*>>> I am still not sure of what your problem is.*
I think it was clear: No matter what gain I set to rtl_fm with the -g
switch, the tuner is ALWAYS at its lowest gain.
*>>> It looks to me like the tuner gain is getting set.*
For me too
*>>> Does any other program work with that dongle?*
*>>> Perhaps the tuner chip is fried. *
No it isn't. It works just fine with GQRX or SDR#. The problem seems
related to rtl_fm only.