Practice Exam

E5C09

1. When using rectangular coordinates to graph the impedance of a circuit, what do the axes represent?

• A. The X axis represents the phase angle, and the Y axis represents the magnitude
• B. The X axis represents the resistive component, and the Y axis represents the reactive component
• C. The X axis represents the magnitude, and the Y axis represents the phase angle
• D. The X axis represents the reactive component, and the Y axis represents the resistive component

E2B02

2. How many horizontal lines make up a fast-scan (NTSC) television frame?

• A. 30
• B. 1080
• C. 525
• D. 60

E3B06

3. On which of the following amateur bands is long-path propagation most frequent?

• A. 40 meters and 20 meters
• B. 160 meters and 80 meters
• C. 10 meters and 6 meters
• D. 6 meters and 2 meters

E4E10

4. Which of the following can create intermittent loud roaring or buzzing AC line interference?

• A. A malfunctioning illuminated advertising display
• B. All these choices are correct
• C. A defective doorbell or doorbell transformer inside a nearby residence
• D. Arcing contacts in a thermostatically controlled device

E7H08

5. Which of the following components can be used to reduce thermal drift in crystal oscillators?

• A. Toroidal inductors
• B. NP0 capacitors
• C. Non-inductive resistors
• D. Wirewound resistors

E2D04

6. What technology is used for real-time tracking of balloons carrying amateur radio transmitters?

• A. PACTOR III
• B. APRS
• C. FT8
• D. Bandwidth compressed LORAN

E5A03

7. What is the magnitude of the impedance of a series RLC circuit at resonance?

• A. Approximately equal to capacitive reactance
• B. High, compared to the circuit resistance
• C. Approximately equal to circuit resistance
• D. Approximately equal to inductive reactance

E7C07

8. Which describes a Pi-L network?

• A. A matching network in which all components are isolated from ground
• B. A Pi-network with an additional output series inductor
• C. A network with only three discrete parts
• D. A Phase Inverter Load network

E4C01

9. What is an effect of excessive phase noise in an SDR receiver's master clock oscillator?

• A. It limits the receiver's ability to receive strong signals
• B. It can affect the receiver's frequency calibration
• C. It decreases the receiver's third-order intercept point
• D. It can combine with strong signals on nearby frequencies to generate interference

E2C04

10. Which of the following frequencies can be used for amateur radio mesh networks?

• A. Frequencies shared with various unlicensed wireless data services
• B. The 60-meter band channel centered on 5373 kHz
• C. Cable TV channels 41-43
• D. HF frequencies where digital communications are permitted

E9C13

11. How does the radiation pattern of a horizontally polarized antenna vary with increasing height above ground?

• A. The takeoff angle of the lowest elevation lobe decreases
• B. The takeoff angle of the lowest elevation lobe increases
• C. The horizontal beamwidth decreases
• D. The horizontal beamwidth increases

E6A03

12. Why does a PN-junction diode not conduct current when reverse biased?

• A. Only P-type semiconductor material can conduct current
• B. Only N-type semiconductor material can conduct current
• C. Excess holes in P-type material combine with the electrons in N-type material, converting the entire diode into an insulator
• D. Holes in P-type material and electrons in the N-type material are separated by the applied voltage, widening the depletion region

E8C13

13. What is described by the constellation diagram of a QAM or QPSK signal?

• A. The possible phase and amplitude states for each symbol
• B. The number of bits used for error correction in the protocol
• C. Frequency response of the signal stream
• D. How many carriers may be present at the same time

E4D10

14. What does a third-order intercept level of 40 dBm mean with respect to receiver performance?

• A. A pair of 1 mW input signals will produce a third-order intermodulation product that is 40 dB stronger than the input signal
• B. Signals less than 40 dBm will not generate audible third-order intermodulation products
• C. The receiver can tolerate signals up to 40 dB above the noise floor without producing third-order intermodulation products
• D. A pair of 40 dBm input signals will theoretically generate a third-order intermodulation product that has the same output amplitude as either of the input signals

E9E03

15. What matching system uses a short length of transmission line connected in parallel with the feed line at or near the feed point?

• A. Stub match
• B. T-match
• C. Delta match
• D. Gamma match

E7E02

16. What is the function of a reactance modulator?

• A. Produce AM signals by varying a resistance
• B. Produce PM or FM signals by varying a resistance
• C. Produce PM or FM signals by varying a capacitance
• D. Produce AM signals by varying an inductance

E5D07

17. What combines to create the self-resonance of a component?

• A. The component's resistance and reactance
• B. The component's inductance and capacitance
• C. The component's electrical length and impedance
• D. The component's nominal and parasitic reactance

E7B09

18. What is characteristic of an emitter follower (or common collector) amplifier?

• A. Differential inputs and single output
• B. Acts as an OR circuit if one input is grounded
• C. Low input impedance and phase inversion from input to output
• D. Input and output signals in-phase

E8B06

19. What is the deviation ratio of an FM phone signal having a maximum frequency swing of plus or minus 7.5 kHz if the highest modulation frequency is 3.5 kHz?

• A. 0.47
• B. 2.14
• C. 0.214
• D. 47

E6B11

20. What is used to control the attenuation of RF signals by a PIN diode?

• A. Forward DC bias current
• B. A variable RF reference voltage
• C. Capacitance of an RF coupling capacitor
• D. Reverse voltage larger than the RF signal

E2E08

21. Which of the following HF digital modes can be used to transfer binary files?

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

E1B10

22. What frequencies are authorized to an amateur station operating under RACES rules?

• A. Specific segments in the amateur service MF, HF, VHF, and UHF bands
• B. Specific local government channels
• C. All amateur service frequencies authorized to the control operator
• D. All these choices are correct

E3C08

23. Which of the following is the space-weather term for an extreme geomagnetic storm?

• A. M9
• B. X5
• C. G5
• D. B9

E4B02

24. What is the significance of voltmeter sensitivity expressed in ohms per volt?

• A. The reading in volts multiplied by the ohms per volt rating will determine the power drawn by the device under test
• B. The reading in ohms divided by the ohms per volt rating will determine the voltage applied to the circuit
• C. The full scale reading of the voltmeter multiplied by its ohms per volt rating is the input impedance of the voltmeter
• D. The full scale reading in amps divided by ohms per volt rating will determine the size of shunt needed

E4A03

25. Which of the following test instruments is used to display spurious signals and/or intermodulation distortion products generated by an SSB transmitter?

• A. Spectrum analyzer
• B. Network analyzer
• C. Logic analyzer
• D. Differential resolver

E9B07

26. What is the difference in radiated power between a lossless antenna with gain and an isotropic radiator driven by the same power?

• A. They are the same
• B. The power radiated from the directional antenna is increased by the gain of the antenna
• C. The power radiated from the directional antenna is stronger by its front-to-back ratio
• D. The power radiated from the isotropic radiator is 2.15 dB greater than that from the directional antenna

E9H05

27. What challenge is presented by a small wire-loop antenna for direction finding?

• A. It is practical for use only on VHF and higher bands
• B. It has a bidirectional null pattern
• C. All these choices are correct
• D. It does not have a clearly defined null

E1A08

28. If a station in a message forwarding system inadvertently forwards a message that is in violation of FCC rules, who is primarily accountable for the rules violation?

• A. The control operator of the originating station
• B. The control operator of the packet bulletin board station
• C. The control operators of all the stations in the system
• D. The control operators of all the stations in the system not authenticating the source from which they accept communications

E5B11

29. 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 75 ohms?

• A. 63 degrees with the voltage leading the current
• B. 27 degrees with the voltage leading the current
• C. 63 degrees with the voltage lagging the current
• D. 27 degrees with the voltage lagging the current

E6E07

30. What type of transmission line is often used for connections to MMICs?

• A. Parallel wire
• B. Circular waveguide
• C. Microstrip
• D. Miniature coax

E9D04

31. Why should antenna loading coils have a high ratio of reactance to resistance?

• A. To swamp out harmonics
• B. To minimize the Q
• C. To maximize efficiency
• D. To lower the radiation angle

E6D11

32. Which type of core material decreases inductance when inserted into a coil?

• A. Ceramic
• B. Ferrite
• C. Brass
• D. Aluminum

E3A11

33. What is a typical range for tropospheric duct propagation of microwave signals?

• A. 2,500 miles
• B. 1,200 miles
• C. 10 miles to 50 miles
• D. 100 miles to 300 miles

E7D15

34. What is the purpose of a step-start circuit in a high-voltage power supply?

• A. To allow the filter capacitors to charge gradually
• B. To compensate for variations of the incoming line voltage
• C. To provide a dual-voltage output for reduced power applications
• D. To prevent arcing across the input power switch or relay contacts

E9G05

35. Which of the following is a common use for a Smith chart?

• A. Determine the length and position of an impedance matching stub
• B. Determine the loss/100 feet of a transmission line, given the velocity factor and conductor materials
• C. Determine the gain of an antenna given the physical and electrical parameters
• D. Determine the impedance of a transmission line, given the physical dimensions

E1C05

36. Under what situation may a station transmit third party communications while being automatically controlled?

• A. On any mode approved by the National Telecommunication and Information Administration
• B. Never
• C. Only when transmitting RTTY or data emissions
• D. Only when transmitting SSB or CW

E8D10

37. What are some of the differences between the Baudot digital code and ASCII?

• A. Baudot uses 5 data bits per character, ASCII uses 7 or 8; Baudot uses 2 characters as letters/figures shift codes, ASCII has no letters/figures shift code
• B. Baudot uses 7 data bits per character, ASCII uses 8; Baudot has no letters/figures shift code, ASCII uses 2 letters/figures shift codes
• C. Baudot uses 6 data bits per character, ASCII uses 7 or 8; Baudot has no letters/figures shift code, ASCII uses 2 letters/figures shift codes
• D. Baudot uses 4 data bits per character, ASCII uses 7 or 8; Baudot uses 1 character as a letters/figures shift code, ASCII has no letters/figures code

E9A10

38. Which of the following improves the efficiency of a ground-mounted quarter-wave vertical antenna?

• A. Isolating the coax shield from ground
• B. All these choices are correct
• C. Installing a ground radial system
• D. Shortening the radiating element

E7A03

39. Which of the following can divide the frequency of a pulse train by 2?

• A. An XOR gate
• B. An OR gate
• C. A multiplexer
• D. A flip-flop

E2A04

40. What is meant by the "mode" of an amateur radio satellite?

• A. Whether the satellite is in a low earth or geostationary orbit
• B. The satellite's orientation with respect to the Earth
• C. Whether the satellite is in a polar or equatorial orbit
• D. The satellite's uplink and downlink frequency bands

E0A08

41. What does SAR measure?

• A. The rate at which RF energy is absorbed by the body
• B. Signal amplification rating
• C. Signal attenuation ratio
• D. The rate of RF energy reflected from stationary terrain

E1D03

42. What is a space telecommand station?

• A. An amateur station located on the surface of the Earth for communication with other Earth stations by means of Earth satellites
• B. An amateur station that receives telemetry from a satellite or balloon more than 50 kilometers above the surface of the Earth
• C. An amateur station located in a satellite or a balloon more than 50 kilometers above the surface of the Earth
• D. An amateur station that transmits communications to initiate, modify, or terminate functions of a space station

E6F01

43. What absorbs the energy from light falling on a photovoltaic cell?

• A. Holes
• B. Protons
• C. Photons
• D. Electrons

E1E03

44. What is a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator?

• A. A person who has volunteered to administer amateur operator license examinations
• B. The person who has entered into an agreement with the FCC to be the VE session manager
• C. An organization paid by the volunteer examiner team to publicize and schedule examinations
• D. An organization that has entered into an agreement with the FCC to coordinate, prepare, and administer amateur operator license examinations

E8A10

45. What is the purpose of a low-pass filter used at the output of a digital-to-analog converter?

• A. Remove spurious sampling artifacts from the output signal
• B. All these choices are correct
• C. Lower the input bandwidth to increase the effective resolution
• D. Improve accuracy by removing out-of-sequence codes from the input

E6C01

46. What is the function of hysteresis in a comparator?

• A. To allow the comparator to be used with AC input signals
• B. To increase the sensitivity
• C. To prevent input noise from causing unstable output signals
• D. To cause the output to continually change states

E7G09

47. What will be the output voltage of the circuit shown in Figure E7-3 if R1 is 1,000 ohms, RF is 10,000 ohms, and 0.23 volts DC is applied to the input?

• A. 2.3 volts
• B. -0.23 volts
• C. 0.23 volts
• D. -2.3 volts

E9F03

48. Why is the electrical length of a coaxial cable longer than its physical length?

• A. Skin effect is more pronounced in the coaxial cable
• B. Electromagnetic waves move faster in coaxial cable than in air
• C. Skin effect is less pronounced in the coaxial cable
• D. Electromagnetic waves move more slowly in a coaxial cable than in air

E1F04

49. Which of the following geographic descriptions approximately describes "Line A"?

• A. A line roughly parallel to and east of the US Pacific coastline
• B. A line roughly parallel to and south of the border between the US and Canada
• C. A line roughly parallel to and north of the border between the US and Mexico
• D. A line roughly parallel to and west of the US Atlantic coastline

E7F01

50. What is meant by "direct sampling" in software defined radios?

• A. Software is converted from source code to object code during operation of the receiver
• B. I and Q signals are generated by digital processing without the use of RF amplification
• C. A switching mixer is used to generate I and Q signals directly from the RF input
• D. Incoming RF is digitized by an analog-to-digital converter without being mixed with a local oscillator signal