Practical takeaway
Semiconductor basics, diodes, transistors, FETs, and gain.
T6B · 12 pool questions
Diodes, Transistors & Semiconductors
Semiconductor basics, diodes, transistors, FETs, and gain.
Technician exam focus
This group contains 12 questions in the current pool. The teaching below keeps the important tested terms visible while explaining what they mean in normal Amateur Radio use.
1. A diode prefers one direction
A diode allows current to flow much more readily in one direction than the other. Its electrodes are the anode and cathode. Different diode types have different forward voltage drops, so that drop matters in a real circuit.
2. Transistors control larger signals
A transistor can operate as an electronic switch or amplifier. Because a small input controls a larger current supplied by the circuit’s power source, a transistor can provide power gain.
3. Know the transistor families
A bipolar transistor has regions/terminals commonly called emitter, base, and collector. A Field Effect Transistor (FET) uses an electric field; its common terminals are gate, source, and drain.
4. Semiconductors show up everywhere
LEDs, rectifier diodes, RF amplifiers, switching circuits, oscillators, and integrated circuits all rely on semiconductor devices. For the Technician level, recognizing the device and its basic function matters more than semiconductor physics.
T6B checklist
- A diode conducts primarily in one direction.
- Diode electrodes: anode and cathode.
- A transistor can act as a switch or amplifier and can provide power gain.
- BJT terminals: emitter, base, collector.
- FET = Field Effect Transistor; common terminals are gate, source, drain.
- Forward voltage drop varies among diode types.
Exam scope: NCVEC 2026–2030 Technician Class (Element 2), effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030, with February 19, 2026 errata. The current NCVEC pool is the exam authority; explanatory prose here is SPARKA teaching material. NCVEC pool