PACNWComms

Have been using DTR series radios for many years now (Motorola DTR410's to start) and they work extremely well. However, as others mentioned, many use them right out of the box, with defaulted settings. I have a barge crew operating in a river nearby that uses the first channel default settings, and it is probably a good thing that their range and capabilities are limited. Otherwise, great radios and very "secure" comms if you set up your own private channel.

Great to see this information up front and on top. I have administered P25 radio networks for a very long time, and repeaters are not for the newcomers. I have built portable repeaters for use in the aftermath of hurricanes: Katrina, Rita, and Wilma,and for incidents such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (oil rig) explosion and resultant oil spill response. All of the advice given here is spot on. Repeaters are after you gain some experience running "barefoot"and simplex for a while.

New GMRS license holder, but not new to FCC licenses overall. Just needed another radio in my commute car, and this was the cheap, easy, and fun way to go.