Ham Radio Technician Test License 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the exam fee that Volunteer Examiner teams are permitted to charge candidates for a Technician exam session?
- Nothing — all exams must be free
- A nominal fee set annually by the FCC
- A fee set by the VEC, capped by FCC rules (Correct answer)
- Whatever fee the local club decides
Correct answer: A fee set by the VEC, capped by FCC rules
VECs may charge an exam fee to cover costs; the FCC sets a maximum allowable fee that is adjusted periodically.
Question 2: Which of the following persons is NOT eligible to be a Volunteer Examiner (VE)?
- A General class licensee in good standing
- An Amateur Extra class licensee in good standing
- A Technician class licensee administering Element 2
- A person who is an FCC employee (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A person who is an FCC employee
FCC employees are explicitly prohibited from serving as Volunteer Examiners by FCC rules to avoid conflicts of interest.
Question 3: A Technician licensee wants to operate a remote station where the transmitter is in another state. What is required?
- A separate license for each state where equipment is located
- The licensee must be the control operator and follow rules for the transmitter's location (Correct answer)
- This is not permitted under Technician class privileges
- Special remote operating authorization from the FCC
Correct answer: The licensee must be the control operator and follow rules for the transmitter's location
Remote operation is allowed; the control operator must follow all FCC rules applicable to the transmitter's location regardless of where the operator is.
Question 4: What information is included on an amateur radio license grant in the FCC ULS database?
- Call sign, operator class, and expiration date only
- Call sign, operator class, expiration date, and licensee's mailing address (Correct answer)
- Call sign and a photo ID of the licensee
- Only the call sign — all other data is private
Correct answer: Call sign, operator class, expiration date, and licensee's mailing address
The ULS record includes the call sign, license class, expiration date, and licensee name and mailing address, all of which are public.
Question 5: Can a licensed Technician allow an unlicensed person to transmit on their station?
- No, only licensed operators may ever touch the microphone
- Yes, if the Technician acts as control operator and supervises the transmission (Correct answer)
- Yes, but only on VHF and UHF bands
- Only if the unlicensed person has submitted a license application
Correct answer: Yes, if the Technician acts as control operator and supervises the transmission
An unlicensed third party may transmit under the supervision of a licensed control operator who takes responsibility for the station's operation.
Question 6: What is the significance of the number in a US amateur radio call sign (e.g., the '9' in KD9XYZ)?
- It indicates the operator class level
- It historically indicated a call district region, though portability is now allowed (Correct answer)
- It shows how many years the operator has been licensed
- It is randomly assigned with no geographic meaning
Correct answer: It historically indicated a call district region, though portability is now allowed
The numeral originally designated one of ten FCC call districts, but licensees may now keep their call sign when moving to another district.
Question 7: Under FCC rules, what is the maximum symbol rate permitted for Technician class operation on 10 meters using digital modes?
- 300 baud (Correct answer)
- 1200 baud
- 9600 baud
- No symbol rate limit applies on 10 meters
Correct answer: 300 baud
On HF bands below 28 MHz, the maximum symbol rate for digital emissions is 300 baud; on 10 meters the Technician HF data segment follows the same 300-baud limit.
Ham Radio Technician Test License 5
What is the exam fee that Volunteer Examiner teams are permitted to charge candidates for a Technician exam session?