so i just got my general about three months ago and ive been checking into a couple of local nets to get practice. been having a great time honestly but i keep getting slightly different answers when i ask about ID rules and i want to make sure im doing it right before i accidentally cause problems.

the main thing confusing me is the every-10-minutes rule vs identifying when you sign off. like i know you have to ID at least every 10 minutes and at the end of your transmission but on a net where the NCS is running things and you might only talk for 30 seconds to give a traffic report, do you ID every single time you key up? because some guys on the net say yes, others say your callsign at the beginning of your comment counts, and one guy told me just saying your call at the start and end of your whole exchange is fine. and then theres the question of whether you need to say the other stations call too or just yours. i thought you only had to give your own call but i hear some operators giving both calls every single time and i dont want to seem rude by not doing it but it also seems like it clutters things up on a busy net.

not trying to overthink this, just want to do right by the other folks on frequency.

yeah this trips up a lot of new folks and honestly even some people who've been licensed for years get it slightly wrong or just do what they were taught without looking it up.

the actual FCC rule is that you have to identify at least once every 10 minutes during a communication and at the end of the communication. so on a short net check-in where you're on and off in under 10 minutes, you technically just need to ID once at the end of your transmission. giving your call at the start is good practice and courteous but its not strictly required by the rules for short exchanges. now giving BOTH calls — yours and the station you're working — thats actually not required in the US at all, thats more of an old habit carried over from HF or just tradition. some guys do it out of habit or because they like the formality and theres nothing wrong with it, but you dont have to.

on a net specifically, the NCS usually has a rhythm going and if you listen to how the experienced checkins do it you'll pick up what that particular net prefers pretty quick. most nets i run with just want your call, your name, location, and whether you have traffic — clean and simple. dont stress too much, nobody's gonna yell at you for being a little extra courteous with your ID.

i was confused about this same thing when i first started checking into nets lol. what helped me was just listening for a few weeks before i actually checked in. you kind of absorb the format naturally. the NCS on the tuesday night net i join is super patient and will just gently correct you on the air if you miss something, which honestly is how i learned more than anything. dont be afraid to mess up a little, everyone starts somewhere.