Amateur Radio for Smart People
This week’s Tech Class question is pulled from sub-element 4 (Amateur radio practices and station set up), section B (AGC) [T4B12] What is the function of automatic gain control or AGC? A. To keep received audio relatively constant B. To protect an antenna from lightning C. To eliminate RF on the station cabling D. An … Read more
Extra question of the day is from sub-element 6 (circuit components) section A (n-type semiconductors) [E6A16] What are the majority charge carriers in N-type semiconductor material? A. Holes B. Free electrons C. Free protons D. Free neutrons First, remember what the N-type designator means. It indicates that the device uses Negatively charged carriers. Protons and … Read more
The General class exam question of the week is from sub-element 6 (circuit components) section A (resistors) [G6A06] What will happen to the resistance if the temperature of a resistor is increased? A. It will change depending on the resistor’s reactance coefficient B. It will stay the same C. It will change depending on the … Read more
The Technician class question for this week is from sub-element 1 section F, essentially “the rules.” [T1F13] [97.103(c)] When must the station licensee make the station and its records available for FCC inspection? A. At any time ten days after notification by the FCC of such an inspection B. At any time upon request by … Read more
This week’s Amateur Extra question is from sub-element 5 (Electrical Principles) group A (characteristics of resonant circuits) [E5A06] What is the magnitude of the circulating current within the components of a parallel LC circuit at resonance? A. It is at a minimum B. It is at a maximum C. It equals 1 divided by the … Read more
The General question of the week is from sub-element 3 (propagation) section C (ionospheric layers) [G3C02] Where on the Earth do ionospheric layers reach their maximum height? A. Where the Sun is overhead B. Where the Sun is on the opposite side of the Earth C. Where the Sun is rising D. Where the Sun … Read more
The Technician question of the week comes from sub-element 7 (antenna measurements) section C (SWR measurement) [T7C05] What is the approximate SWR value above which the protection circuits in most solid-state transmitters begin to reduce transmitter power? A. 2 to 1 B. 1 to 2 C. 6 to 1 D. 10 to 1 Once you … Read more
Today’s exam question comes from the Amateur Extra exam, Sub-element 7 (Practical Circuits) and Section B, (Amplifiers)… [E7B20] What is a parametric amplifier? A. A type of bipolar operational amplifier with excellent linearity derived from use of very high voltage on the collector B. A low-noise VHF or UHF amplifier relying on varying reactance for … Read more
This week’s General Class question comes from sub-element 5 (Electrical Principles) group A (impedance) [G5A10] What unit is used to measure impedance? A. Volt B. Ohm C. Ampere D. Watt Impedance is the measure of opposition to current flow in a circuit when an AC voltage is applied. With that in mind, we can automatically … Read more
This week’s Tech question is from sub-element 5 (Electrical Principles) group A (units) [T5A11] What is the basic unit of electromotive force? A. The volt B. The watt C. The ampere D. The ohm This is one of the fundamental concepts when dealing with electricity, and therefore radio. The standard units that we use to … Read more
