ARRL Technician Practice Exam 2026 - Free Technician License Practice Questions and Study Guide

If a person accidentally touched your antenna while you were transmitting, they might receive a painful RF burn due to the high levels of RF energy emitted by the antenna. When radio frequency signals are transmitted, they can create a significant electric field around the antenna. If a person comes into contact with this field, the RF energy can cause heating of biological tissues, resulting in burns. The severity of the burn can depend on several factors, including the power level of the transmission and the duration of contact with the antenna.

Other scenarios are less likely; for instance, while touching the antenna might cause some sensation, it typically would not just result in a mild electric shock (as RF burns are typically much more severe). The idea of nothing happening might underestimate the potential hazards of RF exposure, particularly in the context of higher-powered transmissions. Finally, the claim that a person would be magnetized temporarily does not have a basis in how RF fields interact with the human body; RF energy does not produce a lasting magnetization effect. Thus, the correct interpretation of what could happen is that they might indeed experience a painful RF burn.