Most repeaters just work on an offset input frequency that you transmit on to hit the repeater.
I started on CB in the late 70's as a kid and got into "shooting skip" on lower side band 38 mainly.
Then I found out about handhelds being able to cover distances with repeaters (didn't even know about IRLP) and wanted a HAM so I got an ICOM 2m/6m/440/1.2ghz handheld on sale for 275 I think.
This was around 95-96 and I didn't have a HAM license then.
The HAMS are a bunch of really nice guys that don't argue, yell, cuss and play music or make sounds over their frequencies.
Too many CB'ers do so there has always been some issues towards them.
I learned how it worked (I already knew calling CQ and QTH and QRT etc from shooting skip all over the country on 11 meters) so I made up a call sign since you kind of have to have one to get anyone to talk to you.
Then the darn internet got popular and anyone could look up call signs so they knew you weren't the person you made up--or you were in wrong location for that person etc, so I got my license.
2m is so dead now compared to what it used to be. You can use echolink app and talk on 2m over your smart phone too.
I think the coolest is IRLP.
You enter tones on your handheld to link you to I guess from a local repeater to another persons local repeater and you are talking to them on their repeater as if you were within 25--50 miles of them but you can be 2000 away.
I talked to a guy in Long Island NY 3 different days from SW OH.
Really neat!
For local get an export radio. I got s Magnum S9 years ago and love it.
The 10m guys sit around and shoot the shit much like CB but not as prim and proper as HAM guys.
They don't use call signs most of the time and just use names or handles - mostly names- "first personals"
They used to have Monday or weekly "check in" and clubs they maintained.
The export radios have a lot more power than 4w CBs usually 25-50 and they can flatfoot it a good distance esp at night like 30-40 miles.