ok so ive been licensed about 4 months now and i notice some people on 2m repeaters just say their callsign normally like "W4XYZ" without spelling it out phonetically, but then other times people go full NATO the whole way through. Is there like a rule for when you're supposed to use it or is it just preference? I always try to use phonetics because thats what i learned in the books but sometimes it feels weird when nobody else is doing it on a busy net and i feel like im slowing things down. Also someone told me you dont HAVE to use NATO specifically you can use any phonetics you want? like you could say "whiskey four xylophone yellow zebra" or something?? that seems weird to me but idk

Yeah your friend is technically right, the FCC doesn't actually mandate NATO phonetics specifically, you can use whatever words you want as long as they're clear. That said NATO is basically universal at this point so if you deviate from it people might just get confused, especially on HF or during contests or anything where conditions aren't great. On a local 2m repeater with decent signals most people just read their callsign straight without phonetics because honestly it usually comes through fine. Save the full phonetics for when you actually need them — bad band conditions, working someone far away, doing formal traffic, emergency stuff. On a clear local repeater chatting with regulars you already know? yeah nobody's gonna care if you skip it. Just use your judgment.

this is something i wondered about too when i first got started. i mostly use phonetics when i'm calling CQ on HF or if the other station asks me to repeat my call. on the 2m stuff around here most people dont bother. one thing i'll say is i've heard some old timers use totally random words and it drives me a little crazy honestly because you're sitting there trying to figure out if they said "D" or "B" and they used some word you've never heard. at least with NATO everybody knows what to expect