so i got my technician license back in March and ive been mostly just listening and doing the occasional simplex contact but a buddy of mine told me about the Wednesday evening net on 146.52 and i checked in last week for the first time and it was honestly way more fun than i expected. the net control was super patient with me fumbling through my first check-in and i didnt even have my callsign fully memorized yet which was a little embarrassing but whatever.

anyway now im kind of hooked and want to find more nets to check into. i know theres the ARRL nets and stuff but the list on their website is kind of overwhelming and i dont know which ones are actually active vs just listed and never happening. does anyone have nets they check into regularly that they'd recommend? im in the midwest so local repeater nets are great but i also have a general class exam scheduled for next month so maybe some HF nets after that? just looking for suggestions from people who actually do this stuff

congrats on the tech license and good on you for jumping into nets early, thats honestly the best way to get comfortable on the air. a lot of people sit on the sidelines for months before they ever key up.

for finding active nets the ARRL net directory can be hit or miss like you said, but what i usually tell newer folks is to just ask on whatever local club repeater is in your area -- someone will know whats actually running. most clubs have their own weekly net and those tend to be pretty welcoming to new check-ins. once you get your general and get on HF the 40 meter band is great for nets, theres traffic nets and ragchew nets pretty much all day. the 75 meter rag chews in the evenings can get a little... colorful... but theyre never boring. the 10-10 net is worth looking into too if you want to get into that whole member number thing.

also keep an eye out for special event stations around holidays and anniversaries, they pop up on the ARRL website and its a fun way to get a QSL card for something memorable. not exactly a net but same idea of a scheduled on-air event.

yeah the net directory thing is frustrating, i spent like an hour trying to find something active near me when i was starting out and half the listed nets hadnt been running in years. best thing i ever did was just join my county ARES group, they have a weekly check-in net and also do the monthly traffic handling practice and you actually learn something instead of just saying your callsign and signal report and done.

also if you end up getting into HF after your general, the Straight Key Century Club does a bunch of on air events if you ever get into CW but thats probably getting ahead of things. good luck on the exam