so i basically let my license lapse back in like 2015 or so and just never bothered renewing. life got busy, moved a few times, antennas came down and never went back up. but something clicked a few weeks ago and i studied for the tech exam again and passed it last saturday. feels weird being back honestly, a lot has changed and a lot hasnt. already ordered a baofeng just to have something to listen on while i figure out what im actually doing again. curious if anyone else has done the returning ham thing and what it was like getting back into the swing of it

yeah that was me about three years ago, had been off the air for almost a decade. the tech stuff felt different, more digital modes and stuff i had no clue about, but the fundamentals were all still there. honestly the hardest part was just getting an antenna back up without my wife giving me grief about the roof again. welcome back though, it comes back to you pretty quick

the baofeng will get you started but dont get too attached lol. i went down that rabbit hole and six months later i had a proper vhf rig anyway. whats your old call or did you get a new one