I passed my General exam the same way a lot of people do: I memorized the answers. Not the concepts, not the why — the answers. Question pool goes in, correct letter comes out, and a few weeks later the FCC mails you a piece of paper that says you understand things you don’t. I’m studying for Amateur Extra now, and the...

I passed my General a while back. Now I’m studying for Amateur Extra — the top US license class — and this post kicks off a series where I work through it in public, from the perspective of someone who’s here for the electronics more than the operating. This first one is about why the Extra material is worth your time...