kerstuff

I agree with Alex on all points. It's too hard to predict/calculate for all but a chosen few.
And to touch a bit more or the reflection idea... think of radio waves like sunlight. There isn't perfect darkness in the shadows because the sunlight, to varying degrees, scatters off of everything around the item creating the shadow. That includes dust and other things in the air. Radio wave literally do the same thing. 
 

§ 95.1751 GMRS station identification.
Each GMRS station must be identified by transmission of its FCC-assigned call sign at the end of transmissions and at periodic intervals during transmissions except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section. A unit number may be included after the call sign in the identification. 
(a) The GMRS station call sign must be transmitted: 
(1) Following a single transmission or a series of transmissions; and, 
(2) After 15 minutes and at least once every 15 minutes thereafter during a series of transmissions lasting more than 15 minutes. 
(b) The call sign must be transmitted using voice in the English language or international Morse code telegraphy using an audible tone. 
(c) Any GMRS repeater station is not required to transmit station identification if: 
(1) It retransmits only communications from GMRS stations operating under authority of the individual license under which it operates; and, 
(2) The GMRS stations whose communications are retransmitted are properly identified in accordance with this section.
Except it’s not confusing. It’s clearly written. You seem to forget about the word “and” (I emphasized it above) at the end of (C)(1).  That means both (C)(1) and (C)(2) must be true for the exception (C) to be permitted. In general, those two conditions can only be simultaneously true for for family repeaters (and probably some grandafathered stations, but they’re completely different from new licenses.)
 
And I have no clue why you would interpret “Each GMRS station” to exclude repeaters. Each means every. 

That could get them in serious trouble with the United Federation Of Planets Communications Commission. I hear they're much more strict than the FCC!

I think you've just learned a valuable lesson about "some people" and online "Experts" ... 

Kinda makes my head hurt.

Your using a CCR mobile and your worried about a few watts. Power isn't everything in UHF. Throw an NMO Mount in and hook it up to the radio and use it. That 5 watts will do nothing noticable. 

I heard a rumor that a major GMRS YouTube Hobo will be doing a review of the 50V2 next week.

Oh yes. I picked up my license last year so I could contact my wife when I'm out of cell coverage in the local mountains. I'm a ham, she's not really interested, so the no-test-one-license-for-the-whole-fam-damily-for-a-penny-a-day works for us. Also, a lot of off-roaders, overlanders, etc, are using it. Maybe there's someone like that who frequents this site who can elaborate.

The growth of licenses (and site users) would seem to say yes. One of the ham clubs in my area even added a gmrs repeater, likely to give the hams a way to communicate with non-ham family.

The only instance where GMRS repeaters are not required to be separately IDed, are those where the only users are those people who are legally entitled to operate under the call-sign of the repeater operator, and even then they must follow the regulations for individually IDing (which is the ID of the repeater).  If those people talk longer than 15 minutes they are required to ID every 15 minutes.
Will anybody care at the FCC?  Probably not, but the rules are clear.

If you are mobile, actively in motion and hearing pulsating while receiving a signal, there is a very good chance you are simply hearing what is known as picket fencing.  As we travel, especially in cities and wooded areas, 'things' between you and the station you are hearing actually cause a shadow, causing a pulsing of the received signal. 
It is especially common with handheld radios while using an external antenna.  When you transmit, people on the other end will also hear your transmitted signal pulse, as well.

Just about every military base I have ever been to has a radio club.  Check out the Ft Hood MWR website or Facebook account to see if they have a base funded repeater.  99.9% of the time, they are happy to have local residents volunteer/donate/participate at events...especially if they are held off base.
 
It helps to get the young, homesick soldiers/airmen/sailor/marine OUT of their dorm and out in the community.  It helps morale, and probably lowers disciplinary actions too, I'd guess.
 
  I'd be very, very surprised if it was a bunch of comm guys setting up their own repeater and locking out the community.  They wouldn't be using GMRS if that was their intention

I have the FT-65 as well. I really like it. I have it’s little sister as well. Both can easily be opened up for GMRS.

So the two plug connector used by Baofeng is a K-1 connector, as in K for Kenwood.
 
There are better radios than the Baofeng. I would look at Wouxun KG-UV9G and KG-UV9D or P.
https://bettersaferadio.com/wouxun-kg-uv9g-pro-gmrs-two-way-radio-shtf-scanner/

As more groups try to keep up with the next guy/group on the linking subject, the ideas of keeping comms brief as possible is going to be VERY important!! I can't stress this enough. It is mind boggling to think of one paid subscription service I know that is methodically dominating the 8 channel space like they do. One guy pushes his xmit button and he is heard from Macon to Chattanooga with topics that have no relevance to anyone else. Yes, before anyone starts soiling themselves, it's a giant party line I know. The part that amazes me that I have never once heard anyone behind these kinds of linked systems say is, "gee, perhaps we need to chill out a little as we are hijacking every available channel". One time a radio pal of mine asked me, "why are you so rarely on the radio?"... I said, "because most of the time I have little to nothing to say". His response was a classic, he said, "well...that never stopped anybody"... Epic statement. The money steers the ship though. No matter how real, honest, and measurable, any of the postings on this thread are? Where does change actually occur? It starts with each and every one of us.

This!
When I’m hamming I’m hamming and I’ll do it on amateur radio frequencies. 
If I’m GMRSing, I’ll follow practices that make GMRS work well for others as well as me. 

Exactly! While everyone else is a NY Strip, we're a Ribeye. LoL 

My wife isn't interested in getting a ham license, but I wanted to have some way to contact her through a repeater from someplace like Mt. Baldy here in Southern California where cell service is pretty spotty at best, and occasionally on my commute home from work. Still, 99% of my time is spent on ham radio. 

I can offer a couple of reasons why at least myself, an amateur general license for a number of years decided to get into GMRS.
I was considering getting a CB for my little RV that I am trying to spend a lot more time in. However, CB is not my cup of tea any longer and GMRS seemed like a much better alternative for travel comms. It's a lot more likely to go on Randys "universal highway channel 19" (or scan for someone) and find a travel companion or road information etc. Trying that with my ham would not likely get me a lot of come backs.
And for get togethers with the sons and their families, I can equip a number of people including the kids with cheap FR/GMRS HTs which I can not do with ham.
Regarding local repeaters, for me it is just a matter of knowing what is going on. Local information is always better than what you may hear on the news or internets. In this case ham may actually be better at least early on.

"Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you" Could not pass that up, a little Steelers Wheel

$370, probably closer to $400 including coax and antenna, for a 2-watt five-channel transceiver, hard-wired into a vehicle that's parked 90% of the time, no repeaters, and arguably the smallest user base of all the radio services. Hard no. I'll stay with my GMRS and ham gear.

Maybe you shouldn't be looking at Midland then.

You shouldn’t let “one bad apple” ruin your enjoyment and if you enjoyed your sig, leave it. 

Yes, but when you begin arguing the accuracy of another member’s signature line instead of simply ignoring it, it spoils enjoyment for many more than just you. 
Or is it all about you?

The 70cm is close enough to GMRS frequencies to get a good idea of performance. Many 70cm antennas can be used with out problem on GMRS.
The Nagoya 771g will likely be a good choice. Smiley antenna has a good 465MHz antenna line that is equivalent or better than the Nagoya.
I think the ABBREEs are more of a novelty/“Airsoft” antenna. They work, but I find signal stick, smiley and Nagoya to be better