| 1 |
What is transequatorial propagation?
|
|---|---|
| A | Propagation between two points at approximately the same distance north and south of the magnetic equator |
| B | Propagation between two points at approximately the same latitude on the magnetic equator |
| C | Propagation between two continents by way of ducts along the magnetic equator |
| D | Propagation between two stations at the same latitude |
| 2 |
What is the approximate maximum range for signals using transequatorial propagation?
|
|---|---|
| A | 1000 miles |
| B | 2500 miles |
| C | 5000 miles |
| D | 7500 miles |
| 3 |
What is the best time of day for transequatorial propagation?
|
|---|---|
| A | Morning |
| B | Noon |
| C | Afternoon or early evening |
| D | Late at night |
| 4 |
What type of propagation is probably occurring if a beam antenna must be pointed in a direction 180 degrees away from a station to receive the strongest signals?
|
|---|---|
| A | Long-path |
| B | Sporadic-E |
| C | Transequatorial |
| D | Auroral |
| 5 |
On what amateur bands can long-path propagation provide signal enhancement?
|
|---|---|
| A | 160 to 40 meters |
| B | 30 to 10 meters |
| C | 160 to 10 meters |
| D | 160 to 6 meters |
| 6 |
What amateur band consistently yields long-path enhancement using a modest antenna of relatively high gain?
|
|---|---|
| A | 80 meters |
| B | 20 meters |
| C | 10 meters |
| D | 6 meters |
| 7 |
What is the typical reason for hearing an echo on the received signal of a station in Europe while directing your HF antenna toward the station?
|
|---|---|
| A | The station's transmitter has poor frequency stability |
| B | The station's transmitter is producing spurious emissions |
| C | Auroral conditions are causing a direct and a long-path reflected signal to be received |
| D | There are two signals being received, one from the most direct path and one from long-path propagation |
| 8 |
What type of propagation is probably occurring if radio signals travel along the earth's terminator?
|
|---|---|
| A | Transequatorial |
| B | Sporadic-E |
| C | Long-path |
| D | Gray-line |
| 9 |
At what time of day is gray-line propagation most prevalent?
|
|---|---|
| A | Twilight, at sunrise and sunset |
| B | When the sun is directly above the location of the transmitting station |
| C | When the sun is directly overhead in the middle of the communications path between the two stations |
| D | When the sun is directly above the location of the receiving station |
| 10 |
What is the cause of gray-line propagation?
|
|---|---|
| A | At midday, the sun, being directly overhead, superheats the ionosphere causing increased refraction of radio waves |
| B | At twilight, solar absorption drops greatly while atmospheric ionisation is not weakened enough to reduce the MUF |
| C | At darkness, solar absorption drops greatly while atmospheric ionisation remains steady |
| D | At midafternoon the sun heats the ionosphere, increasing radio wave refraction and the MUF |
| 11 |
What communications are possible during gray-line propagation?
|
|---|---|
| A | Contacts up to 2,000 miles only on the 10-meter band |
| B | Contacts up to 750 miles on the 6- and 2-meter bands |
| C | Contacts up to 8,000 to 10,000 miles on three or four HF bands |
| D | Contacts up to 12,000 to 15,000 miles on the 10- and 15-meter bands |
| 12 |
What effect does auroral activity have upon radio communications?
|
|---|---|
| A | The readability of SSB signals increases |
| B | FM communications indicate more clearly |
| C | CW signals have a clearer tone |
| D | CW signals have a fluttery tone |
| 13 |
What is the cause of auroral activity?
|
|---|---|
| A | A high sunspot level |
| B | A low sunspot level |
| C | The emission of charged particles from the sun |
| D | Meteor showers concentrated in the northern latitudes |
| 14 |
Where in the ionosphere does auroral activity occur?
|
|---|---|
| A | At F-region height |
| B | In the equatorial band |
| C | At D-region height |
| D | At E-region height |
| 15 |
Which emission modes are best for auroral propagation?
|
|---|---|
| A | CW and SSB |
| B | SSB and FM |
| C | FM and CW |
| D | RTTY and AM |
| 16 |
What causes selective fading?
|
|---|---|
| A | Small changes in beam heading at the receiving station |
| B | Phase differences between radio-wave components of the same transmission as experienced at the receiving station |
| C | Large changes in the height of the ionosphere at the receiving station ordinarily occurring shortly after either sunrise or sunset |
| D | Time differences between the receiving and transmitting stations |
| 17 |
Which emission modes suffer the most from selective fading?
|
|---|---|
| A | CW and SSB |
| B | FM and double sideband AM |
| C | SSB and AMTOR |
| D | SSTV and CW |
| 18 |
How does the bandwidth of a transmitted signal affect selective fading?
|
|---|---|
| A | Wide bandwidths |
| B | Narrow bandwidths |
| C | It is the same for both narrow and wide bandwidths |
| D | The receiver bandwidth determines the selective fading effect |
| 19 |
How much farther does the VHF/UHF radio-path horizon distance exceed the geometric horizon?
|
|---|---|
| A | By approximately 15% of the distance |
| B | By approximately twice the distance |
| C | By approximately one-half the distance |
| D | By approximately four times the distance |
| 20 |
For a 3-element Yagi antenna with horizontally mounted elements, how does the main lobe takeoff angle vary with height above flat ground?
|
|---|---|
| A | It increases with increasing height |
| B | It decreases with increasing height |
| C | It does not vary with height |
| D | It depends on E-region height, not antenna height |
| 21 |
What is the name of the high-angle wave in HF propagation that travels for some distance within the F2 region?
|
|---|---|
| A | Oblique-angle ray |
| B | Pedersen ray |
| C | Ordinary ray |
| D | Heaviside ray |
| 22 |
What effect is usually responsible for propagating a VHF signal over 500 miles?
|
|---|---|
| A | D-region absorption |
| B | Faraday rotation |
| C | Tropospheric ducting |
| D | Moonbounce |
| 23 |
What happens to an electromagnetic wave as it encounters air molecules and other particles?
|
|---|---|
| A | The wave loses kinetic energy |
| B | The wave gains kinetic energy |
| C | An aurora is created |
| D | Nothing happens because the waves have no physical substance |
| 24 |
An important factor to consider when high angle radiation is desired from a horizontal half-wave antenna is the:
|
|---|---|
| A | Size of the antenna wire |
| B | Time of the year |
| C | The height of the antenna |
| D | Mode of propagation |
| 25 |
The MUF for a given radio path is the:
|
|---|---|
| A | Mean of the maximum and minimum usable frequencies |
| B | Maximum usable frequency |
| C | Minimum usable frequency |
| D | Mandatory usable frequency |
| 26 |
What is the maximum separation between two stations communicating by moonbounce?
|
|---|---|
| A | 500 miles maximum, if the moon is at perigee |
| B | 2000 miles maximum, if the moon is at apogee |
| C | 5000 miles maximum, if the moon is at perigee |
| D | Any distance as long as the stations have a mutual lunar window |
| 27 |
What characterises libration fading of an earth-moon-earth signal?
|
|---|---|
| A | A slow change in the pitch of the CW signal |
| B | A fluttery, rapid irregular fading |
| C | A gradual loss of signal as the sun rises |
| D | The returning echo is several hertz lower in frequency than the transmitted signal |
| 28 |
What are the best days to schedule EME contacts?
|
|---|---|
| A | When the moon is at perigee |
| B | When the moon is full |
| C | When the moon is at apogee |
| D | When the weather at both stations is clear |
| 29 |
What type of receiving system is required for EME communications?
|
|---|---|
| A | Equipment with very low power output |
| B | Equipment with very low dynamic range |
| C | Equipment with very low gain |
| D | Equipment with very low noise figures |
| 30 |
What transmit and receive time sequencing is normally used on 144 MHz when attempting an earth-moon-earth contact?
|
|---|---|
| A | Two-minute sequences, where one station transmits for a full two minutes and then receives for the following two minutes |
| B | One-minute sequences, where one station transmits for one minute and then receives for the following one minute |
| C | Two-and-one-half minute sequences, where one station transmits for a full 2.5 minutes and then receives for the following 2.5 minutes |
| D | Five-minute sequences, where one station transmits for five minutes and then receives for the following five minutes |
| 31 |
What transmit and receive time sequencing is normally used on 432 MHz when attempting an EME contact?
|
|---|---|
| A | Two-minute sequences, where one station transmits for a full two minutes and then receives for the following two minutes |
| B | One-minute sequences, where one station transmits for one minute and then receives for the following one minute |
| C | Two and one-half minute sequences, where one station transmits for a full 2.5 minutes and then receives for the following 2.5 minutes |
| D | Five-minute sequences, where one station transmits for five minutes and then receives for the following five minutes |
| 32 |
What frequency range would you normally tune to find EME stations in the 2-meter band?
|
|---|---|
| A | 144.000 - 144.001 MHz |
| B | 144.000 - 144.100 MHz |
| C | 144.100 - 144.300 MHz |
| D | 145.000 - 145.100 MHz |
| 33 |
What frequency range would you normally tune to find EME stations in the 70-cm band?
|
|---|---|
| A | 430.000 - 430.150 MHz |
| B | 430.100 - 431.100 MHz |
| C | 431.100 - 431.200 MHz |
| D | 432.000 - 432.100 MHz |
| 34 |
When the earth's atmosphere is struck by a meteor, a cylindrical region of free electrons is formed at what layer of the ionosphere?
|
|---|---|
| A | The E layer |
| B | The F1 layer |
| C | The F2 layer |
| D | The D layer |
| 35 |
Which range of frequencies is well suited for meteor-scatter communications?
|
|---|---|
| A | 1.8 - 1.9 MHz |
| B | 10 - 14 MHz |
| C | 28 - 148 MHz |
| D | 220 - 450 MHz |
| 36 |
What transmit and receive time sequencing is normally used on 144 MHz when attempting a meteor-scatter contact?
|
|---|---|
| A | Two-minute sequences, where one station transmits for a full two minutes and then receives for the following two minutes |
| B | One-minute sequences, where one station transmits for one minute and then receives for the following one minute |
| C | 15-second sequences, where one station transmits for 15 seconds and then receives for the following 15 seconds |
| D | 30-second sequences, where one station transmits for 30 seconds and then receives for the following 30 seconds |
| 37 |
A 'skip zone' is:
|
|---|---|
| A | The distance between the antenna and where the refracted wave first returns to earth |
| B | The distance between the far end of the ground wave and where the refracted wave first returns to earth |
| C | The distance between any two refracted waves |
| D | A zone caused by lost sky waves |
| 38 |
The polarisation of an electromagnetic wave is defined by the direction of:
|
|---|---|
| A | The H field |
| B | Propagation |
| C | The E field |
| D | The receiving antenna |
| 39 |
For long distance propagation, the radiation angle of energy from the antenna should be:
|
|---|---|
| A | Less than 30 degrees |
| B | More than 30 degrees but less than forty-five |
| C | More than 45 degrees but less than ninety |
| D | 90 degrees |
| 40 |
Three recognised layers of the ionosphere that affect radio propagation are:
|
|---|---|
| A | A, E, F |
| B | B, D, E |
| C | C, E, F |
| D | D, E, F |
| 41 |
What would be the ideal operating strategy for a worldwide DX contest during a solar minimum instead of a solar maximum?
|
|---|---|
| A | 160-40 meters would be emphasised during the evening; 20 meters during daylight hours |
| B | There would be little to no strategic difference |
| C | 80 meters would support worldwide communication during mid-day hours |
| D | 10 and 15 meters should be tried one hour before sunset |
| 42 |
When operating during a contest, which of these standards should you follow?
|
|---|---|
| A | Always listen before transmitting, be courteous and do not cause harmful interference to other communications |
| B | Always reply to other stations calling CQ at least as many times as you call CQ |
| C | When initiating a contact, always reply with the callsign of the station you are calling followed by your call sign |
| D | Always include your signal report, name and transmitter power output in any exchange with another station |
| 43 |
What is one of the main purposes for holding on-the-air operating contests?
|
|---|---|
| A | To test the dollar-to-feature value of station equipment during difficult operating circumstances |
| B | To enhance the communicating and operating skills of amateurs in readiness for an emergency |
| C | To measure the ionospheric capacity for refracting RF signals under varying conditions |
| D | To demonstrate to the MCMC that amateur station operation is possible during difficult operating circumstances |
| 44 |
Which of the following is typical of operations during an international amateur DX contest?
|
|---|---|
| A | Calling CQ is always done on an odd minute, and listening is always done on an even minute |
| B | Contacting a DX station is best accomplished when the WWV K index is above a reading of 8 |
| C | Some DX operators use split-frequency operations (transmitting on a frequency different from the receiving frequency) |
| D | DX contacts during the day are never possible because of known band attenuation from the sun |
| 45 |
If a DX station asks for your grid square locator, what should be your reply?
|
|---|---|
| A | The square of the power fed to the grid of your final amplifier and your current city, state and country |
| B | The DX station's call sign followed by your call sign and your RST signal report |
| C | The subsection of the IARU region in which you are located based upon dividing the entire region into a grid of squares 10 km wide |
| D | Your geographic "Maidenhead" grid location (e.g., OJ03LP) based on your current latitude and longitude |
| 46 |
What does a "Maidenhead" grid square refer to?
|
|---|---|
| A | A two-degree longitude by one (1) degree latitude square, as part of a worldwide numbering system |
| B | A one-degree longitude by one (1) degree latitude square, beginning at the South Pole |
| C | An antenna made of wire grid used to amplify low-angle incoming signals while reducing high-angle incoming signals |
| D | An antenna consisting of a screen or grid positioned directly beneath the radiating element |
| 47 |
During a VHF/UHF contest, in which band section would you expect to find the highest level of contest activity?
|
|---|---|
| A | At the top of each band, usually in a segment reserved for contests |
| B | In the middle of each band, usually on the national calling frequency |
| C | At the bottom of each band, usually in the weak signal segment |
| D | In the middle of the band, usually 25 kHz above the national calling frequency |
| 48 |
Which of the following frequency ranges is reserved by "gentlemen's agreement" for DX contacts during international 6-meter contests?
|
|---|---|
| A | 50.000 to 50.025 MHz |
| B | 50.050 to 50.075 MHz |
| C | 50.075 to 50.100 MHz |
| D | 50.100 to 50.125 MHz |
| 49 |
If you are in the US calling a station in Texas on a frequency of 1832 kHz and a station replies that you are "in the window," what does this mean?
|
|---|---|
| A | You are operating out of the band privileges of your license |
| B | You are calling at the wrong time of day to be within the window of frequencies that can be received in Texas at that time |
| C | You are transmitting in a frequency segment that is reserved for international DX contacts by "gentlemen's agreement." |
| D | Your modulation has reached an undesirable level, and you are interfering with another contact |
| 50 |
Why are received spread-spectrum signals so resistant to interference?
|
|---|---|
| A | Signals not using the spectrum-spreading algorithm are suppressed in the receiver |
| B | The high power used by a spread-spectrum transmitter keeps its signal from being easily overpowered |
| C | The receiver is always equipped with a special digital signal processor (DSP) interference filter |
| D | If the receiver detects interference, it will signal the transmitter to change frequencies |
| 51 |
How does the spread-spectrum technique of frequency hopping (FH) work?
|
|---|---|
| A | If the receiver detects interference, it will signal the transmitter to change frequencies |
| B | If the receiver detects interference, it will signal the transmitter to wait until the frequency is clear |
| C | A pseudo-random binary bit stream is used to shift the phase of an RF carrier very rapidly in a particular sequence |
| D | The frequency of an RF carrier is changed very rapidly according to a particular pseudo-random sequence |
| 52 |
What is the most common data rate used for HF packet communications?
|
|---|---|
| A | 48 bauds |
| B | 110 bauds |
| C | 300 bauds |
| D | 1200 bauds |
| 53 |
How many times per second is a new frame transmitted in a fast-scan television system?
|
|---|---|
| A | 30 |
| B | 60 |
| C | 90 |
| D | 120 |
| 54 |
How many horizontal lines make up a fast-scan television frame?
|
|---|---|
| A | 30 |
| B | 60 |
| C | 525 |
| D | 1050 |
| 55 |
How is the interlace scanning pattern generated in a fast-scan television system?
|
|---|---|
| A | By scanning the field from top to bottom |
| B | By scanning the field from bottom to top |
| C | By scanning from left to right in one field and right to left in the next |
| D | By scanning odd numbered lines in one field and even numbered ones in the next |
| 56 |
What is blanking in a video signal?
|
|---|---|
| A | Synchronisation of the horizontal and vertical sync pulses |
| B | Turning off the scanning beam while it is travelling from right to left and from bottom to top |
| C | Turning off the scanning beam at the conclusion of a transmission |
| D | Transmitting a black and white test pattern |
| 57 |
What is the bandwidth of a vestigial sideband AM fast-scan television transmission?
|
|---|---|
| A | 3 kHz |
| B | 10 kHz |
| C | 25 kHz |
| D | 6 MHz |
| 58 |
What is the standard video level, in percent PEV, for black?
|
|---|---|
| A | 0% |
| B | 12.5% |
| C | 70% |
| D | 100% |
| 59 |
What is the standard video level, in percent PEV, for blanking?
|
|---|---|
| A | 0% |
| B | 12.5% |
| C | 75% |
| D | 100% |
| 60 |
Which of the following is NOT a common method of transmitting accompanying audio with amateur fast-scan television?
|
|---|---|
| A | Amplitude modulation of the video carrier |
| B | Frequency-modulated sub-carrier |
| C | A separate VHF or UHF audio link |
| D | Frequency modulation of the video carrier |
| 61 |
What is facsimile?
|
|---|---|
| A | The transmission of characters by radioteletype that forms a picture when printed |
| B | The transmission of still pictures by slow-scan television |
| C | The transmission of video by amateur television |
| D | The transmission of printed pictures for permanent display on paper |
| 62 |
What is the modern standard scan rate for a facsimile picture transmitted by an amateur station?
|
|---|---|
| A | 240 lines per minute |
| B | 50 lines per minute |
| C | 150 lines per second |
| D | 60 lines per second |
| 63 |
What is the approximate transmission time per frame for a facsimile picture transmitted by an amateur station at 240 lpm?
|
|---|---|
| A | 6 minutes |
| B | 3.3 minutes |
| C | 6 seconds |
| D | 1/60 second |
| 64 |
In facsimile, what device converts variations in picture brightness and darkness into voltage variations?
|
|---|---|
| A | An LED |
| B | A Hall-effect transistor |
| C | A photodetector |
| D | An optoisolator |
| 65 |
What is the direction of an ascending pass for an amateur satellite?
|
|---|---|
| A | From west to east |
| B | From east to west |
| C | From south to north |
| D | From north to south |
| 66 |
What is the direction of a descending pass for an amateur satellite?
|
|---|---|
| A | From north to south |
| B | From west to east |
| C | From east to west |
| D | From south to north |
| 67 |
What is the period of an amateur satellite?
|
|---|---|
| A | The point of maximum height of a satellite's orbit |
| B | The point of minimum height of a satellite's orbit |
| C | The amount of time it takes for a satellite to complete one orbit |
| D | The time it takes a satellite to travel from perigee to apogee |
| 68 |
What are the receiving and retransmitting frequency bands used for Mode A in amateur satellite operations?
|
|---|---|
| A | Satellite receiving on 10 meters and retransmitting on 2 meters |
| B | Satellite receiving on 70 centimetres and retransmitting on 2 meters |
| C | Satellite receiving on 70 centimetres and retransmitting on 10 meters |
| D | Satellite receiving on 2 meters and retransmitting on 10 meters |
| 69 |
What are the receiving and retransmitting frequency bands used for Mode B in amateur satellite operations?
|
|---|---|
| A | Satellite receiving on 10 meters and retransmitting on 2 meters |
| B | Satellite receiving on 70 centimetres and retransmitting on 2 meters |
| C | Satellite receiving on 70 centimetres and retransmitting on 10 meters |
| D | Satellite receiving on 2 meters and retransmitting on 10 meters |
| 70 |
What are the receiving and retransmitting frequency bands used for Mode J in amateur satellite operations?
|
|---|---|
| A | Satellite receiving on 70 centimetres and retransmitting on 2 meters |
| B | Satellite receiving on 2 meters and retransmitting on 10 meters |
| C | Satellite receiving on 2 meters and retransmitting on 70 centimetres |
| D | Satellite receiving on 70 centimetres and transmitting on 10 meters |
| 71 |
What are the receiving and retransmitting frequency bands used for Mode L in amateur satellite operations?
|
|---|---|
| A | Satellite receiving on 70 centimetres and retransmitting on 10 meters |
| B | Satellite receiving on 10 meters and retransmitting on 70 centimetres |
| C | Satellite receiving on 70 centimetres and retransmitting on 23 centimetres |
| D | Satellite receiving on 23 centimetres and retransmitting on 70 centimetres |
| 72 |
What is a linear transponder?
|
|---|---|
| A | A repeater that passes only linear or CW signals |
| B | A device that receives and retransmits signals of any mode in a certain passband |
| C | An amplifier that varies its output linearly in response to input signals |
| D | A device which responds to satellite telecommands and is used to activate a linear sequence of events |
| 73 |
What is the name of the effect which causes the downlink frequency of a satellite to vary by several kHz during a low-earth orbit because the distance between the satellite and ground station is changing?
|
|---|---|
| A | The Kepler effect |
| B | The Bernoulli effect |
| C | The Einstein Effect |
| D | The Doppler effect |
| 74 |
Why does the received signal from a Phase 3 amateur satellite exhibit a fairly rapid pulsed fading effect?
|
|---|---|
| A | Because the satellite is rotating |
| B | Because of ionospheric absorption |
| C | Because of the satellite's low orbital altitude |
| D | Because of the Doppler effect |
| 75 |
What type of antenna can be used to minimise the effects of spin modulation and Faraday rotation?
|
|---|---|
| A | A nonpolarized antenna |
| B | A circularly polarised antenna |
| C | An isotropic antenna |
| D | A log-periodic dipole array |
| 76 |
Propagation on 80 metres during the summer daylight hours is limited to relatively short distances because of
|
|---|---|
| A | High absorption in the D layer |
| B | The disappearance of the E layer |
| C | Poor refraction by the F layer |
| D | Pollution in the T layer |
| 77 |
VHF and UHF bands are frequently used for satellite communication because:
|
|---|---|
| A | Waves at these frequencies travel to and from the satellite relatively unaffected by the ionosphere |
| B | The Doppler frequency change caused by satellite motion is much less than at HF |
| C | Satellites move too fast for HF waves to follow |
| D | The Doppler effect would cause HF waves to be shifted into the VHF and UHF bands. |