Carlos Silva

yeah what he said, i checked into my first net maybe three weeks after i got licensed and was shaking the whole time lol. i think i stepped on someone by accident and net control just said "go ahead station" and it was totally fine. the special event one near you sounds cool, i worked a county fair special event last summer and they gave out a paper certificate which was a nice touch. just go for it, worst case you say something weird and everybody forgets about it in like 30 seconds

Welcome to ham radio! The key is listening first - nets are one of the easiest methods for getting on the radio and making contact with other members of the hobby. Wait for net control to ask for check-ins, then simply give your call sign clearly and your location. Don't worry about saying much more on your first few tries!