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These privacy codes should be thought of as a type of filter allowing you to control who you hear, but not who hears you. They don't afford any security. If someone's radio has no tone set, they will hear everything on the channel regardless of privacy code. They work by adding a subaudible tone (67-250 Hz or so) onto your voice, which is below the range of what 2-way radios will reproduce through the speaker. If your radio is set up with that tone, it will keep the speaker off unless it hears that tone. But if someone's radio isn't set up to use a code/tone, they'll hear everything. DCS is a similar concept, but instead of a steady subaudible tone, it uses a subaudible digital signal. The original intent with these tones long predates GMRS, and was for cases where users in two distant cities might have the same frequency, and weakly hear each other. (Or cases of random noise on the frequency.) The distant signal was weak enough to not interfere with local communications, but annoying to listen to when it came through during times of silence. CTCSS allowed those people to set up a "private" tone that they'd use and not have to hear the distant user / noise on the frequency. They've also found use on repeaters, where people can set up an unpublished tone required to bring up a repeater. In that case random people might transmit on the repeater input frequency, but without the right tone, the repeater receiver won't open up. It's hardly bulletproof security, but it keeps casual unauthorized users off.

you won't need anything more powerful than a UV5r, unless you get a mobile or base. The UV5r is listed as 5 watt, but actually puts out more like 2.5 to 3 watts. Is about as much as you want for an HT. as far as effective communication, Height of antenna, quality feedline and connectors is far more important than watts of output. a 50 watt mobile is only more effective than a 5 watt HT, due to the ground plane of your automobile, 5 watt's will be nearly as effective with the same antenna and ground plane. by using High Power, when not applicable you only create a local RF mess, unless you have/find a high unobstructed location or a tower. (WQCN756) could be a repeater on a nice high tower for DX range like that.

I personally wouldn't let someone outside my household use my call. If someone were to misbehave, it could come back on me. Now, if we were all together, no problem. Sent from my LG-D631 using Tapatalk

The "members of your family" do not have to share your residence.

As i recall, "Scramble" is voice inversion and is not encrypted. BF888's are great simple non part 95 radios.

Hey there Fellow Colorado dweller I'm in Grand Junction, we have a repeater set up here if you'd like to use it if you come out this way. Glad to see that there's more Western Slope people out this way. Our Web Page is www.westerncoloradogmrs.com if you want to check us out and request access to the repeater.

Well a simplex repeater is nothing more than a single radio with a "parrot" type controller. AFAIK, it is legal. A real repeater of course requires a receiver, a transmitter, a controller and a duplexer. No additional license is required for either method.

Some of us are licensed both as hams and GMRS operators. I try to be friendly and helpful to everyone. Welcome, and remember that the only stupid question is the one not asked! I do know what you mean though, I'm a member of a Motorola User's forum where the site owner and moderators are not at all "friendly" and welcoming...