Ham Radio General study guide
Ham Radio General · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The General Class is one of the operator classes the FCC issues in the Amateur Radio Service, which the FCC describes as a service for qualified persons of any age interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest. The service exists for self-training, intercommunication, and technical investigations, and the FCC notes that most new amateur operators start at the Technician Class and then may advance to the General Class or Amateur Extra Class. The Ham Radio General study guide has 10 sections and about 3,271 words.
01Commission's Rules
General-class questions in this domain test the FCC Part 97 framework: who may transmit, what identifiers are required, what may be transmitted, and how stations coordinate. Know the license term (10 years, renewable), the grace period for renewal (a two-year window after expiration during which the license can be renewed; operating is not permitted until it is renewed), and the rule that a licensed operator may permit a non-licensed person to communicate using the control operator's station only when a control operator is present at the control point and the third party is not a foreign national from a country with which the U.S.
432 words, about 2 min02Operating Procedures
This domain rewards knowing standard operating practice: calling CQ, answering a CQ, handling pileups, using phonetics, and managing nets and emergency traffic. Know that a CQ call should include the call sign and that when answering a CQ you transmit the other station's call sign followed by your own.
350 words, about 2 min03Radio Wave Propagation
The General exam expects you to explain ionospheric propagation, ground wave, sky wave, line-of-sight, and the effects of the sun. The ionosphere has layers (D, E, F1, F2); the D layer absorbs lower-frequency signals during the day, the E layer supports short skip, and the F layer supports long-distance skip.
353 words, about 2 min04Amateur Radio Practices
This domain covers practical operating technique: using test equipment, measuring power and SWR, adjusting antennas, and understanding receiver and transmitter controls. Know that an SWR meter measures the ratio of forward to reflected power and that a 2:1 SWR means about 11% of forward power is reflected.
333 words, about 2 min05Electrical Principles
You must be fluent with V = IR, P = VI, and their combinations P = I²R and P = V²/R. General questions often require a two-step calculation: find current, then power, or find resistance from power and voltage.
313 words, about 2 min06Circuit Components
Know resistor color codes and tolerances, capacitor types and their uses, and inductor behavior. Capacitors block DC and pass AC; inductors pass DC and block AC.
302 words, about 2 min07Practical Circuits
Know the classes of amplifiers: Class A conducts all the time and is linear but inefficient; Class AB is a compromise used in SSB; Class C is high efficiency but nonlinear and used for FM or CW. Know that an oscillator generates a signal and that a crystal provides stable frequency.
298 words, about 1 min08Signals and Emissions
Know the difference between AM, FM, SSB, and CW. AM has a carrier and two sidebands; SSB suppresses the carrier and one sideband, saving power and bandwidth.
292 words, about 1 min09Antennas and Feed Lines
Know that a half-wave dipole is about 0.5 wavelength long and has a feed-point impedance near 70 Ω in free space, close to 50 Ω in practice. A quarter-wave vertical needs a ground plane or radials and has a low feed-point impedance (about 36 Ω).
281 words, about 1 min10Safety
The General exam tests RF exposure, high-voltage safety, grounding, and tower safety. Know that RF exposure limits depend on frequency and power density, and that the safe distance increases with power and antenna gain.
317 words, about 2 min