so ive been licensed for about 3 months now and when i first got on HF i was pretty careful about using phonetics every time i gave my callsign, like Kilo Foxtrot whatever etc. but i noticed a lot of the more experienced guys on the local repeater just say their call letters normally without spelling them out phonetically, and sometimes they dont even give their full call, just the last couple letters. is there like an unwritten rule about when you actually need to use them vs when its just overkill? i dont want to sound like im reading from a checklist every time i key up but i also dont want to drop bad habits early on. my elmers kind of glossed over this part

totally normal question and honestly the answer is kinda situational. on a clear local repeater where everyone already knows you, saying your full call phonetically every single time gets old fast and people will actually start tuning you out a little. but on HF, especially if conditions are rough or you're working someone far away, phonetics are genuinely useful because callsigns can get mangled in QSB or QRM. the NATO alphabet is the standard and most ops know it cold, so stick with that rather than making up your own. ive heard people say things like N for Nancy or whatever and it just creates confusion. on SSB DX contacts i always use phonetics at least on the first exchange, after that if the signal is solid i might just say the call straight. for contests though, speed matters so a lot of people drop the full phonetics unless asked to repeat

yeah what he said basically. also dont stress too much about it, after a while it just becomes natural and you'll feel when you need them. the repeater thing is pretty casual usually. HF is where it really matters imo