Just got my first Baofeng UV-5R and I'm having trouble accessing my local repeater. I can hear the repeater output perfectly, but when I try to key up, nothing happens. According to the manual, the repeater uses a 146.2 Hz CTCSS tone, but I can't get it to work. I've programmed the offset correctly (+600 kHz) and tried both encode and encode/decode settings. Is there something basic I'm missing here? The repeater is W5XYZ on 146.940 MHz if that helps. Any advice would be appreciated!

Always double-check all your settings when programming a new repeater - offset, CTCSS tone, and make sure you're using "tone" mode not "tone squelch" for most repeaters. Try 146.2 Hz in encode-only mode first.

I had the exact same problem with my first Baofeng! Many newcomers fail to program the CTCSS tone properly. Check if your radio is set to "T" (tone encode) rather than "TSQ" (tone squelch). Also verify the offset direction is correct.

Welcome to the hobby! There's even a question on the Technician exam about this - not being able to access a repeater whose output you can hear. Most likely it's the CTCSS setting. Try using CHIRP software to program your radio - much easier than the keypad method.