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Congrats, wish I had done the same. Have fun. for me the learning never stops with this hobby. I never thought I'd have to become a pseudo electrician (all the electrical knowledge) pseudo astrophysicst (sunspots you know)pseudo mathematician (ideal angle for the sloper is, know how do I calculate they hypotenuse again?)pseudo audiologist ( omg was that dit-dah or dah-dit need to check why I can't hear it)pseudo botanist (now honey we can't plant that tree, it won't grow fast enough to give me the height I need for the dipole, or the venerable I think this antenna needs this leaf, so it looks more like a potted plant)pseudo camo expert (paint it this shade, it hides with the sky better).

I guess that all goes back to the layman's definition of integrity being, doing the right thing, even when no one is looking. As gentlemen and ladies, we all agreed to play by the rules. That's a huge plus I see to communities like ours. Most of us are here because we want to do the right thing. Many of us have been down the other path and don't like were it leads.

Because GMRS is a service that exists for one simple purpose, providing voice communications in the local area, with a very low barrier to entry. Note, there are people who try to turn GMRS into a sort of mini amateur radio, and there are amateurs, who try to build a pseudo-GMRS service for friends and family. But, in the end each service has its own intended applications and it’s own reason for existence and that’s why I am licensed in both

Welcome. I would start with the Pinned post at the top of this forum regarding repeaters. There are also articles--such as this--throughout the Internet (including YouTube).

Despite what Midland Marketing would like the world to believe, by marketing non compliant radios, GMRS is wide band baby. The modulation is +/- 5.0 KHz, the channel bandwidth is 20 KHz and the channel spacing is 25 KHz. Example 462.600 and 467.600 MHz. The exception are the GMRS interstitial channels at 467 MHz which are narrow band +/- 2.5 KHz, on 12.5 KHz channel spacing. Example 467.5875 MHz when used by GMRS radios. All FRS interstitial channels 462 and 467 MHz are narrowband. Example 462.5875 and 467.5875 MHz when used with FRS radios. Wide band is what the God of FM Radio Major Edwin Armstrong intended: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Howard_Armstrong#Wide-band_FM_radio Wideband is tremendously better than narrowband: 3 dB better which translates to much greater area reliability. If you have a narrowband radio trying to use a wideband repeater or simply talking directly, the loss is greater ~ 6 dB. YOUR REPEATER SYSTEM WILL PERFORM MUCH BETTER IF ALL COMPLY WITH WIDEBAND AS INTENDED. THERE WAS NEVER AN FCC NARROW BAND MANDATE FOR GMRS NOR WILL THERE EVER BE AS FRS ALREADY OCCUPIES THE INTERSTITIALS. See the maps wide vs narrow. Green good, yellow nope. http://www.leikhim.com/page13.php FCC Rules: § 95.1773 GMRS authorized bandwidths. Each GMRS transmitter type must be designed such that the occupied bandwidth does not exceed the authorized bandwidth for the channels used. Operation of GMRS stations must also be in compliance with these requirements. (a ) Main channels. The authorized bandwidth is 20 kHz for GMRS transmitters operating on any of the 462 MHz main channels (see § 95.1763(a )) or any of the 467 MHz main channels (see § 95.1763(c )). (b ) Interstitial channels. The authorized bandwidth is 20 kHz for GMRS transmitters operating on any of the 462 MHz interstitial channels (see § 95.1763(b )and is 12.5 kHz for GMRS transmitters operating on any of the 467 MHz interstitial channels (see § 95.1763(d )). (c ) Digital data transmissions. Digital data transmissions are limited to the 462 MHz main channels and interstitial channels in the 462 MHz and 467 MHz bands. § 95.1775 GMRS modulation requirements. Each GMRS transmitter type must be designed to satisfy the modulation requirements in this section. Operation of GMRS stations must also be in compliance with these requirements. (a ) Main channels. The peak frequency deviation for emissions to be transmitted on the main channels must not exceed ± 5 kHz. (b ) 462 MHz interstitial channels. The peak frequency deviation for emissions to be transmitted on the 462 MHz interstitial channels must not exceed ± 5 kHz. (c ) 467 MHz interstitial channels. The peak frequency deviation for emissions to be transmitted on the 467 MHz interstitial channels must not exceed ± 2.5 kHz, and the highest audio frequency contributing substantially to modulation must not exceed 3.125 kHz. (d ) Overmodulation. Each GMRS transmitter type, except for a mobile station transmitter type with a transmitter power output of 2.5 W or less, must automatically prevent a higher than normal audio level from causing overmodulation. (e ) Audio filter. Each GMRS transmitter type must include audio frequency low pass filtering, unless it complies with the applicable paragraphs of § 95.1779 (without filtering). (1) The filter must be between the modulation limiter and the modulated stage of the transmitter. (2) At any frequency (f in kHz) between 3 and 20 kHz, the filter must have an attenuation of at least 60 log (f/3) dB more than the attenuation at 1 kHz. Above 20 kHz, it must have an attenuation of at least 50 dB more than the attenuation at 1 kHz.