[Ibby]

Scarecrow's pretty much covered it all. CTCSS doesn't really do anything for you, it should be shut off. It's more of a pain in the ass than anything.

One thing folks don't realize is this range of frequencies is probably the most useless in the entire RF spectrum. That's why they were given away free to use. It's not a great long range frequency, it's not the best short range frequency. One thing it is good for is aboard ships, the narrow wavelength tends to travel well through small openings in ship's bulkheads. Out in the real world it bounces off vegetation and gets absorbed by rocks and earth.
As for radios themselves, if you get a bubble pack, don't bitch about the performance of it. You get what you pay for.