So i finally worked up the nerve to check into a local 2m net last tuesday and honestly it went okay but i wasnt totally sure what to do when the net control station called on me. I just said my callsign and said i had no traffic and passed back to net control. Is that right? Nobody seemed annoyed so i think it was okay but i want to make sure im doing it properly before i become a regular.

Also there was a moment where two people were talking at the same time and created this horrible squeal and net control had to sort it out. Is that just something that happens or did someone mess up? I didnt want to key up until i was sure nobody else was transmitting so i waited probably longer than i needed to. Felt awkward sitting there in silence counting in my head lol.

Anyway just looking for some guidance on net etiquette. The guys on the net seemed friendly enough but i didnt want to bug them with dumb questions after the net closed.

That double-squeal thing is called a double — basically two stations keyed up at the same time and their signals mixed together on the repeater. It happens all the time, especially on busy nets. Totally normal and nobody did anything wrong necessarily, just two people with the same idea at the same moment. Net control handles it, thats literally what theyre there for.

And yeah what you did sounds exactly right. You give your callsign, say whether you have traffic or comments, and hand it back. Some nets are a little more formal and want you to say the net name or net controls callsign too but most local Monday night type nets are pretty relaxed. If the net has a specific check-in format they usually announce it at the top before taking check-ins, so just listen for that.

Waiting a beat or two before keying up is actually good practice — gives the repeater tail time to drop and makes sure the previous station is really done. You were probably doing it right and it just felt weird because everything feels weird the first few times.

oh man i remember feeling the exact same way my first time checking in. i must have rehearsed what i was gonna say like ten times before the net and then when net control called me i completely blanked for a second and probably sounded like an idiot. but nobody cared, they were all super welcoming. just keep showing up and it gets totally natural after a few weeks.