so i finally passed my technician exam after studying on and off for like two months and honestly i wasnt expecting to pass on the first try but here we are. picked up a baofeng uv-5r to start out (yeah yeah i know, everyone says get a real radio but i just wanted something cheap to see if i'd even stick with it) and yesterday i finally got brave enough to key up on the local 2m repeater.

the guy who came back to me was super patient, walked me through the whole exchange and even gave me a signal report. im pretty sure my voice was shaking lol. anyway just wanted to say hi to the community, been lurking on here for a while and everyone seems really helpful. looking forward to getting on HF eventually once i figure out what antenna situation i can manage at my apartment.

welcome to the hobby, first QSO is always a little nerve wracking but it gets easier fast. dont stress about the baofeng, everybody starts somewhere and for learning the repeater ropes its totally fine. when you do start thinking about HF just keep an eye out for used gear, theres always deals around. what part of the country are you in?

congrats man, apartments are tough for HF but people make it work. ive seen guys do pretty well with a magnetic loop or even just throwing a wire out a window at weird angles. the compromises are real but its not impossible. anyway good luck and hope to hear you on the air sometime