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!

T3A02:

Why might the range of VHF and UHF signals be greater in the winter?

Less ionospheric absorption
Less absorption by vegetation
Less solar activity
Less tropospheric absorption

T0B06:

What is the minimum safe distance from a power line to allow when installing an antenna?

Half the width of your property
The height of the power line above ground
1/2 wavelength at the operating frequency
Enough so that if the antenna falls unexpectedly, no part of it can come closer than 10 feet to the power wires

T9A12:

What is an advantage of using a properly mounted 5/8 wavelength antenna for VHF or UHF mobile service?

It has a lower radiation angle and more gain than a 1/4 wavelength antenna
It has very high angle radiation for better communicating through a repeater
It eliminates distortion caused by reflected signals
It has 10 times the power gain of a 1/4 wavelength design

T1E05:

What is an amateur station control point?

The location of the station's transmitting antenna
The location of the station transmitting apparatus
The location at which the control operator function is performed
The mailing address of the station licensee

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

T0A10:

What can happen if a lead-acid storage battery is charged or discharged too quickly?

The battery could overheat, give off flammable gas, or explode
The voltage can become reversed
The memory effect will reduce the capacity of the battery
All of these choices are correct

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

T1C05:

Which of the following is a valid call sign for a Technician class amateur radio station?

K1XXX
KA1X
W1XX
All of these choices are correct

T7D11:

Which of the following precautions should be taken when measuring circuit resistance with an ohmmeter?

Ensure that the applied voltages are correct
Ensure that the circuit is not powered
Ensure that the circuit is grounded
Ensure that the circuit is operating at the correct frequency

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

T2B06:

What type of tones are used to control repeaters linked by the Internet Relay Linking Project (IRLP) protocol?

DTMF
CTCSS
EchoLink
Sub-audible

T6D10:

What is the function of component 2 in Figure T1?

Give off light when current flows through it
Supply electrical energy
Control the flow of current
Convert electrical energy into radio waves

T8D06:

What does the abbreviation "PSK" mean?

Pulse Shift Keying
Phase Shift Keying
Packet Short Keying
Phased Slide Keying

T5D07:

What is the current in a circuit with an applied voltage of 120 volts and a resistance of 80 ohms?

9600 amperes
200 amperes
0.667 amperes
1.5 amperes

T7A09:

What is the function of the SSB/CW-FM switch on a VHF power amplifier?

Change the mode of the transmitted signal
Set the amplifier for proper operation in the selected mode
Change the frequency range of the amplifier to operate in the proper portion of the band
Reduce the received signal noise

T1D07:

What types of amateur stations can automatically retransmit the signals of other amateur stations?

Auxiliary, beacon, or Earth stations
Repeater, auxiliary, or space stations
Beacon, repeater, or space stations
Earth, repeater, or space stations

T7C12:

What does a dummy load consist of?

A high-gain amplifier and a TR switch
A non-inductive resistor and a heat sink
A low-voltage power supply and a DC relay
A 50 ohm reactance used to terminate a transmission line

T7B01:

What can you do if you are told your FM handheld or mobile transceiver is over-deviating?

Talk louder into the microphone
Let the transceiver cool off
Change to a higher power level
Talk farther away from the microphone

T0C08:

Which of the following actions might amateur operators take to prevent exposure to RF radiation in excess of FCC-supplied limits?

Relocate antennas
Relocate the transmitter
Increase the duty cycle
All of these choices are correct

T1B02:

Which amateur radio stations may make contact with an amateur radio station on the International Space Station (ISS) using 2 meter and 70 cm band frequencies?

Only members of amateur radio clubs at NASA facilities
Any amateur holding a Technician or higher-class license
Only the astronaut's family members who are hams
Contacts with the ISS are not permitted on amateur radio frequencies

T6A06:

What type of electrical component stores energy in a magnetic field?

Resistor
Capacitor
Inductor
Diode

T4A07:

How is a computer's sound card used when conducting digital communications?

The sound card communicates between the computer CPU and the video display
The sound card records the audio frequency for video display
The sound card provides audio to the radio's microphone input and converts received audio to digital form
All of these choices are correct

T1F06:

Which of the following formats of a self-assigned indicator is acceptable when identifying using a phone transmission?

KL7CC stroke W3
KL7CC slant W3
KL7CC slash W3
All of these choices are correct

T3B02:

What property of a radio wave is used to describe its polarization?

The orientation of the electric field
The orientation of the magnetic field
The ratio of the energy in the magnetic field to the energy in the electric field
The ratio of the velocity to the wavelength

T8A06:

Which sideband is normally used for 10 meter HF, VHF, and UHF single-sideband communications?

Upper sideband
Lower sideband
Suppressed sideband
Inverted sideband

T6C10:

What is component 3 in figure T3?

Connector
Meter
Variable capacitor
Variable inductor

T3C08:

What causes tropospheric ducting?

Discharges of lightning during electrical storms
Sunspots and solar flares
Updrafts from hurricanes and tornadoes
Temperature inversions in the atmosphere

T4B07:

What does the term "RIT" mean?

Receiver Input Tone
Receiver Incremental Tuning
Rectifier Inverter Test
Remote Input Transmitter

T5A14:

In which type of circuit is voltage the same across all components?

Series
Parallel
Resonant
Branch

T8C10:

What must be done before you may use the EchoLink system to communicate using a repeater?

You must complete the required EchoLink training
You must have purchased a license to use the EchoLink software
You must be sponsored by a current EchoLink user
You must register your call sign and provide proof of license

T6B09:

What are the names of the two electrodes of a diode?

Plus and minus
Source and drain
Anode and cathode
Gate and base

T2C11:

What is meant by the term "check," in reference to a formal traffic message?

The number of words or word equivalents in the text portion of the message
The value of a money order attached to the message
A list of stations that have relayed the message
A box on the message form that indicates that the message was received and/or relayed

T5C03:

What is the ability to store energy in a magnetic field called?

Admittance
Capacitance
Resistance
Inductance

T1A07:

What is the FCC Part 97 definition of a "space station"?

Any satellite orbiting the earth
A manned satellite orbiting the earth
An amateur station located more than 50 km above the Earth's surface
An amateur station using amateur radio satellites for relay of signals

T9B08:

Why should coax connectors exposed to the weather be sealed against water intrusion?

To prevent an increase in feed line loss
To prevent interference to telephones
To keep the jacket from becoming loose
All of these choices are correct