desense is the equivalent of now you have a rock concert speaker stack playing next to you, while you try in futility to hear your friend....you see their lips moving, but can't hear anything they're saying.