so i finally did it after like 3 years of saying i was gonna get my license. passed the technician exam last thursday and picked up a baofeng uv-5r to get started. i know i know everybody says get a better radio but i just wanted something cheap to play with while i figure out if i like it.

anyway today i worked up the nerve to key up on the 147.something repeater in my area and just said i was a new ham checking in. immediately got like 4 or 5 people come back to me welcoming me and one guy stayed on for almost 20 minutes just chatting and answering my dumb questions. i honestly wasnt expecting it to be that friendly. kinda blew me away honestly.

so yeah just wanted to share that. if anyones on the fence about actually using their license after they get it, just do it. worst case nobody answers.

congrats and welcome to the hobby. that first time you key up is nerve wracking for basically everyone, doesnt matter how old you are or how long youve been studying. i remember sitting in my car in a parking lot for like 10 minutes before i finally pressed the PTT the first time. felt ridiculous afterwards because yeah everyone was super welcoming.

the baofeng is fine to start out, dont let anyone give you grief about it. once you get the hang of things and decide what direction you want to go with the hobby youll have a better idea what you actually want to upgrade to. some people stay on VHF/UHF and some get the HF bug real bad. either way youre in for a good time. get on those nets when you can, great way to practice and meet people in your area.

dude same thing happened to me like two months ago. i was so nervous i forgot to give my callsign at the end of my first transmission and had to key back up and correct myself lol. the elmer who talked to me for a while ended up inviting me to their club meeting which was cool. definitely go if your local club does anything like that