Hello, This is just purely my opinion, so remember that. First let me tell you this, I've held a ham radio license since 1995, I have had an interest in radio comms since I was very young, I really got interested in ham after some severe storms, and particularly interested in skywarn. Being a young man I didn't know anyone else with a ham license, I listened to all the local repeaters and talked some, the folks were nice and all but I have always been more interested in the utilitarian uses of radio, than "rag chewing". I like to utilize 2 way radio for meaningful communications rather than discussing ailments and ho hum daily errands and such. To me, and I suspect to lots of others using GMRS, the ability to talk with your group of people, or family, without constant random contacts from "strangers" is a major advantage of GMRS over amateur(ham) radio. Now I have nothing against hams and rag chewing, to each his own, but that's just not my cup of tea. I keep my ham license because it also definitely has advantages, more repeaters, more modes of operation, widespread skywarn, around the world communication potential without using repeaters, heck you can even contact astronauts on the international space station, so I'm not bashing ham radio in any way at all. But the people on their repeater even if they hear you, they may be intentionally ignoring you so you will go away, so you won't be using their repeater. I would suggest finding the least used frequency pair and putting your repeater on that frequency. If you want to make random contacts on various frequencies, get your ham license. It's a very very very simple and easy process, the study questions are available and in a few days you will be more than able to pass the test. On those frequencies there are tons of people that will gladly answer your call sign. Good luck!!