General

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 the following frequencies is within the General Class portion of the 80-meter band? [G1A08, 97.301(d)] A. 1855 kHz B. 2560 kHz C. 3560 kHz D. 3650 kHz Well, we can eliminate answers A. 1855 kHz and B. 2560 kHz as neither one of those is in the 80-meter band, which is at 3500 … Read more

What is the turns ratio of a transformer used to match an audio amplifier having 600 ohm output impedance to a speaker having 4 ohm impedance? [G5C07] A. 12.2 to 1 B. 24.4 to 1 C. 150 to 1 D. 300 to 1 This is a simple ratio type equation, almost.  The equation for solving … Read more

Why is high input impedance desirable for a voltmeter? [G4B05] A. It improves the frequency response B. It decreases battery consumption in the meter C. It improves the resolution of the readings D. It decreases the loading on circuits being measured Remember that impedance is the property of a circuit that prevents current from moving … Read more