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General: Peak Inverse Voltage

Halfwave rectifier

What is the peak-inverse-voltage across the rectifier in a half-wave power supply? A. One-half the normal peak output voltage of the power supplyB. One-half the normal output voltage of the power supplyC. Equal to the normal output voltage of the power supplyD. Two times the normal peak output voltage of the power supply [G7A04] To … Read more

General: Station Log Information

Station Log Information QSL Card

What information is traditionally contained in a station log? [G2D09] A. Date and time of contactB. Band and/or frequency of the contactC. Call sign of station contacted and the signal report givenD. All of these choices are correct When keeping logs for your station, you need certain pieces of information for the contact, or QSO … Read more

Technician: Amplifier Components

Amplifier Components

Which of the following electronic components can amplify signals? [T6B05] A. Transistor B. Variable resistor C. Electrolytic capacitor D. Multi-cell battery The answer is, as luck would have it, A. Transistor.  The transistor is probably the miracle of 20th century technology.  It’s an amplifier, a switch, and so much more. None of the other components … Read more

General: Schottky Diode

Schottky diode

Which of the following is an advantage of using a Schottky diode in an RF switching circuit rather than a standard silicon diode? [G6A06] A. Lower capacitance B. Lower inductance C. Longer switching times D. Higher breakdown voltage First off, we need to know the difference between a Schottky diode and a standard silicon diode.  … Read more

General: Serial Port Connector

Serial Port Connector

Which of the following connectors would be a good choice for a serial data port? [G6B12] A. PL-259 B. Type N C. Type SMA D. DE-9 The answer is D. DE-9.  Now, wait a minute! I thought that was a DB-9 serial port connector?! Well, technically no.  The “B” refers to the size of the … Read more

Technician: Ammeter Current Display

Ammeter Current Display

If an ammeter calibrated in amperes is used to measure a 3000-milliampere current, what reading would it show? [T5B06] A. 0.003 amperes B. 0.3 amperes C. 3 amperes D. 3,000,000 amperes Don’t panic! This is a simple question about unit conversions, nothing more. Remember your definitions of metric prefixes.  Milli means one one-thousandth, or 0.001.  … Read more

Amateur Extra: Toxic Materials

Toxic Materials

Which insulating material commonly used as a thermal conductor for some types of electronic devices is extremely toxic if broken or crushed and the particles are accidentally inhaled? [E0A09] A. Mica B. Zinc oxide C. Beryllium Oxide D. Uranium Hexaflouride The answer is C. Beryllium Oxide.  One of the hazards we face as radio enthusiasts … Read more

General: QRV

What does the Q signal "QRV" mean?

What does the Q signal “QRV” mean? [G2C11] A. You are sending too fast B. There is interference on the frequency C. I am quitting for the day D. I am ready to receive messages Q-codes are one of those things you just have to memorize. There’s no good way around it.  I keep a … Read more