okay so ive been checking into our local 2m net for a few months now and i think i have the basics down but theres something thats been bugging me. when the net control calls for check-ins and i give my callsign, does that count as my ID for that 10 minute window or do i still need to ID separately when i transmit later? like if net control asks me something and i just answer the question without saying my call at the end, is that a violation or just kind of frowned upon?

also related — i notice some guys on the net say their call like three times when they check in and some just say it once. is one of those more correct than the other or is it just personal style? our net control is super nice but i dont want to be that guy who does everything wrong for months before someone finally tells me.

Good question and honestly it trips people up more than you'd think. The FCC rule is just that you identify at the end of each transmission or series of transmissions, and at least every 10 minutes during a long exchange. So yeah, giving your callsign when you check into the net absolutely counts. If net control asks you something quick and you answer in the same breath — like it's all one short back and forth — you should still give your call at the end of your reply just to be clean about it. Most experienced operators do it automatically after a while, you just kind of tack it on without thinking.

The saying-your-call-three-times thing is just habit some folks picked up, probably from HF where conditions are rough and you want to make sure net control copied you. On a clear local 2m repeater it's really not necessary, once is fine. Twice if the repeater is being finicky or there's interference. Three times starts to eat up time when you've got a long check-in list. Your net control will let you know if they have a preference, some nets are pretty specific about format.

so anyway i had the same confusion when i first started and what helped me was just listening to how the experienced guys on our net handled it. after like a week of paying attention i just kind of absorbed the rhythm of it. the 10 minute ID thing is honestly rarely an issue on a normal net because the exchanges are short enough that you're naturally identifying all the time anyway.

one thing i would add is dont stress too much about being perfect right away. net controls on club nets have heard every possible variation and theyre not sitting there ready to correct you for every little thing. the main stuff is just dont key up over someone, give your call, and listen before transmitting. you're clearly thinking about it more than most new hams do so youre already ahead.