There is probably more discussion, more debate and more misinformation about antennas and transmission lines than any other subject matter in amateur radio.
Despite all the flashy ads for expensive radios and amplifiers, experienced operators know that expensive radios and powerful amplifiers will not be effective if they do not have a good antenna and feed line. Conversely they can "work the world" with a small low powered QRP radio with a good antenna system. Good antennas and feed lines don't need to be expensive and you can build your own.
This section will help you understand what makes a good antenna and transmission system. You will learn about the characteristics of different types of antennas. There are some formulas to learn.
About 12% of the exam questions will be from section B-006 in the question bank. There are about 130 questions to review. They are found in the following sections:
Feedlines and Antenna Systems - 006 6-1 feed line characteristics, characteristic impedance 6-2 balanced and unbalanced feed lines, baluns 6-3 popular antenna feed line and coaxial connector types 6-4 line losses by line type, length and frequency 6-5 standing waves, standing wave ratio, SWR meter 6-6 concept of impedance matching 6-7 isotropic source, polarization via element orientation 6-8 wavelength vs physical length 6-9 gain, directivity, radiation pattern, antenna bandwidth 6-10 vertical antennas - types, dimensions, characteristics 6-11 Yagi antennas - types, dimensions, characteristics 6-12 wire antennas - types, dimensions, characteristics 6-13 quad/loop antennas - types, dimensions, characteristics
You should be able to review these chapters in one evening to get a good overview of the topic.
Like the hints in the other sections, try the questions after reading each section to reinforce what you have learned.
Learn the basic formula for antenna length vs frequency range. This is used in the design of all antennas.
After reading all the material, try all the questions in the sections above. If you don't get the right answer for all them, go back to the Study Guide again.
Next: Safety