You can miss every single electronics theory question and pass the 
tech exam.  That assuming you know what frequencies are in what 
bands, and you know the rest of the material.  So given that, let's 
make sure you can flub your way through enough theory to pass.

Bring something to make a few quick notes, and make a few as soon as 
you start your test.  You are going to write down three formulas.  
The first one is an approximation, and the other two are the real 
thing.  They are:

300 = w f
e = i r
p = i e

Do that before you start taking the test.  The first one is, as I 
said, an approximation.  It's roughly the ratio of wavelength in 
meters to frequency in Megahertz.  Not terribly precise (it suggest 
that 2 meters is 150 MHz and 1.25 meters is 240 MHz), but it's close 
enough for you to get every single "this frequency is in what band" 
question right.

Just remember the number you calculate is gonna be a little on the 
high side.  It's close enough to check yourself on a multiple choice 
question or figure out the answer if you don't remember.  BTW, I 
wrote it as a multiplication problem instead of division on purpose 
to reduce stress remembering it.  300 on one side, the variables on 
the other, in any order.

The other two formulas are Ohm's law.  The first is written out to 
(mis-)spell "ear".  The second one spells out pie.  Did someone say 
pie?  I like the sound of that!  The e is the voltage, r is 
resistance in ohms, i is the current in amps, and p is power in 
watts.  Obviously if you know current and resistance, you can find 
power by first figuring out the voltage.  These questions are really 
about whether or not you know your prefixes (kilo, Mega, micro, etc.) 
and can you keep the numbers straight to plug them in to the 
formulas.

There is one other math type problem on the tech exam.  There's 
likely to be one question on your exam asking you about decibel 
ratios.  You don't need to know how to calculate them for the tech 
exam, and the scale is logarithmic if you even remember what that 
means.  You only care about 3, 6, and 10 dB.  These respectively are 
ratios of 2, 4, and 10 to 1.  That works up or down.  A 3 dB gain 
means 5 watts in is like 10 watts out.  A 6 dB loss in really crappy 
coax means that a 100 watt signal comes out as 25 watts, which is why 
you really want to use the expensive coax on 70cm and above.  *grin*

Know your terms, know the rules, and take the practice tests often to 
keep the material fresh in your head.  You WILL pass.

Joseph - KF7QZC


On Wed, Mar 28, 2012 at 12:59:24AM -0400, Aimee Lewis wrote:
>Yes folks, that is the day when I take my technician exam.  I'm a little
>nervous, but I'm sure I'll do fine.  I finally joined Handihams, and just
>downloaded the mp3 and txt versions of the question pool with only the right
>answers.  However, I was reminded by Love of My Life, John Jacques, KD8PC,
>that I can't have my laptop with me at the exam site.  LOL!  I might take a
>Braille notebook with me though.  No, just kidding.  The only embosser I
>have access to these days is my embosser at work, and I'm not supposed to
>produce anything non-work related on it.  Well, anyway, I'm doing too much
>QST here, so I'll shut up for now.  Besides it's late.  So wish me luck, or
>pray or meditate for me, or whatever it is you do, please?  Thanks in
>advance!  Take care, and we'll talk soon on the air.
>
>
>
>Aimee Lewis
>
>"Be well, do good work and keep in touch." (Garrison Keillor)