Click Study Flashcards above to open the flashcard hub — 100+ ham radio cards you can flip, match, type, or quiz yourself on. Every card is drawn from the 10 Technician subelements, so you study exactly what the exam tests.[1] Pair them with our free practice test and study guide.
Ham Radio Flashcard Study Modes
Flip mode lets you page through each card front and back at your own pace. Match is a timed game pairing terms with their definitions. Type shows the definition and asks you to key the term back, so a card like Ohm’s law has to come from memory. Quiz rebuilds the same cards as multiple choice for a fast check.
Why Flashcards Work for the Ham Radio Exam
FCC Rules (T1) is the largest block at 18 cards, drilling the regulatory vocabulary that sits behind your license. Part 97, Element 2, and the card for Grace period turn dense rule language into short, testable definitions you can recall on demand. Signals & Emissions (T8) follows with 16 cards on modes and modulation, where SSB, FT8, and PSK31 sit beside older staples like CW.
Electrical Principles (T5) carries 14 cards on units and the relationships between them, so Ohm’s law, Hertz, and Ampere get stated in the plain terms the question pool uses. Antennas & Feed Lines (T9) adds 12 cards on what moves the signal outdoors, including SWR, Coaxial cable, and Yagi (beam).
Electronic Components (T6) has 10 cards covering parts you need to recognize by function and schematic role, such as Capacitor, Inductor, and Diode. Station Equipment & Circuits (T7) matches that with 10 cards on the stages and instruments inside a station, from Oscillator and Mixer to the SWR meter.
Electrical & RF Safety (T0) also holds 10 cards, covering Lightning protection, Circuit breaker, and Tower safety practice. Operating Procedures (T2) brings 9 cards on getting on the air correctly, where Repeater offset, CTCSS tone, and 146.52 MHz appear.
Radio Wave Propagation (T3) has 8 cards tying band behavior to physics, including Ionosphere, Line-of-sight, and the Wavelength formula. Amateur Practices & Setup (T4) closes the deck with 6 cards on shack and bench basics such as Dummy load, RFI, and Station grounding.
That matters for the Technician exam, which rewards instant recall of FCC rules, formulas (Ohm’s law, wavelength), modes, and component facts. Used alongside our practice test and study guide, flashcards turn review time into measurable progress.[3]
Ham Radio Flashcards by Subelement
The cards are organized by the 10 Technician subelements. Weight your study toward the biggest blocks — Commission’s Rules (T1) and the four electronics subelements (T5–T8) — because they account for the most questions on the exam:[1]
| Subelement | Topic | Exam questions |
|---|---|---|
| T1 | Commission's Rules | 6 |
| T2 | Operating Procedures | 3 |
| T3 | Radio Wave Propagation | 3 |
| T4 | Amateur Radio Practices | 2 |
| T5 | Electrical Principles | 4 |
| T6 | Electronic & Electrical Components | 4 |
| T7 | Station Equipment & Practical Circuits | 4 |
| T8 | Signals & Emissions | 4 |
| T9 | Antennas & Feed Lines | 2 |
| T0 | Electrical & RF Safety | 3 |
How to Get the Most Out of These Flashcards
- Start with the rules. FCC Rules (T1) is the biggest domain at 18 cards and is pure recall, so clearing it early frees your attention for the electrical material.
- Type-drill the definitions you keep guessing. Ohm’s law and SWR reward exact wording, and typing them forces you to produce the term instead of recognizing it in a list.
- Use Match for component names. The Electronic Components (T6) fronts, things like Resistor and Fuse, are short and visual, which makes them ideal for fast timed pairing.
- Move to the practice test once Quiz stops surprising you. When mode names, units, and antenna terms come back cleanly, full-length questions will show you where the wording still trips you.
- Work two domains per session. With 113 cards, a steady rotation that revisits FCC Rules (T1) and Signals & Emissions (T8) often keeps the smaller domains from fading between sittings.
Ham Radio Flashcards FAQ
Over a hundred free ham radio flashcards, organized across all 10 Technician subelements — from FCC rules and operating procedures to electronics, signals, antennas, and RF safety. They're free to use with no account required.
Yes. Flashcards use active recall — retrieving an answer from memory — which research shows is one of the most effective ways to make information stick, especially for the rules, formulas, modes, and component terms the Technician exam tests.
All 10 Technician subelements: T1 Commission's Rules, T2 Operating Procedures, T3 Radio Wave Propagation, T4 Amateur Radio Practices, T5 Electrical Principles, T6 Electronic Components, T7 Station Equipment and Circuits, T8 Signals and Emissions, T9 Antennas and Feed Lines, and T0 Electrical and RF Safety.
Mix the modes: flip to learn, type to test recall, match for speed, and quiz to check yourself. Start with FCC Rules (T1) since it's the largest block, lock in Ohm's law and the wavelength formula, then drill your weakest subelement until it sticks.
Yes — 100% free, all four study modes, no paywall.
Ham Radio License flashcard bank
All 113 cards, by topic
A reference copy of every card in this deck. Each answer stays hidden until you choose to show it. To study with Flip, Match, Type and Quiz modes and track what you have mastered, use Study Flashcards at the top of the page.
FCC Rules (T1) (18)
- Amateur Radio Service
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A voluntary, noncommercial radio service for self-training, emergencies, and advancing the radio art, regulated by the FCC under Part 97.
- FCC
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The Federal Communications Commission — the U.S. agency that licenses and regulates amateur radio.
- Part 97
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The FCC rules (47 CFR Part 97) that govern the Amateur Radio Service.
- Technician license
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The entry-level U.S. amateur license; pass the 35-question Element 2 exam to earn full VHF/UHF privileges plus limited HF.
- Element 2
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The FCC designation for the Technician written exam — 35 multiple-choice questions.
- Passing score
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26 of 35 correct (74%) on the Technician exam.
- Station identification
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Transmit your call sign at least every 10 minutes during a contact and at the end of it.
- Sequential call sign
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A call sign the FCC assigns automatically from the next available group.
- Vanity call sign
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A specific call sign the licensee requests rather than accepting the next sequential one.
- Control operator
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The licensed amateur responsible for the proper operation of a station while it transmits.
- Station licensee
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The person to whom a station license is granted; remains responsible even when another is control operator.
- License term
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An amateur license is valid for 10 years and is renewable for another 10-year term.
- Grace period
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The two-year window after expiration to renew a license; you may not transmit until renewal is granted.
- RACES
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Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service — amateurs providing communications for government agencies during declared emergencies.
- Third-party communication
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A message an operator passes on behalf of a non-licensed person, allowed under FCC limits.
- Prohibited transmissions
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Amateur radio may not be used for pay, commercial broadcasting, or encrypted business traffic.
- Volunteer Examiner (VE)
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A licensed amateur accredited to administer license exams under a VEC.
- License classes
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Technician (35 Q), General (35 Q), Amateur Extra (50 Q), in order of privileges.
Operating Procedures (T2) (9)
- Repeater
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An automatic station that receives on one frequency and retransmits on another to extend range.
- Simplex
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Direct station-to-station communication on a single frequency, without a repeater.
- Repeater offset
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The fixed difference between a repeater's input and output frequencies (e.g. ±0.6 MHz on 2 m).
- CTCSS tone
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A sub-audible tone that a radio sends to access a tone-protected repeater.
- Phonetic alphabet
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The standard ITU/NATO word-for-letter set (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie…) used to spell call signs clearly.
- 146.52 MHz
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The national 2 meter FM simplex calling frequency.
- APRS
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Automatic Packet Reporting System — sends GPS position and short data automatically so it appears on a map.
- Grid square
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A location designator (e.g. FN31) used to describe an operator's position to distant stations.
- Calling frequency
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A frequency where operators call to establish contact, then move to another channel.
Radio Wave Propagation (T3) (8)
- Wavelength
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The physical length of one radio-wave cycle; in meters it equals 300 ÷ frequency in MHz.
- Wavelength formula
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λ (meters) = 300 ÷ frequency (MHz). Higher frequency means shorter wavelength.
- Line-of-sight
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VHF/UHF signals travel mostly in straight lines, so higher antennas reach farther.
- Ionosphere
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An upper layer of the atmosphere that can reflect HF signals for long-distance contacts.
- Frequency
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How many cycles a radio wave completes per second, measured in hertz (Hz, kHz, MHz, GHz).
- VHF
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Very High Frequency, 30–300 MHz, including the 6 m and 2 m amateur bands.
- UHF
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Ultra High Frequency, 300 MHz–3 GHz, including the 70 cm (440 MHz) band.
- HF
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High Frequency, 3–30 MHz — shortwave bands that can bounce off the ionosphere worldwide.
Amateur Practices & Setup (T4) (6)
- Transceiver
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A single radio that both transmits and receives by sharing circuitry.
- Power supply
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Converts AC mains to the DC voltage (usually about 13.8 V) an amateur radio needs.
- RFI
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Radio-frequency interference — unwanted radio energy disrupting electronic devices.
- Microphone
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The transducer that converts speech to an audio signal for the transmitter.
- Dummy load
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A non-radiating resistive load used to test a transmitter without putting a signal on the air.
- Station grounding
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Bonding equipment to a common ground for electrical safety and to reduce RF problems.
Electrical Principles (T5) (14)
- Ohm's law
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E = I × R — voltage equals current times resistance. Rearranged: I = E ÷ R and R = E ÷ I.
- Voltage (E)
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The electrical pressure that pushes current through a circuit, measured in volts.
- Current (I)
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The flow of electric charge through a circuit, measured in amperes (amps).
- Resistance (R)
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The opposition to current flow, measured in ohms.
- Power formula
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P = E × I — power in watts equals voltage times current.
- Series circuit
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Components end to end: the same current flows through each and resistances add up.
- Parallel circuit
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Components share two nodes: total resistance is less than the smallest resistor.
- Ampere
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The unit of electric current.
- Volt
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The unit of voltage (electrical potential difference).
- Ohm
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The unit of electrical resistance.
- Watt
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The unit of electrical power.
- Hertz
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The unit of frequency — one cycle per second.
- Direct current (DC)
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Current that flows in one direction; supplied by batteries and power supplies.
- Alternating current (AC)
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Current that periodically reverses direction; mains power and radio signals are AC.
Electronic Components (T6) (10)
- Resistor
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A component that opposes current flow to set voltage and current levels (ohms).
- Capacitor
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Stores energy in an electric field; blocks DC and passes AC.
- Inductor
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Stores energy in a magnetic field; passes DC and opposes changes in AC.
- Diode
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Allows current to flow in only one direction; used for rectification.
- Transistor
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A semiconductor used as an electronic switch or amplifier.
- LED
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A light-emitting diode that glows when forward current flows; used as an indicator.
- Fuse
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A safety component that opens the circuit if current gets dangerously high.
- Switch
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A component that opens or closes a circuit to control current.
- Battery
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A source of DC voltage that stores chemical energy.
- Schematic symbol
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A standardized drawing that represents an electronic component in a circuit diagram.
Station Equipment & Circuits (T7) (10)
- Transmitter
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Generates and sends a radio signal onto the antenna.
- Receiver
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Detects and recovers an incoming radio signal.
- Amplifier
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A circuit that increases the power or amplitude of a signal.
- Oscillator
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A circuit that generates a steady signal at a specific frequency.
- Filter
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A circuit that passes some frequencies and rejects others.
- SWR meter
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An instrument that measures standing wave ratio to check antenna match.
- Multimeter
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A test instrument that measures voltage, current, and resistance.
- Mixer
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A circuit that combines two signals to produce sum and difference frequencies.
- Block diagram
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A simplified drawing showing how a station's stages connect: mic → transceiver → feed line → antenna.
- Squelch
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A control that mutes receiver audio until a signal of sufficient strength is present.
Signals & Emissions (T8) (16)
- Modulation
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Putting information onto a radio carrier by varying it.
- AM
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Amplitude modulation — the carrier's strength is varied to carry the signal.
- FM
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Frequency modulation — the carrier's frequency is varied; standard for VHF/UHF repeaters.
- SSB
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Single sideband — a narrow (~3 kHz), efficient form of AM for weak-signal and HF voice.
- CW
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Continuous-wave Morse code — the narrowest common emission (~150 Hz); gets through when voice can't.
- Carrier
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The steady radio-frequency signal onto which information is modulated.
- Bandwidth
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The range of frequencies a signal occupies; narrower emissions cause less interference.
- Bandwidth order
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Narrowest to widest: CW (~150 Hz) → SSB voice (~3 kHz) → FM voice (~10–15 kHz).
- Deviation
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How much an FM carrier's frequency shifts with the audio; about 5 kHz max for amateur FM.
- FT8
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A popular weak-signal digital mode that exchanges call signs, grid squares, and signal reports.
- PSK31
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A narrow keyboard-to-keyboard digital text mode that fits many signals in a small bandwidth.
- Digital voice
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Modes like DMR or D-STAR that send voice as digital data over VHF/UHF.
- Packet
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A block of digital data sent as a unit, with addressing and error checking.
- Beacon station
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A station that transmits to help others assess propagation conditions.
- SSTV
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Slow-scan television — sends still images over a voice-bandwidth channel.
- Upper sideband (USB)
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The conventional SSB sideband used on the higher HF bands such as 20 meters.
Antennas & Feed Lines (T9) (12)
- Antenna
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The device that converts a transmitter's power into radiated radio waves (and vice versa).
- Half-wave dipole
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A resonant antenna about ½ wavelength long, fed in the center; length depends on frequency.
- Quarter-wave vertical
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A vertical antenna about ¼ wavelength tall; common on handhelds and mobiles.
- Yagi (beam)
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A directional antenna that concentrates the signal in one direction for more gain.
- Feed line
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The cable that carries radio energy between the transceiver and antenna.
- Coaxial cable
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The common feed line with a center conductor inside a shield; uses PL-259/SO-239 at VHF/UHF.
- PL-259 / SO-239
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The plug (PL-259) and socket (SO-239) pair most used to connect coax at HF/VHF.
- SWR
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Standing wave ratio — how well an antenna and feed line match the transmitter; 1:1 is perfect.
- Antenna tuner
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An impedance-matching unit that makes a non-50-ohm antenna look like a good match.
- Impedance
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The total opposition a feed line and antenna present to a signal; amateur systems target 50 ohms.
- Radiation pattern
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How an antenna distributes its signal in different directions.
- Gain
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How much an antenna concentrates signal in a favored direction compared with a reference.
Electrical & RF Safety (T0) (10)
- RF exposure evaluation
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The assessment every station must do to confirm it stays within FCC human-exposure limits.
- Duty cycle
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The fraction of time a transmitter is actually emitting; higher duty cycle raises average exposure.
- Maximum permissible exposure
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The FCC limit on how much radio energy a person may be exposed to.
- Circuit breaker
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A resettable safety device that opens a circuit when current is dangerously high.
- Grounding
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Bonding equipment to earth ground for electrical and lightning safety.
- Climbing harness
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Approved fall-protection gear required when climbing an antenna tower.
- Tower safety
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Never climb alone — use a harness and have a helper on the ground.
- Lightning protection
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Grounding, disconnecting antennas, and surge protection to guard a station from lightning.
- Power line safety
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Keep antennas and masts well clear of power lines to avoid contact during installation.
- Battery safety
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Lead-acid batteries can release explosive gas and corrosive acid — ventilate and handle with care.
References
- 1.National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators. “2026–2030 Technician Question Pool & Syllabus.” NCVEC.org. ↑
- 2.U.S. Federal Communications Commission. “47 CFR Part 97 — Amateur Radio Service.” Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). ↑
- 3.Institute of Education Sciences (U.S. Dept. of Education). “Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning (Practice Guide).” What Works Clearinghouse, IES. ↑
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