hahndav

IMO, do not let the radio snobs discourage you.  
As a long time Ham, from a family of Hams, the hobby is about learning and having fun. You can setup a simple repeater on your kitchen table with parts you probably already have, or easily and cheaply acquired from ebay.  Go for it, just be considerate and don't cross over established repeaters. Some people way overvalue their role in the hobby.  
They even have a pre-made HT to HT relay box just plug and play for like $15. Sure it is not even close to a commercial repeater, but fun to experiment with, and if in a prime location it might get you to a location you could not reach before.
If the FCC does not have a problem with it than neither should the rest of us.  The antenna saying is a bit dated, get a VNA and tune the fudge out of a reasonably priced antenna. Again IMO.    73s have fun out there.

IMO, do not let the radio snobs discourage you.  
As a long time Ham, from a family of Hams, the hobby is about learning and having fun. You can setup a simple repeater on your kitchen table with parts you probably already have, or easily and cheaply acquired from ebay.  Go for it, just be considerate and don't cross over established repeaters. Some people way overvalue their role in the hobby.  
They even have a pre-made HT to HT relay box just plug and play for like $15. Sure it is not even close to a commercial repeater, but fun to experiment with, and if in a prime location it might get you to a location you could not reach before.
If the FCC does not have a problem with it than neither should the rest of us.  The antenna saying is a bit dated, get a VNA and tune the fudge out of a reasonably priced antenna. Again IMO.    73s have fun out there.

The entire point of this thread was to explain the differences of a real repeater that wil ldo what you want vs 2 CCRs with a plug and play box. There are many who have lofty expectations of GMRS and think you can talk 30 miles with a $100 of parts. Thats not going to happen. As an established GMRS user Id rather have folks play on ham radio if they want to experiment....
 

What you said is true I’m sure for commercial systems, public safety etc. I don’t recall seeing anything in the FCC rules requiring a GMRS repeater to be registered with the FCC. Neither are Ham repeaters, but you do work through a local frequency coordination body which is not part of the FCC. The only requirement is each station must ID, so as long as only qualifying family members use the machine it doesn’t need to self ID. Each qualifying family member when they ID satisfies the requirements. However if non qualifying family members use it then it’s impossible to determine who is the owner unless it self ID’s.
 
This was EXACTLY the problem I had trying to identify the local repeater I’m currently using. No self ID, nothing shows up of any use when doing an FCC GEO search on the exact frequency over a limited range of 50 miles. I finally tried contacting the owner because it was listed on this site’s repeater database, by shear luck and I still wasn’t really sure. But even then the info was wrong because the owner died and the listing wasn’t updated for a few years. Months went by and no response to my emails, unknown at the time they were going to a dead guy’s account. Then when it was updated everything got worked out really quick. If it had ID’ed with the current owners call sign a simple lookup of that in the FCC license database would have given me the contact info I needed and saved me a lot of screwing around.

Per 47 C.F.R, Part 95 Subpart E, §95.1751 ( c ) states that the repeater doesn't need to ID itself if... (2) The GMRS stations whose communications are retransmitted are properly identified in accordance with this section.
 
So, even if the license holder is not using the machine, if people that are using it properly ID, the the repeater is considered in compliance with ID requirements.

I've read at least 2 or 3 people in here saying that a cheap cobbled together repeater is useless, just use simplex (what can you do with this that you can't do with FRS), and how you're not going to gain any range, it's way too expensive, and way too technical for most licensees, what are you going to get out of it ... I guess some people just started with a mountain of equipment, truckload of money, and all the know-how!

You know what I get out of a cheesy sub thousand dollar repeater setup that I can't get from FRS? Almost 10 miles in any direction reliably to HT's. Oh, and unlike these fancy high dollar commercial setups I keep hearing about "needing" to make a useful repeater? It's not illegal. I also have fun building, and improving, and geeking out on techie things. Are you guys really getting 10+ miles simplex on HT's (on bubble pack FRS radios no less!)? I didn't think so because that would be absolute poppycock! I'm so glad I never listened to guys that kept saying "you can't".

I'm not saying everybody should go set up a repeater, but the idea that they're useless unless you spend tens of thousands on a commercial type install (which again - is most likely not legal to begin with) is patently absurd. Not everybody has the same goals, or is in the same situation.

Another new guy here.
Generally speaking, I do agree with the general sentiment of leaving "repeater building" to those dedicated to quality, stability, and coverage...and who can afford it. I get it. You can really fubar things without much effort. You can also come up with installs that are stellar and serve the purpose. 
BUT, it still begs the question that keep seeing so many asking of how to set up SHTF communications among family and friends where simplex won't work, and there's no repeater. And use cases can vary greatly. My BIL (who simply does not want to get a ham license) and I are separated by hilly and forested terrain such that simplex via HT is completely out of the question. Decent antennas mounted high and a Wouxun kg-1000g at each site MIGHT go a long way to providing a solution. But the idea of being able to install a "casual use" repeater that would not only tie together such sites, but provide intermediate HT contact as well is extremely compelling. And I get it. Such a repeater install still required the proper antennas, height, and equipment. It's just that given today's advancements, it really surprises me that the only really affordable "plug and play" solution barely puts out 20 watts.
Anyway, very interesting and informative thread....
Jim Barr, WRNQ679, N9ONL