Plain-English Study Guide for the FCC Amateur Radio
Technician Class License
W0IS.com
This is the 2022 edition of the study guide, which contains the questions that will be used until June 30, 2026. If you
used an old version of the study guide (mine, or any other author's), a few questions have been added.
Scroll down to the bottom of this page for a list of all of the new questions, and make sure you can answer all of them.
I have written a study guide for persons who want to pass the
test for the entry-level FCC Amateur (Ham) Radio license,
the Technician license. This technician class license study guide is intended for persons with no
background in radio or electronics, and
will explain all of the material on the test in plain English.
Each section of the guide is followed by the actual
questions that will appear on the test, with the correct answers.
By reading this guide, you will be able to pass the test, and
you will also have a basic understanding of
the material, which will allow you to get on the air with
confidence when your license arrives.
I have recorded the following audio lessons to help you with your studying:
You can download a free sample (the first 15 pages of the 105
page eBook) in PDF format by
clicking here.
The book has been updated to include all questions from the 2022 question pool, which will be in use until 2026.
The book is available in paperback for only $12.95. To order, simply follow
this link.
This book is also available on Amazon as a Kindle book. You can order by clicking the link below:
If you don't have a Kindle, you can download a free Kindle
viewer for your PC or other platform by following
this link.
Return to my main page
I also have the following study guides available:
New Test Questions Effective July 1, 2022
On July 1, 2022, the question pool changed. The vast majority of the questions are the same as the previous version, or only slight variations. So if you used the 2022 edition of my book, or any other
study guide, you shouldn't have any trouble passing the test.
Listed below are all of the new questions, along with the correct answer. So if you were ready to pass the old version of the test, look through the following list and make sure you know these answers.
In most cases, the material is still the same, and different questions are asked. There are only a few questions that contain brand new material.
- What property of a radio wave defines its polarization?
- A. The orientation of the electric field
- Which of the following is a valid Technician class call sign format?
- What is the relationship between the electric and magnetic fields of an electromagnetic wave?
- D. They are at right angles
- How can you join a digital repeater's "talkgroup"?
- C. Program your radio with the group's ID or code
- What is the purpose of the color code used on DMR repeater systems?
- A. Must match the repeater color code for access
- What does a DMR "code plug" contain?
- B. Access information for repeaters and talkgroups
- Why is the radio horizon for VHF and UHF signals more distant than the visual horizon?
- C. The atmosphere refracts radio waves slightly
- What are the units of electrical resistance?
- What is the abbreviation for kilohertz?
- What type of transistor has a gate, drain, and source?
- What causes a light-emitting diode (LED) to emit light?
- What are the names of the electrodes of a bipolar junction transistor?
- B. Emitter, base, collector
- What is the function of a transceiver's PTT input?
- B. Switches transceiver from receive to transmit when grounded
- What is the effect of vegetation on UHF and microwave signals?
- How is squelch adjusted so that a weak FM signal can be heard?
- A. Set the squelch threshold so that receiver output audio is on all the time
- Why are metals generally good conductors of electricity?
- B. They have many free electrons
- What is CW?
- D. Another name for a Morse code transmission
- Which of the following should be considered when selecting an accessory SWR meter?
-
A. The frequency and power level at which the measurements will be made
- How are the transceiver audio input and output connected in a station configured to operate using FT8?
- B. To the audio input and output of a computer running WSJT-X software
- Where should an RF power meter be installed?
- A. In the feed line, between the transmitter and antenna
- Which of the following conductors is preferred for bonding at RF?
- How can you determine the length of time that equipment can be powered from a battery?
- B. Divide the battery ampere-hour rating by the average current draw of the equipment
- Which of the following must be programmed into a D-STAR digital transceiver before transmitting?
- What is the result of tuning an FM receiver above or below a signal's frequency?
- D. Distortion of the signal's audio
- What type of current flow is opposed by resistance?
- D is the correct answer:
- A. Direct current
- B. Alternating current
- C. RF current
- D. All these choices are correct
- What is the function of an SPDT switch?
- C. A single circuit is switched between one of two other circuits
- Which is true about forward voltage drop in a diode?
- A. It is lower in some diode types than in others
- Which of the following can provide power gain?
- Which of the following types of solder should not be used for radio and electronic applications?
- What is the characteristic appearance of a cold tin-lead solder joint?
- C. A rough or lumpy surface
- Which of the following protocols enables an amateur station to transmit through a repeater without using a radio to initiate the transmission?
- Which of the following types of antenna offers the greatest gain?
- Which of the following is a disadvantage of FM compared with single sideband?
- B. Only one signal can be received at a time
- What kind of data can be transmitted by APRS?
- The correct answer is D:
- A. GPS position data
- B. Text messages
- C. Weather data
- D. All these choices are correct
- Which of the following is a source of loss in coaxial feed line?
- The correct answer is D:
- A. Water intrusion into coaxial connectors
- B. High SWR
- C. Multiple connectors in the line
- D. All these choices are correct
- Where should a lightning arrester be installed in a coaxial feed line?
- D. On a grounded panel near where feed lines enter the building
- Which of the following best describes an amateur radio mesh network?
- A. An amateur-radio based data network using commercial Wi-Fi equipment with modified firmware
- How is a specific group of stations selected on a digital voice transceiver?
- C. By entering the group's identification code
- How does the allowable power density for RF safety change if duty cycle changes from 100 percent to 50 percent?
- C. It increases by a factor of 2
- Who is responsible for ensuring that no person is exposed to RF energy above the FCC exposure limits?
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