Technician Class Practice Test

Select the most correct answer for each question, then submit your practice test to check your score. This practice test randomly pulls one question from each topic in the Technician pool.

Good Luck!

T4B11:

What is the function of automatic gain control, or AGC?

To keep received audio relatively constant
To protect an antenna from lightning
To eliminate RF on the station cabling
An asymmetric goniometer control used for antenna matching

T5C13:

What is a unit of impedance?

Volts
Amperes
Coulombs
Ohms

T6C11:

What is component 4 in figure T3?

Antenna
Transmitter
Dummy load
Ground

T7D09:

What is the characteristic appearance of a cold solder joint?

Dark black spots
A bright or shiny surface
A grainy or dull surface
A greenish tint

T2C05:

What does the term "traffic" refer to in net operation?

Formal messages exchanged by net stations
The number of stations checking in and out of a net
Operation by mobile or portable stations
Requests to activate the net by a served agency

T9B05:

In general, what happens as the frequency of a signal passing through coaxial cable is increased?

The characteristic impedance decreases
The loss decreases
The characteristic impedance increases
The loss increases

T2B14:

Which of the following describes a linked repeater network?

A network of repeaters where signals received by one repeater are repeated by all the repeaters
A repeater with more than one receiver
Multiple repeaters with the same owner
A system of repeaters linked by APRS

T1D11:

When may an amateur station transmit without on-the-air identification?

When the transmissions are of a brief nature to make station adjustments
When the transmissions are unmodulated
When the transmitted power level is below 1 watt
When transmitting signals to control model craft

T0C05:

Why do exposure limits vary with frequency?

Lower frequency RF fields have more energy than higher frequency fields
Lower frequency RF fields do not penetrate the human body
Higher frequency RF fields are transient in nature
The human body absorbs more RF energy at some frequencies than at others

T1B08:

Which of the following is a result of the fact that the Amateur Radio Service is secondary in all or portions of some amateur bands (such as portions of the 70 cm band)?

U.S. amateurs may find non-amateur stations in those portions, and must avoid interfering with them
U.S. amateurs must give foreign amateur stations priority in those portions
International communications are not permitted in those portions
Digital transmissions are not permitted in those portions

T6B02:

What electronic component allows current to flow in only one direction?

Resistor
Fuse
Diode
Driven element

T1F09:

What type of amateur station simultaneously retransmits the signal of another amateur station on a different channel or channels?

Beacon station
Earth station
Repeater station
Message forwarding station

T7C07:

What happens to power lost in a feed line?

It increases the SWR
It comes back into your transmitter and could cause damage
It is converted into heat
It can cause distortion of your signal

T7A06:

What device converts the RF input and output of a transceiver to another band?

High-pass filter
Low-pass filter
Transverter
Phase converter

T1E08:

Which of the following is an example of automatic control?

Repeater operation
Controlling the station over the internet
Using a computer or other device to send CW automatically
Using a computer or other device to identify automatically

T6D04:

Which of the following displays an electrical quantity as a numeric value?

Potentiometer
Transistor
Meter
Relay

T8B06:

Which of the following are inputs to a satellite tracking program?

The weight of the satellite
The Keplerian elements
The last observed time of zero Doppler shift
All of these choices are correct

T1A06:

What is the FCC Part 97 definition of a "beacon"?

A government transmitter marking the amateur radio band edges
A bulletin sent by the FCC to announce a national emergency
An amateur station transmitting communications for the purposes of observing propagation or related experimental activities
A continuous transmission of weather information authorized in the amateur bands by the National Weather Service

T4A06:

Which of the following connections might be used between a voice transceiver and a computer for digital operation?

Receive and transmit mode, status, and location
Antenna and RF power
Receive audio, transmit audio, and push-to-talk (PTT)
NMEA GPS location and DC power

T0A03:

In the United States, what is connected to the green wire in a three-wire electrical AC plug?

Neutral
Hot
Equipment ground
The white wire

T5B07:

If a frequency display calibrated in megahertz shows a reading of 3.525 MHz, what would it show if it were calibrated in kilohertz?

0.003525 kHz
35.25 kHz
3525 kHz
3,525,000 kHz

T0B12:

Which of the following is good practice when installing ground wires on a tower for lightning protection?

Put a loop in the ground connection to prevent water damage to the ground system
Make sure that all bends in the ground wires are clean, right-angle bends
Ensure that connections are short and direct
All of these choices are correct

T3C09:

What is generally the best time for long-distance 10 meter band propagation via the F layer?

From dawn to shortly after sunset during periods of high sunspot activity
From shortly after sunset to dawn during periods of high sunspot activity
From dawn to shortly after sunset during periods of low sunspot activity
From shortly after sunset to dawn during periods of low sunspot activity

T2A05:

How should you respond to a station calling CQ?

Transmit "CQ" followed by the other station's call sign
Transmit your call sign followed by the other station's call sign
Transmit the other station's call sign followed by your call sign
Transmit a signal report followed by your call sign

T5D12:

What is the voltage across a 10-ohm resistor if a current of 2 amperes flows through it?

8 volts
0.2 volts
12 volts
20 volts

T1C09:

What is the grace period following the expiration of an amateur license within which the license may be renewed?

Two years
Three years
Five years
Ten years

T8D13:

What is FT8?

A wideband FM voice mode
A digital mode capable of operating in low signal-to-noise conditions that transmits on 15-second intervals
An eight channel multiplex mode for FM repeaters
A digital slow scan TV mode with forward error correction and automatic color compensation

T5A09:

What is the name for a current that reverses direction on a regular basis?

Alternating current
Direct current
Circular current
Vertical current

T7B06:

Which of the following actions should you take if a neighbor tells you that your station's transmissions are interfering with their radio or TV reception?

Make sure that your station is functioning properly and that it does not cause interference to your own radio or television when it is tuned to the same channel
Immediately turn off your transmitter and contact the nearest FCC office for assistance
Tell them that your license gives you the right to transmit and nothing can be done to reduce the interference
Install a harmonic doubler on the output of your transmitter and tune it until the interference is eliminated

T6A01:

What electrical component opposes the flow of current in a DC circuit?

Inductor
Resistor
Voltmeter
Transformer

T3A04:

What can happen if the antennas at opposite ends of a VHF or UHF line of sight radio link are not using the same polarization?

The modulation sidebands might become inverted
Signals could be significantly weaker
Signals have an echo effect on voices
Nothing significant will happen

T3B08:

What are the frequency limits of the VHF spectrum?

30 to 300 kHz
30 to 300 MHz
300 to 3000 kHz
300 to 3000 MHz

T8A07:

What is an advantage of single sideband (SSB) over FM for voice transmissions?

SSB signals are easier to tune
SSB signals are less susceptible to interference
SSB signals have narrower bandwidth
All of these choices are correct

T9A04:

What is a disadvantage of the "rubber duck" antenna supplied with most handheld radio transceivers when compared to a full-sized quarter-wave antenna?

It does not transmit or receive as effectively
It transmits only circularly polarized signals
If the rubber end cap is lost, it will unravel very easily
All of these choices are correct

T8C03:

What operating activity involves contacting as many stations as possible during a specified period?

Contesting
Net operations
Public service events
Simulated emergency exercises