so i passed my technician exam on tuesday and got my callsign friday and i just couldnt wait so i programmed up my baofeng (yeah i know, everyone starts with one i guess) and just keyed up on the 147.xxx repeater in town and said my callsign and that i was new and honestly wasnt expecting much but like three guys came back to me and one of them talked with me for almost 20 minutes about just random stuff, his antenna setup, what bands i should try next, whatever. it was way better than i expected. i dunno i just thought id share because ive been lurking here for months reading everything and it felt like a big deal even though it was just a short conversation on a local machine

that first qso feeling is something else isnt it. i still remember mine, i was so nervous i forgot to say my callsign twice and the other op had to ask me to repeat it. welcome to the hobby man, the 2m repeaters are a great place to just hang out and learn how people actually talk on the air before you dive into hf and all the craziness that comes with that

congrats, and dont let anyone give you too much grief about the baofeng lol. its fine for getting started. once you catch the bug youll want a proper radio soon enough but theres nothing wrong with learning on it first. what repeater were you on if you dont mind me asking, im always curious if i mighta heard you