Prepper radio "training"

[DDJ]

What is a way that you get and or stay proficient?

Radio Process as I see it
Step 1 take Tech license test and pass. CHECK
Step 2 Take General license test and Pass. CHECK
Step 3 get radios CHECK (UV82s and FT891)
Step 4 Get working antenna Check (1/4 wave off the side of the house for 2M and a 3 wire fan Dipole 40, 20, 10 and 15 for free)
Step 5 get on the air and get proficient.  NOT CHECKED
Step 6 Get Rig portable IN PLANNING
Step 7 Take and Pass Extra.  NOT STARTED

So to start to work on Step 5 I have been spending some time on the weekends playing the POTA (Parks on the Air) as a hunter.  But there is not mush there as far as contact.  I made 4 or 5 QSOs (contacts) this weekend.  I am also participating in nets offered by my club (2m Simplex, 2M repeater and 10M SSB) every week.  These are good and local coms will be step one in anything real.  What other recommendations do you have for getting started in HF?  Any recommendations on Nets on other bands or a place to find them?  I think I have heard some but am not sure they are open. 

I should say that in Steps 1 and 2 I have drug the Mrs. along cave man style (no she was a good sport and was enthused until the 3 month Covid delay).  Have not gotten her on the air yet.

[armymars]

There are two routes you can take. One: monitor some of the traffic nets and Two: get on the air during contests. Of course if your looking for something informal there are a number of social nets.

[DDJ]

While listening and scanning on Monday night I picked up some nets that were talking about Netlogger.com.  This appears to be a net control attendance logging site/log application.  There are also lists of nets.  I am starting to watch that.

I have thought of contesting but it does not sound like fun actually.  If I look at it like training maybe that is not supposed to be fun either, but there are going to be 10,000 things that will take priority over contesting, especially on the weekends in good weather.

[BillFoster]

Not much for contesting either. I will reply to someone who is contesting on HF as long as there is no pileup. I use the free log on qrz. As I collected a few contacts, I started mapping out the areas where the contacts were made for future reference. I have done the same with 2m repeaters. I’ll repeat the process when I finish my NVIS antenna.