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Ham College episode 132 is now available for download.

Technician Exam Questions Part 19
T6A – Fixed and variable resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, Fuses, Switches, Batteries.
T6B – Semiconductors: basic principles and applications of solid state devices, diodes and transistors.

Ham College 132, titled “Technician Exam Questions Part 19,” focuses on topics T6A (Fixed and variable resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, Fuses, Switches, Batteries) and T6B (Semiconductors: basic principles and applications of solid-state devices, diodes, and transistors) as part of their technician exam pool. The hosts announce a double dose of questions in this episode and will be doubling up on episodes and questions in the coming months until the current technician study guide expires on June 30th, 2026 (0:40-0:52, 47:13-49:15).

Key topics and questions covered include:

Resistors
The electrical component that opposes the flow of current in a DC circuit is a resistor (2:32-3:57).
A potentiometer is often used as an adjustable volume control (5:24-6:20).
The electrical parameter controlled by a potentiometer is resistance (8:28-9:12).
Capacitors
A capacitor stores energy in an electric field (9:37-10:20).
A capacitor consists of conductive surfaces separated by an insulator (10:48-11:36).
Inductors
An inductor stores energy in a magnetic field (11:51-12:24).
An inductor is typically constructed as a coil of wire (13:06-13:42).
Switches
The function of a single pole double throw (SPDT) switch is that a single circuit is switched between one of two other circuits (13:59-15:01).
Component three in Figure T2 represents a single pole single throw switch (21:26-22:00).
Fuses
A fuse is used to protect other circuit components from current overloads (16:49-17:42).
Batteries
Nickel metal hydride, lithium-ion, and lead acid battery chemistries are all rechargeable (17:55-18:56).
Carbon zinc battery chemistry is not rechargeable (19:00-20:52).
Diodes
It is true that forward voltage drop in a diode is lower in some diode types than in others (28:09-29:30).
A diode allows current to flow in only one direction (30:06-30:52).
The cathode lead of a semiconductor diode is often marked on the package with a stripe (37:26-38:07).
Forward current causes a light-emitting diode (LED) to emit light (38:32-39:37).
The names for the electrodes of a diode are anode and cathode (41:15-42:18).
Transistors
A transistor can be used as an electronic switch (32:40-33:50).
A transistor can consist of three regions of semiconductor material (34:16-35:02).
An FET (Field Effect Transistor) has a gate, drain, and a source (35:26-36:24, 40:29-41:00).
A transistor can provide power gain (42:27-43:02).
The term that describes a device’s ability to amplify a signal is gain (43:11-43:53).
The names of the electrodes of a bipolar junction transistor are emitter, base, and collector (43:58-44:46).

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