OffRoaderX

Confirmed (again): mine gets a GPS fix (altitude & speed) with the phone UNpaired from the radio AND turned off.. Took almost 10 minutes in the house but almost immediate outside.

If you're programing the repeater on a repeater channel, it will transmit the offset automatically. You shouldn't have to do anything except program in the CTCSS or DCS tones for that particular repeater.

My radio, my choice.

I don't usually like to post videos, but this video was inspired by many comments that I have read here and in a few ham-radio forums.
 

The GMRS V2 is a fine radio.

I don't usually like to post videos, but this video was inspired by many comments that I have read here and in a few ham-radio forums.
 

According to the FCC, if you are using a GMRS radio, thou must use your callsign on all channels, regardless of the power-output you have set.
The question is, will they care if you dont.. and according to the FCC's enforcement database, they don't.

Tail setting won’t help.  Deleting the Rx tone opens up your receiver so it will pass anything it receives regardless of the tone.  

That cant work, for the reasons you stated, and to back that up, I tried it.
You either need two antennas or the amp has to be before the duplexer, which in this particular case would kill the duplexer.

Hard to tell for sure what is going on...   Have you confirmed if the radio works properly on simplex/direct radio to radio?
and.. maybe try removing the RX/DEcode tone to see if that makes any difference?
 

yes works works fine in simplex mode radio to radio....will try removing the RX code
BTW ....it was your YouTube GMRS channel that got me into this mess in the first place LOL

Hard to tell for sure what is going on...   Have you confirmed if the radio works properly on simplex/direct radio to radio?
and.. maybe try removing the RX/DEcode tone to see if that makes any difference?
 

For most normal people, GMRS is not a hobby.

That question has been asked a few times.  You would need to bypass the built in duplexer and replace it with a duplexer capable of withstanding the greater output power.  Technically it might be done, but practically it probably isn't worth it.  

Thank you.

For most normal people, GMRS is not a hobby.

Thank you.

I've been using LMR400 on my repeater for over a year-and-a-half and it has been plenty "good enough" for me and everyone in the several hundred square miles that the repeater covers.
Is it as good as a multi-thousand dollar commercial-grade repeater installation?  NO
Will the coax last forever? NO
Does it work? YES
Be wary of "some people" that love spending other people's money.

He has (or will have) a repeater with an SO-239 connector.  He already has an antenna that has an SO-239 connector. He has LM-400 feedline that has PL-259 connectors that will mate directly to the antenna and repeater, no adapters needed.  In terms of loss through connectors, that’s the least he can make it, regardless of whether he uses hardline or anything else.  If he gets a jumper with N connectors on both ends he would have to add N to PL-259 adapters, which (using your numbers) would add 1 dB loss and negate the 0.75 dB difference (your numbers for the loss through 25’ of LM-400) in losses through the feedline. 
But what are the losses through 1/2 “Commscope?  The losses per 100 ft (according to the Commscope website) are 2.342 dB or about 0.55 dB for 25 feet.  So, by using Commscope Superflex and two adapters, the losses are 0.56 + 0.50 +0.50 or 1.56 dB So now he’s 0.8 dB negative compared to using what he already has.  
Yes, he might decide that he doesn’t have the coverage he wants and decide to buy an antenna with more gain.  He still has that as an option. 
“But I digress I keep forgetting the hobby is about doing it as cheap as possible as hams do in this new age.” 
Way to lash out at both hams and those who have already stated they don’t have deep pockets.  

You (and everyone) is welcome to join our National Net via Zello, every Thursday night at 7PM (Pacific).. No Facebook, no dues, no fees, no mandatory meetings.  See how here:  https://www.notarubicon.com/zello-gmrs-repeater/

yah... About that......

It sounds like your computer is incorrectly trying to open the compressed (.zip or .rar) file with Adobe.  Try to manually open the file with your Unzipping program, or look up how to change the association between whatever file type it is and Adobe.
Also - for clarification - you dont need "the driver", you need the programming software.

I've been using LMR400 on my repeater for over a year-and-a-half and it has been plenty "good enough" for me and everyone in the several hundred square miles that the repeater covers.
Is it as good as a multi-thousand dollar commercial-grade repeater installation?  NO
Will the coax last forever? NO
Does it work? YES
Be wary of "some people" that love spending other people's money.