ok so ive been licensed for about 3 months now (tech) and everyone keeps telling me to check into a local net to get practice but honestly i have no idea what the actual procedure is. like i know you say your callsign but when? and how do you know the net has started? do you just sit there on the frequency until someone says something or is there a specific time listed somewhere

also i found what i think is a net schedule on a repeater club website but it just says 7pm Monday and doesnt say what to expect. is it going to be a traffic net or just a chat thing? and is it rude to check in and then not really have anything to say? i dont want to mess anyone up if im doing it wrong

Totally understand the nerves, I felt the same way my first time. So basically most nets will have a net control station (NCS) who opens things up right at the scheduled time, usually says something like "the [whatever] net is now open" and then they'll ask for check-ins. That's your moment — just key up and say your callsign. You don't need to say anything fancy. Just your call, maybe your first name and location if it's that kind of net.

As for not having anything to say, that's completely fine. Lots of people check in with just "no traffic" or "nothing further" and that's totally normal. The NCS will just acknowledge you and move on. The 7pm Monday thing on a repeater club site is almost certainly a social net or an ARES check-in, probably not a formal traffic net. Those are usually a bit more relaxed and honestly a great place to start. Just listen for a few minutes before the hour so you're on frequency and ready.

i did my first check-in like 6 weeks ago and was super nervous lol but honestly nobody even noticed i was new. the net control just said "W5 whatever, thanks for checking in" and moved on. one thing i wasnt expecting is how fast it goes sometimes, so just be ready when they ask for check-ins and dont wait too long or the moment passes and then you feel weird

also some nets have a second round where they ask if anyone missed the first call so if you freeze up theres usually a second chance which is nice