Amateur Radio for Smart People
K5HRA 
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
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
What is the most common repeater frequency offset in the 2 meter band? [T2A01] A. Plus 500 kHz B. Plus or minus 600 kHz C. Minus 500 kHz D. Only plus 600 kHz The answer is B. Plus or minus 600 kHz. Recall that the frequency offset is the difference between the repeater’s input frequency, … Read more
Which of the following would be a practical way to estimate whether the RF fields produced by an amateur radio station are within permissible MPE limits? [E0A03] A. Use a calibrated antenna analyzer B. Use a hand calculator plus Smith-chart equations to calculate the fields C. Use an antenna modeling program to calculate field strength … Read more
At what height above ground is an NVIS antenna typically installed? [G9D03] A. As close to 1/2 wavelength as possible B. As close to one wavelength as possible C. Height is not critical as long as it is significantly more than 1/2 wavelength D. Between 1/10 and 1/4 wavelength First off, what the heck is … Read more
Where should an in-line SWR meter be connected to monitor the standing wave ratio of the station antenna system? [T4A05] A. In series with the feed line, between the transmitter and antenna B. In series with the station’s ground C. In parallel with the push-to-talk line and the antenna D. In series with the power … Read more
What is the advantage of including a parity bit with an ASCII character stream? [E8C12] A. Faster transmission rate B. The signal can overpower interfering signals C. Foreign language characters can be sent D. Some types of errors can be detected The definition of a “parity bit” according to Wikipedia is: a bit added to … Read more
Which of the following is an effect of overmodulation? [G8A08] A. Insufficient audio B. Insufficient bandwidth C. Frequency drift D. Excessive bandwidth The answer is D. Excessive bandwidth. Now, for the purposes of getting this question correct on the exam, I’ll just say this: Just remember the connection between overmodulation and excessive bandwidth. The real … Read more
Which of these components can be used as an electronic switch or amplifier? [T6B03] A. Oscillator B. Potentiometer C. Transistor D. Voltmeter Piece of cake this one is…. Lets go through the false answers first, just to make sure. A. Oscillator. By definition, an oscillator simply takes a signal and, well, oscillates it. on/off, high/low, … Read more
Which of the following digital modes is especially useful for EME communications? [E2D03] A. FSK441 B. PACTOR III C. Olivia D. JT65 Due to the time it takes for signals to get to the moon and back, (EME = Earth-Moon-Earth) we need a mode that is highly dependent on time synchronization. This way everyone knows … Read more
