SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/ham-rf-burn

What hazard comes from touching an antenna while it is transmitting?

An RF burn to the skin.

  1. Exposure to ionizing radiation
  2. RF burn to skin ✔
  3. Electrocution

Why: A transmitting antenna can carry high RF voltage. Touching it can cause a painful burn, so keep antennas where people cannot reach them.

Huh, didn't know that: Your RF exposure depends on frequency, power, distance from the antenna and its radiation pattern.

The dad joke
Why don't hams high-five their antennas? They hate getting burned.
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Sources

  1. NCVEC 2026-2030 Technician Question Pool (Element 2), errata Feb 19, 2026 https://www.ncvec.org/downloads/2026-2030%20Technician%20Pool%20and%20Syllabus%20Public%20Release%20Feb%2019%202026.pdf

Test yourself in the game

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That's stuff everyone should know.