How do I meet other Hams?

There are a couple of ways to get familiar with other hams. Some of this may seem obvious, some not quite as obvious.

• Meet folks in your licensing class, or at the exam. If you take a class to get your license, then you may find this a natural place to "bond" with your classmates. Make some kind of arrangement to find each other on the air (since you won't know your callsigns until after you've successfully passed the exam) once you have your ticket. (Some hams call this a "sked" -- short for schedule.)
• Listen to the repeater(s) of your choice for a while, get a feel for the personalities there, and when you're ready, key up the mic and say hello (assuming you have your ticket!). As with any in-person situation, it's going to feel a little awkward at first. Never forget that all those other hams--even the ones who sound like they were born in front of a microphone--were there once, too!
• Join The Club: just about every locality has one or more ham clubs, and they want you to join! In most, if not all, cases, you can join before you have your license. It can be a great way to meet other hams, find an Elmer, learn much, and contribute back to the ham community.