Gregory Adams

so ive been licensed for about 4 months now, general class, and i keep meaning to check into the local 2m net on tuesday nights but i always chicken out at the last second. i know that sounds dumb but i genuinely dont know the right way to do it. like when do you actually key up? do you wait for the net control to specifically ask for check-ins or is there a window where you just jump in? last week i tried and there were already people checking in and i didnt want to step on anyone so i just listened the whole time again.
also is it weird to just say your callsign and nothing else or are you supposed to say your name and location every time? ive heard some people do the full intro and some just say their call. i dont want to be that guy who does it wrong in front of everyone on the frequency lol

so i finally worked up the nerve to check in on the local tuesday night net after just listening for like three months. been licensed since spring but honestly the whole net procedure thing intimidated me more than i expected. anyway the net control called for check ins and i keyed up and gave my call but then he asked if i had traffic and i just kind of... froze and said no but then rambled something about being new and it just felt awkward. nobody was rude or anything but i could tell i kind of stepped on the flow a little.
i guess my question is — is there like a standard way you're supposed to check in that i should have known? i feel like i missed something obvious. also does traffic mean actual formal written messages or can it be like a question you want to ask the group? ive been reading stuff online but everyone seems to assume you already know how nets work

im in the same boat as you, got my tech a few months back. what helped me was just downloading the ARRL band plan and keeping it open on my phone when im thinking about HF stuff. the 10m phone allocation for techs is real and ive actually made a couple contacts on 28.4 when the solar flux was decent. its not as limited as it sounds once you get into it

so I just passed my technician exam last week and I've been trying to figure out what handheld to get as my first radio. everyone keeps saying baofeng and I know they have a bad reputation with some people but the price is hard to argue with when you're just starting out and not sure if you'll even stick with the hobby long term
but then I started reading about the yaesu FT-60 and the wouxun stuff and now im more confused than when I started. like does it actually matter that much for just hitting local repeaters and maybe some simplex? I dont really have any specific plans yet just want to get on the air and start learning. would love to hear what people actually use day to day and whether I'd regret going cheap

honestly your kit sounds way more thought out than mine was when i first put one together lol. mine was basically a radio in a backpack with a power strip that required shore power so... not exactly emergency ready.
the charging question is a good one. im still figuring out solar myself but ive seen guys at our local ARES meetings use those goal zero panels and they seem to work okay. not the cheapest option but they're pretty foolproof which matters when things are chaotic.
also random thing -- do you have a copy of your license in the kit? i know you dont technically have to carry it but if youre operating somewhere unfamiliar or alongside served agencies it can just smooth things over to have it handy. i keep a laminated copy with mine now.

good that you're finally doing this, better late than never honestly. I went through the exact same thing with the rig choice and ended up pulling the 857 out of my go-kit after the first couple of activations. great radio but you're right about the power draw, especially if you're running it anywhere near full power on HF. ended up going with an ic-7100 for a while and now mostly use an xiegu g90 for the HF side of things. lighter, way more efficient, does everything i actually need in the field.
for power i run a 40ah lithium battery now but started with a sealed lead acid similar to what you have. the SLA is fine, just heavy. definitely put a load on it and see how long it actually lasts before you need it for real. nothing worse than finding out your battery is half dead at 2am during an actual event.
one thing nobody told me when i was building mine out -- dont forget the non-radio stuff. feedline, connectors, a roll of electrical tape, small multimeter, headlamp, logbook and pencil. i showed up to my first ARES activation with a beautiful radio setup and no way to write anything down. felt like an idiot.