Amateur Radio for Smart People
The Amateur Extra question of the week comes from the section on frequency allocations and amateur services… [E1D07] Which amateur service HF bands have frequencies authorized to space stations? A. Only 40m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m B. Only 40m, 20m, 17m, 15m and 10m bands C. 40m, 30m, 20m, 15m, 12m and 10m … Read more
Delving into the crease where radio and computers converge, this week’s General class exam question is…… What is meant by the term “software defined radio” (SDR)? A. A radio in which most major signal processing functions are performed by software B. A radio that provides computer interface for automatic logging of band and frequency C. … Read more
This week’s foray into the Technician pool is about satellites, specifically…. Which of the following are inputs to a satellite tracking program? A. The weight of the satellite B. The Keplerian elements C. The last observed time of zero Doppler shift D. All of these answers are correct Well, we should probably eliminate the ones … Read more
The Extra-Extra-Extra Read All About it question of the week is a real beauty. [E8B12] What is digital time division multiplexing? A. Two or more data streams are assigned to discrete sub-carriers on an FM transmitter B. Two or more signals are arranged to share discrete time slots of a data transmission C. Two or … Read more
Which value of an AC signal results in the same power dissipation as a DC voltage of the same value? [G5B07] A. The peak-to-peak value B. The peak value C. The RMS value D. The reciprocal of the RMS value This is, unfortunately a “definition” question, so we’ll just come right out and tell you … Read more
How does current flowing through the body cause a health hazard [T0A02] A. By heating tissue B. It disrupts the electrical functions of cells C. It causes involuntary muscle contractions D. All of these choices are correct Lets run down the possible answers, and see what we come up with…. A. By heating tissue. Your … Read more
Today’s question for you studying to be Extra’s is a real doozy, about receivers. [E4D01] What is meant by the blocking dynamic range of a receiver? A. The difference in dB between the noise floor and the level of an incoming signal which will cause 1 dB of gain compression B. The minimum difference in … Read more
What precaution should be taken when installing a ground-mounted antenna? [G0A13] A. It should not be installed higher than you can reach B. It should not be installed in a wet area C. It should limited to 10 feet in height D. It should be installed so no one can be exposed to RF radiation … Read more
What is the FCC Part 97 definition of telecommand? [T1A13] A. An instruction bulletin issued by the FCC B. A one-way radio transmission of measurements at a distance from the measuring instrument C. A one-way transmission to initiate, modify or terminate functions of a device at a distance D. An instruction from a VEC The … Read more
This week in the Amateur Extra spectrum, we’ll look at a question from the “band plan” area of the exam [E2C06] During a VHF/UHF contest, in which band segment would you expect to find the highest level of activity? A. At the top of each band, usually in a segment reserved for contests B. In … Read more
