Practice Exam

E1C07

1. What is meant by local control?

• A. Controlling a repeater using a portable handheld transceiver
• B. Controlling a station through a local auxiliary link
• C. Automatically manipulating local station controls
• D. Direct manipulation of the transmitter by a control operator

E1F01

2. On what frequencies are spread spectrum transmissions permitted?

• A. Only on amateur frequencies above 144 MHz
• B. Only on amateur frequencies above 420 MHz
• C. Only on amateur frequencies above 222 MHz
• D. Only on amateur frequencies above 50 MHz

E7D02

3. What is one characteristic of a switching electronic voltage regulator?

• A. The control device's duty cycle is controlled to produce a constant average output voltage
• B. It gives a ramp voltage at its output
• C. It is generally less efficient than a linear regulator
• D. The resistance of a control element is varied in direct proportion to the line voltage or load current

E1B02

4. Which of the following factors might cause the physical location of an amateur station apparatus or antenna structure to be restricted?

• A. The location is of geographical or horticultural importance
• B. The location is near an area of political conflict
• C. The location is of environmental importance or significant in American history, architecture, or culture
• D. The location is in an ITU zone designated for coordination with one or more foreign governments

E4E05

5. How can noise from an electric motor be suppressed?

• A. By installing a brute-force AC-line filter in series with the motor leads
• B. By installing a bypass capacitor in series with the motor leads
• C. By installing a high pass filter in series with the motor's power leads
• D. By using a ground-fault current interrupter in the circuit used to power the motor

E3A04

6. What type of receiving system is desirable for EME communications?

• A. Equipment with very wide bandwidth
• B. Equipment with very low gain
• C. Equipment with very low noise figures
• D. Equipment with very low dynamic range

E6C13

7. Which of the following is an advantage of BiCMOS logic?

• A. It is totally immune to electrostatic damage
• B. All of these choices are correct
• C. It has the high input impedance of CMOS and the low output impedance of bipolar transistors
• D. Its simplicity results in much less expensive devices than standard CMOS

E8A13

8. What is an advantage of using digital signals instead of analog signals to convey the same information?

• A. Digital signals can be regenerated multiple times without error
• B. All of these choices are correct
• C. Digital signals always occupy a narrower bandwidth
• D. Less complex circuitry is required for digital signal generation and detection

E2B09

9. What hardware, other than a receiver with SSB capability and a suitable computer, is needed to decode SSTV using Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM)?

• A. No other hardware is needed
• B. A special notch filter to remove synchronization pulses
• C. A special front end limiter
• D. A special IF converter

E7G14

10. What is the typical input impedance of an integrated circuit op-amp?

• A. 1000 ohms
• B. 100 ohms
• C. Very low
• D. Very high

E9A04

11. Why would one need to know the feed point impedance of an antenna?

• A. To calculate the front-to-back ratio of the antenna
• B. To calculate the front-to-side ratio of the antenna
• C. To match impedances in order to minimize standing wave ratio on the transmission line
• D. To measure the near-field radiation density from a transmitting antenna

E2A06

12. On what band would a satellite receive signals if it were operating in mode U/V?

• A. 29.5 to 29.7 MHz
• B. 50.0-50.2 MHz
• C. 435-438 MHz
• D. 144-146 MHz

E7C14

13. Which of these modes is most affected by non-linear phase response in a receiver IF filter?

• A. Digital
• B. Single-Sideband voice
• C. Video
• D. Meteor Scatter

E1D08

14. Which VHF amateur service bands have frequencies available for space stations?

• A. 2 meters
• B. 6 meters and 2 meters
• C. 6 meters, 2 meters, and 1.25 meters
• D. 2 meters and 1.25 meters

E4D03

15. How can intermodulation interference between two repeaters occur?

• A. When the repeaters are in close proximity and the signals cause feedback in the final amplifier of one or both transmitters
• B. When the signals from the transmitters are reflected in phase from airplanes passing overhead
• C. When the repeaters are in close proximity and the signals mix in the final amplifier of one or both transmitters
• D. When the signals from the transmitters are reflected out of phase from airplanes passing overhead

E8B01

16. What is the term for the ratio between the frequency deviation of an RF carrier wave, and the modulating frequency of its corresponding FM-phone signal?

• A. FM compressibility
• B. Modulation index
• C. Quieting index
• D. Percentage of modulation

E9C08

17. What is the elevation angle of peak response in the antenna radiation pattern shown in Figure E9-2?

• A. 25 degrees
• B. 7.5 degrees
• C. 75 degrees
• D. 45 degrees

E4B03

18. If a frequency counter with a specified accuracy of +/- 1.0 ppm reads 146,520,000 Hz, what is the most the actual frequency being measured could differ from the reading?

• A. 14.652 kHz
• B. 165.2 Hz
• C. 146.52 Hz
• D. 1.4652 MHz

E7A06

19. What is a characteristic of a monostable multivibrator?

• A. It is a clock that produces a continuous square wave oscillating between 1 and 0
• B. It maintains a constant output voltage, regardless of variations in the input voltage
• C. It switches momentarily to the opposite binary state and then returns, after a set time, to its original state
• D. It stores one bit of data in either a 0 or 1 state

E8C07

20. What is the necessary bandwidth of a 4800-Hz frequency shift, 9600-baud ASCII FM transmission?

• A. 9.6 kHz
• B. 15.36 kHz
• C. 4.8 kHz
• D. 5.76 kHz

E6E05

21. Which of the following noise figure values is typical of a low-noise UHF preamplifier?

• A. 2 dB
• B. -20 dBm
• C. 44 dBm
• D. -10 dB

E7H04

22. How is positive feedback supplied in a Colpitts oscillator?

• A. Through a neutralizing capacitor
• B. Through link coupling
• C. Through a capacitive divider
• D. Through a tapped coil

E5A06

23. 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 2 multiplied by Pi, multiplied by frequency "F", multiplied by inductance "L"
• D. It equals 1 divided by the quantity 2 times Pi, multiplied by the square root of inductance L multiplied by capacitance C

E5C20

24. Which point in Figure E5-2 best represents the impedance of a series circuit consisting of a 300 ohm resistor and an 18 microhenry inductor at 3.505 MHz?

• A. Point 7
• B. Point 8
• C. Point 3
• D. Point 1

E7B09

25. Which of the following describes how the loading and tuning capacitors are to be adjusted when tuning a vacuum tube RF power amplifier that employs a pi-network output circuit?

• A. The tuning capacitor is set to maximum capacitance and the loading capacitor is adjusted for minimum plate permissible current
• B. The loading capacitor is adjusted to minimum plate current while alternately adjusting the tuning capacitor for maximum allowable plate current
• C. The loading capacitor is set to maximum capacitance and the tuning capacitor is adjusted for minimum allowable plate current
• D. The tuning capacitor is adjusted for minimum plate current, while the loading capacitor is adjusted for maximum permissible plate current

E0A10

26. What material found in some electronic components such as high-voltage capacitors and transformers is considered toxic?

• A. Polyethylene
• B. Polychlorinated biphenyls
• C. Polytetrafluroethylene
• D. Polymorphic silicon

E3B03

27. What is the best time of day for transequatorial propagation?

• A. Noon
• B. Afternoon or early evening
• C. Morning
• D. Late at night

E9E05

28. How must the driven element in a 3-element Yagi be tuned to use a hairpin matching system?

• A. The driven element reactance must be inductive
• B. The driven element radiation resistance must be higher than the characteristic impedance of the transmission line
• C. The driven element reactance must be capacitive
• D. The driven element resonance must be lower than the operating frequency

E4A07

29. Which of the following is an advantage of using an antenna analyzer compared to an SWR bridge to measure antenna SWR?

• A. Antenna analyzers automatically tune your antenna for resonance
• B. Antenna analyzers do not need an external RF source
• C. Antenna analyzers display a time-varying representation of the modulation envelope
• D. All of these choices are correct

E8D08

30. Which of the following best describes electromagnetic waves traveling in free space?

• A. Changing electric and magnetic fields propagate the energy
• B. The energy propagates through a medium with a high refractive index
• C. Electric and magnetic fields become aligned as they travel
• D. The waves are reflected by the ionosphere and return to their source

E7F01

31. What is the purpose of a prescaler circuit?

• A. It divides a higher frequency signal so a low-frequency counter can display the input frequency
• B. It prevents oscillation in a low-frequency counter circuit
• C. It multiplies a higher frequency signal so a low-frequency counter can display the operating frequency
• D. It converts the output of a JK flip flop to that of an RS flip-flop

E2E09

32. Which of the following HF digital modes uses variable-length coding for bandwidth efficiency?

• A. MT63
• B. PACTOR
• C. PSK31
• D. RTTY

E6D04

33. What function does a charge-coupled device (CCD) serve in a modern video camera?

• A. It generates the horizontal pulses needed for electron beam scanning
• B. It focuses the light used to produce a pattern of electrical charges corresponding to the image
• C. It combines audio and video information to produce a composite RF signal
• D. It stores photogenerated charges as signals corresponding to pixels

E9D11

34. What is the function of a loading coil as used with an HF mobile antenna?

• A. To lower the Q
• B. To increase the SWR bandwidth
• C. To lower the losses
• D. To cancel capacitive reactance

E6F05

35. Which of the following describes an optical shaft encoder?

• A. A device which detects rotation of a control by interrupting a light source with a patterned wheel
• B. A device which measures the strength a beam of light using analog to digital conversion
• C. A device for generating RTTY signals by means of a rotating light source.
• D. A digital encryption device often used to encrypt spacecraft control signals

E6A11

36. In Figure E6-2, what is the schematic symbol for a P-channel junction FET?

• A. 2
• B. 6
• C. 1
• D. 3

E9F11

37. What impedance does a 1/8-wavelength transmission line present to a generator when the line is open at the far end?

• A. A capacitive reactance
• B. An inductive reactance
• C. The same as the characteristic impedance of the line
• D. The same as the input impedance of the final generator stage

E4C05

38. What does a value of -174 dBm/Hz represent with regard to the noise floor of a receiver?

• A. The theoretical noise at the input of a perfect receiver at room temperature
• B. The galactic noise contribution to minimum detectable signal
• C. The noise figure of a 1 Hz bandwidth receiver
• D. The minimum detectable signal as a function of receive frequency

E1A03

39. With your transceiver displaying the carrier frequency of phone signals, you hear a DX station's CQ on 14.349 MHz USB. Is it legal to return the call using upper sideband on the same frequency?

• A. No, my sidebands will extend beyond the band edge
• B. Yes, because the DX station initiated the contact
• C. Yes, because the displayed frequency is within the 20 meter band
• D. No, USA stations are not permitted to use phone emissions above 14.340 MHz

E3C09

40. Which of the following is usually responsible for causing VHF signals to propagate for hundreds of miles?

• A. D-region absorption
• B. Faraday rotation
• C. Ground wave
• D. Tropospheric ducting

E2D10

41. How can an APRS station be used to help support a public service communications activity?

• A. An APRS station with a GPS unit can automatically transmit information to show a mobile station's position during the event
• B. An APRS station with an emergency medical technician can automatically transmit medical data to the nearest hospital
• C. APRS stations with General Personnel Scanners can automatically relay the participant numbers and time as they pass the check points
• D. All of these choices are correct

E9G04

42. What are the two families of circles and arcs that make up a Smith chart?

• A. Voltage and impedance
• B. Resistance and voltage
• C. Reactance and voltage
• D. Resistance and reactance

E5B11

43. What is the phase angle between the voltage across and the current through a series RLC circuit if XC is 25 ohms, R is 100 ohms, and XL is 50 ohms?

• A. 14 degrees with the voltage leading the current
• B. 14 degrees with the voltage lagging the current
• C. 76 degrees with the voltage leading the current
• D. 76 degrees with the voltage lagging the current

E7E06

44. Why is de-emphasis commonly used in FM communications receivers?

• A. For compatibility with transmitters using phase modulation
• B. To remove third-order distortion products
• C. To reduce impulse noise reception
• D. For higher efficiency

E9H03

45. What is the effective isotropic radiated power of a repeater station with 200 watts transmitter power output, 2-dB feed line loss, 2.8-dB duplexer loss, 1.2-dB circulator loss and 7-dBi antenna gain?

• A. 252 watts
• B. 63.2 watts
• C. 159 watts
• D. 632 watts

E2C02

46. Which of the following best describes the term "self-spotting" in regards to contest operating?

• A. The generally prohibited practice of posting one's own call sign and frequency on a call sign spotting network
• B. A manual technique for rapidly zero beating or tuning to a station's frequency before calling that station
• C. An automatic method for rapidly zero beating or tuning to a station's frequency before calling that station
• D. The acceptable practice of manually posting the call signs of stations on a call sign spotting network

E6B04

47. What type of semiconductor device is designed for use as a voltage-controlled capacitor?

• A. Zener diode
• B. Tunnel diode
• C. Varactor diode
• D. Silicon-controlled rectifier

E1E08

48. To which of the following examinees may a VE not administer an examination?

• A. Employees of the VE
• B. Relatives of the VE as listed in the FCC rules
• C. All of these choices are correct
• D. Friends of the VE

E5D01

49. What is the result of skin effect?

• A. As frequency decreases, RF current flows in a thinner layer of the conductor, closer to the surface
• B. As frequency increases, RF current flows in a thinner layer of the conductor, closer to the surface
• C. Thermal effects on the surface of the conductor increase the impedance
• D. Thermal effects on the surface of the conductor decrease the impedance

E9B10

50. What is the principle of a Method of Moments analysis?

• A. A wire is modeled as a single sine-wave current generator
• B. A wire is modeled as a series of segments, each having a uniform value of current
• C. A wire is modeled as a series of segments, each having a distinct value of voltage across it
• D. A wire is modeled as a series of points, each having a distinct location in space