FCC Technician Class Quick Study

Get ready to learn stuff about shit. Good luck and godspeed.

1. Licensing and Identification

License Grant Term: Every primary amateur radio license is granted for a term of 10 years. While there is a 2-year grace period to renew an expired license without re-testing, you cannot legally transmit if your license has expired.

Station Identification: Identification is critical for maintaining an orderly spectrum. You must transmit your call sign at least every 10 minutes during a contact and at the end of the contact.

2. Radio Wave Physics

Frequency vs. Wavelength: Radio waves travel at the speed of light. Because the speed is constant, the physical length of the wave (wavelength) and the number of cycles per second (frequency) have an inverse relationship.

2-Meter Repeater Offsets: Repeaters listen on one frequency and talk on another. For the 2-meter band (VHF), the standard distance between these two frequencies is 600 kHz (0.6 MHz).

3. Electronics and Safety

The Power Formula: Electrical power is measured in Watts and is calculated by multiplying the electrical pressure (Volts) by the flow of current (Amps).

Circuit Protection: Fuses are the primary defense against equipment fires. You should never replace a 5-ampere fuse with a 20-ampere fuse because the 20-ampere fuse will allow excessive current to flow through the wires, causing them to heat up and potentially start a fire.

4. Biological Safety

Types of Radiation: It is important to distinguish between "ionizing" and "non-ionizing" radiation. VHF and UHF radio signals are non-ionizing radiation. Unlike X-rays or Gamma rays, radio waves do not have enough energy to strip electrons from atoms or damage DNA; their primary biological effect is tissue heating.

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