Amateur Radio — General Class

FCC Element 3. Opens the majority of HF: worldwide voice, digital, and CW operation, with the propagation and antenna theory that go with it.

Pool note. Pool expires 2027-06-30. Plan the exam attempt before then or expect a content refresh.

Modules

9

Study time

367 min

Exam

26/35

Pool covered

100%

2023-2027 General (Element 3) · 6th errata issued 2026-02-04 · valid 2023-07-01 to 2027-06-30 · practice exam · official release

Modules

1. 01 The Commission's Rules

   DraftG1A · G1B · G1C · G1D · G1E

   What General privileges actually are, where the sub-band edges fall, and the rules that only start to matter once you have HF power and a tower.

   1. 01What General Privileges Actually AreSay which bands a General holds outright, where the Extra-only segments fall, and which single rule predicts every sub-band boundary you will be asked about.
      8:27
      11 min
   2. 02Antenna Structures, Beacons, and Good Amateur PracticeState the antenna height rule and who may regulate your tower, run a beacon within the rules, and say who decides what "good amateur practice" means.
      6:52
      10 min
   3. 03Power Limits, Data Standards, and 60 MetresState the power limit on any band including the two exceptions, apply the 60 metre rules, and say what a new digital protocol owes the rest of the service.
      5:28
      9 min
   4. 04Volunteer Examiners, Upgrades, and Operating AbroadUse a CSCE correctly the day you upgrade, say what a General-class VE may administer, and apply the right country's rules when operating remotely.
      7:17
      10 min
   5. 05Control, Repeaters, Third Parties, and ITU RegionsApply the control-operator rules to automatic and remote stations, work out who may pass third-party traffic where, and avoid the frequencies you should leave alone.
      8:24
      10 min

2. 02 Electrical Principles

   DraftG5A · G5B · G5C

   Reactance, impedance, resonance, and the arithmetic of dividers, decibels, and RMS — the Technician material taken to the point where it computes.

   1. 01Reactance, Impedance, and ResonanceCompute inductive and capacitive reactance, state what impedance is as a ratio, and predict what a series or parallel LC circuit does at resonance.
      9:27
      13 min
   2. 02Power, RMS, and Decibels at HFCompute power from any pair of voltage, current, and resistance, convert between peak-to-peak and RMS, and work the PEP questions the exam repeats in five shapes.
      8:15
      12 min
   3. 03Combining Components, and TransformersCombine resistors, capacitors, and inductors in series and parallel without looking anything up, and compute a transformer's voltage and impedance ratios.
      7:31
      11 min

3. 03 HF Propagation

   DraftG3A · G3B · G3C

   The sun, the ionosphere, and the daily and eleven-year cycles that decide which band is open to where.

   1. 01The Sun, and the Numbers That Describe ItRead a propagation forecast: sunspot number, solar flux index, A-index and K-index, and know what each predicts and on what timescale.
      9:09
      11 min
   2. 02MUF, LUF, and Choosing a PathUse the MUF and LUF to pick a band for a given path, recognise long-path propagation, and state the single-hop distances for the E and F2 regions.
      7:59
      10 min
   3. 03The Ionospheric Regions, Scatter, and NVISName the ionospheric regions and what each does, explain why the low bands are local by day, and recognise HF scatter and NVIS when you hear them.
      8:48
      11 min

4. 04 Antennas and Feed Lines

   DraftG9A · G9B · G9C · G9D

   Dipoles, verticals, and beams at HF, where an antenna is large enough that height, ground, and takeoff angle dominate everything else.

   1. 01Feed Lines and SWR, ComputedCompute SWR from a resistive mismatch, say what sets a line's characteristic impedance, and explain why line loss flatters an SWR reading.
      7:01
      11 min
   2. 02Dipoles and VerticalsCut a dipole or monopole to length, predict its pattern and feed point impedance, and lay out a radial system that works.
      8:42
      11 min
   3. 03Directional AntennasDescribe a Yagi's elements and what each does, convert between dBi and dBd, and say what stacking, boom length, and matching each buy.
      7:39
      10 min
   4. 04Specialised AntennasMatch an antenna type to a job: multiband, NVIS, mobile, receiving-only, wideband, and direction-finding.
      8:17
      10 min

5. 05 Signals and Emissions

   DraftG8A · G8B · G8C

   What modulation does to a carrier, how a receiver changes frequency, and the digital emission modes that dominate modern HF.

   1. 01Modulation, Overmodulation, and Link BudgetsName the modulation that changes each property of a carrier, recognise overmodulation by its symptoms, and compute a link budget and margin.
      8:35
      11 min
   2. 02Mixing, Multiplying, and IntermodulationSay what comes out of a mixer, compute FM bandwidth and deviation through a multiplier, and identify the intermodulation products that land nearest your signal.
      9:32
      11 min
   3. 03Digital Emission ModesTell WSPR, FT8, PSK31, RTTY, packet, and the digital voice modes apart by their codes and error-control schemes, and read a waterfall for overmodulation.
      9:17
      12 min

6. 06 Operating Procedures

   DraftG2A · G2B · G2C · G2D · G2E

   Phone, CW, and digital operating on HF, plus the volunteer monitoring programme and how a band plan is actually used.

   1. 01Phone Operating on HFPick the right sideband for the band, set ALC correctly, break into a contact properly, and answer a DX call without being part of the problem.
      6:47
      10 min
   2. 02Sharing Frequencies, Nets, and RACESCheck whether a frequency is in use, allow the right spacing for your mode, handle a distress call, and apply the RACES drill limits.
      6:40
      10 min
   3. 03CW Operating and Q SignalsAnswer a CQ at the right speed, zero beat correctly, read the prosigns and Q signals a CW contact actually uses, and say what full break-in gives you.
      6:23
      10 min
   4. 04The Volunteer Monitor Program and HF PracticeSay what the Volunteer Monitor Program is and is not, use an azimuthal map for long path, and apply the small HF habits that make contacts work.
      6:47
      9 min
   5. 05Digital Operating on HFSet the right sideband and frequency for each digital mode, keep FT8's clock right, and diagnose a signal that will not decode.
      8:59
      11 min

7. 07 Station Practices

   DraftG4A · G4B · G4C · G4D · G4E

   Configuring an HF station, measuring it, keeping it from upsetting the neighbours, and taking it mobile or portable.

   1. 01Configuring an HF StationUse the receiver controls that dig a signal out of interference, tune an amplifier correctly, and know when ALC must be switched off.
      8:40
      11 min
   2. 02Tests and Test EquipmentChoose between a scope, a multimeter, and an antenna analyser, run a two-tone test, and know what an analyser needs connected to give a true reading.
      7:54
      10 min
   3. 03Grounding, Bonding, and RF in the Wrong PlacesDiagnose interference by the sound it makes, explain why a ground wire can be a hazard, and bond a station so RF stays out of the audio.
      8:58
      11 min
   4. 04Speech Processors, S Meters, and Band EdgesRead an S meter in decibels, compute the frequency range an SSB signal actually occupies, and stay legally inside a band edge.
      7:10
      10 min
   5. 05Mobile, Portable, and Off-Grid PowerPower an HF radio in a vehicle without setting fire to anything, work around a short mobile antenna's limits, and wire a solar panel to a battery safely.
      7:57
      10 min

8. 08 Components and Circuits

   DraftG6A · G6B · G7A · G7B · G7C

   The parts an HF station is built from, the power supply that runs it, and the receiver architecture that decides how it performs.

   1. 01Components at HFChoose the right resistor, capacitor, and inductor for RF, state diode forward voltages, and name the electrodes and operating points of transistors and tubes.
      7:08
      11 min
   2. 02Integrated Circuits, Ferrites, and ConnectorsTell analogue from digital ICs, choose a ferrite mix and a toroid for the job, and pick a connector by its frequency limit.
      6:29
      9 min
   3. 03Power Supplies and Schematic SymbolsTell half-wave from full-wave rectification by diode count and output ripple, say what each part of a filter does, and identify the symbols in figure G7-1.
      6:37
      10 min
   4. 04Amplifier Classes, Oscillators, and Digital LogicMatch an amplifier class to a mode, compute amplifier efficiency, say what makes an oscillator oscillate, and read the basic digital building blocks.
      6:59
      10 min
   5. 05Transceiver Design, Filters, and DSPTrace how an SSB signal is generated and recovered, read the four filter specifications, and say what a software-defined radio does in software.
      9:20
      11 min

9. 09 Electrical and RF Safety

   DraftG0A · G0B

   Routine station evaluation at HF power levels, and the tower and mains hazards that come with a real antenna.

   1. 01Routine RF Exposure EvaluationSay which stations must evaluate, what time averaging and duty cycle do to the limits, and what to do when an evaluation fails.
      8:24
      10 min
   2. 02Mains Wiring, Towers, and GeneratorsWire a station circuit to code, understand what a GFCI actually detects, climb safely, and site a lightning ground and a generator without creating a new hazard.
      8:38
      10 min

Where the exam questions come from

Each subelement contributes a fixed number of questions to every exam, drawn from a pool of very different size. The right-hand column is the one that matters: how many pool questions you must learn per exam question earned.

35 of 35 syllabus groups reach at least one lesson.