I will say again: Getting started in any digital mode is not easy. It is different from what most of us have been doing during our entire MARS membership. I am concerned about the fact that only one in about ten members in Region 2 is doing any form of digital operations. To be somewhat blunt, most of us are missing out on an important aspect of MARS operations.
I was trained as an engineer, so as my wife says: I think in a linear way. So you have to begin at the beginning and ask, how do I get started? The questions are different for each of us, depending on where we live, what equipment we have, and frankly, who might we turn to for assistance in getting started. In the past years, I tried to be neutral on these issues. Today, I would recommend you start on the manned digital network because it is easier, & we can help you on the air.