Welcome to your weekend class pre-study homework. We are requiring you to read through the Gordon West Technician Class text and complete these few pages of study materials BEFORE the first class session. Work on it a little each day, and you’ll have it finished by class day. Then, in the two weekend class sessions, we will get your hands on some real equipment, allow you to “touch and feel” many of these ham radio concepts, answer many of your questions, and almost certainly empower you to pass the FCC exam that is required to obtain an amateur radio license.
Note: Our classes are absolutely NOT cram sessions for the test. On the contrary, you can expect lively demonstrations and hands-on ham radio experiences and discussions that will make the concepts covered in the book come alive for you. After the second class session, volunteer examiners (not the class’s teachers) will be available to administer the FCC exam. When you pass that exam, you will go home knowing that you’ve earned your first amateur radio license!
The Gordon West Technician Class book (covering the 2006-2010 question pool) is your text for this course. The pre-study material in the following pages comes straight out of the text. Completing this material is essential for a successful class experience. The questions in this pre-study guide follow the exact order of the book. We even give you page numbers to help you quickly spot the correct answers!
These pre-study questions are really nothing like the FCC exam, and are not even necessarily the most important concepts, but they will help to “pace” you as you read through the text, and prepare you for the classroom sessions. The actual FCC written examination will be a multiple choice exam—that makes it even easier!
Every possible question that you’ll see on the exam is included in the text. The key to absorbing all this is to take the time to read every question, but look only at the correct answer to that question. This is very important! In fact, we recommend you buy a colored highlighter and highlight the correct answer as you read it. If you have time, take a few seconds to read Gordon’s brief (and usually entertaining) explanation. He often includes tips for remembering the correct answer. But remember: focus ONLY on the correct answer! That’s the choice you will want to automatically recognize and select on exam day! Later, skim each question and answer a second time (or even third time, if possible), and you’ll be almost certain to remember it on test day! Really! This works!
Now, go ahead! Settle into a comfortable chair, begin reading through your Technician Class book, and start filling in the pre-study answers.
Ready? Let’s get started!!
Use this page to jot down any questions (and page numbers) you have for us.
Mar 2009
Pre-Study for the Technician Class Course
GETTING INTO HAM RADIO (Pages 1-4)
1. How many hams are there worldwide? ______
2. How many hams are there in the United States? ______
3. How many questions are there on your upcoming Technician Class exam? ______
4. How many bands will your new handheld have? ______
5. What was the world’s first and largest antenna tower? ______
6. You will soon be able to talk to astronauts on the ______.
7. Ham radio is both a hobby as well as a ______.
8. Join your local ham radio club and look for the club’s ______.
TECHNICIAN CLASS PRIVILEGES (Pages 5-18)
1. Frequency range for VHF? ______
2. Frequency range for UHF? ______
3. Frequencies above UHF are considered ______waves.
4. Frequency range for sounds we hear? ______
5. 6 meter Technician Class privileges? ______MHz to ______MHz
6. 2 meter Technician Class privileges ______MHz to ______MHz
7. 1¼ meter Technician Class privileges ______MHz to ______MHz
8. 70 cm Technician Class privileges ______MHz to ______MHz
9. What are the most popular “dual band” meter bands? ______
A LITTLE HAM HISTORY (Page 19-24)
1. Radio has been around for ______years?
2. First ham license issued around ______?
3. In 1979, this requirement was
eliminated for operation above 30 MHz: the ______test
4. The FCC restructured our USA ham license on April 15, ______.
5. May foreigners obtain a US ham license? ______
6. What is the highest level of US ham license? ______
7. What test Element number must you pass for Technician Class? _____
8. Can you skip the Technician test, and go straight to the General test? ______
9. Does the Technician entry level require a Morse Code test? ______
GETTING READY FOR THE EXAM (Pages 25-30)
1. What is the total number of questions on your
upcoming multiple choice Technician Class exam? ______
2. What is a Passing score on your FCC exam? ______%
3. How many questions could you miss and still pass? ______
4. How many members comprise an examination team? ______
5. What is the paper called that you will receive when you pass? ______
6. How many total Technician class questions are in the pool? ______
7. How many questions about radio and electronics are on the exam? _____
8. How many exam questions on electrical and RF safety? ______
9. What topic is covered in Technician Class subelement T2? ______
10. What is Gordon’s phone number, if you need help or inspiration? ______
HAM RADIO AND YOUR LICENSE (Pages 31-38)
1. Who enforces the ham radio rules? ______
2. What Part number of the FCC rules apply to Ham radio? ______
3. What is one fundamental purpose for ham radio? ______
4. What is the minimum age to become a ham? ______
5. What are the three grades of ham radio licenses? ______
6. What does “VE” stand for? ______
7. An amateur radio license is good for ______years.
8. For how long is a CSCE valid, for license upgrade purposes? ______
9. What web page can you visit for ham radio info and fun: www.______
CALL SIGNS (Pages 39-46)
1. New call signs are issued in ______order.
2. US radio call signs must begin with which four letters? ______
3. What number would be in a call sign issued to a new ham in Texas? ___
4. You must identify your station every ______minutes and when you sign off.
5. What is the name of the system that allows
you to have a call sign made up of your initials? ______
6. On what web site can you look up your call sign? www.______
CONTROL OPERATOR DUTIES (Pages 47-52)
1. A control operator must be present when a ham station is used for ______.
2. Repeaters are allowed to operate under ______control.
3. What agreement must be in place to operate in a foreign country? ______
RULES AND REGULATIONS (Pages 53-61)
1. Who enforces American radio rules and regulations? ______
2. When may you conduct your own business operation over ham radio? ______
3. When can you use secret codes and ciphers on the radio? ______
4. What about bad or indecent language? ______
5. Generally, can you transmit music over amateur radio? ______
6. How much power output SHOULD you run on a radio? ______
7. When may the FCC inspect your home station? ______
8. Where can you get a printed copy of Part 97? www.______.org
TECHNICIAN FREQUENCIES (Pages 62-69)
1. What is the top end of the human voice frequencies? ______Hertz
2. Frequencies above 20,000 Hertz are considered ______waves.
3. What is the velocity of a radio wave in space? ______
4. What is another name for “cycles per second?” ______
5. The prefix “kilo-” means ______cycles.
6. The prefix “mega-” means ______cycles.
7. VHF extends from 30MHz to ______MHz.
8. UHF extends from 300MHz to ______MHz.
9. What are the 6 meter band limits? ______MHz
10. What are the 2 meter band limits? ______MHz
11. What are the 70 cm band limits? ______MHz
YOUR FIRST RADIO (Pages 70-78)
1. Another name for a combination transmitter and receiver is a ______.
2. What can help you hear your handheld radio in a crowd? ______
3. You can store your favorite frequency in your radio’s ______channel.
4. What radio control silences background noise? ______
5. You should have plenty of these when
operating your handheld radio away from home: ______.
6. A regulated power supply protects your radio from ______fluctuations.
7. What page in the text lists some equipment sellers? _____.
8. Your first radio, a handheld, should cover how many bands? ______
9. The two most popular bands in a dual band handheld are ______and ______.
10. You should ask your radio dealer to please ______
popular local repeater channels in your new equipment.
GOING ON THE AIR (Pages 79-87)
1. Before you transmit, you should always ______.
2. How do hams normally call on 6 meters to seek a contact? ______
3. What would you say on 2 meters and 70 cm to seek a contact? ______
4. What would you say to break into an on-going conversation? ______
5. What popular accessory is often seen
by hams operating at a public service event? ______
6. What is the name given to voluntary
guidelines for types of operation on a ham band? ______
7. What is the “Q” code for interference from another station? ______
8. What is the “Q” code for powerline interference? ______
9. What is the “Q” code for your location? ______
10. What is the “Q” code for a change of frequency? ______
11. What is the “Q” code for signing off? ______
12. What do hams call the challenge of “finding a hidden transmitter?” ______
FUN ON REPEATERS (Pages 88-101)
1. What device can extend your radio’s range? ______
2. What information do you need to operate through a repeater? ______
3. What is a common “repeater split” for 2 meters? ______
4. What is a common “repeater split” for 70 cm? ______
5. What is another name for CTCSS? ______
6. Why does a repeater sometimes send Morse code? ______
7. What is a system of repeaters that are tied together? ______
8. What do we call a repeater system that’s available for everyone to use? ______
9. What do we call a repeater system requiring membership? ______
10. All repeaters should be ______by a local volunteer group.
11. What do we call “transmitting and receiving on the
same frequency” in order to not tie up a repeater? ______
12. Where can you go to look up your local repeaters? www.______.com
EMERGENCY! (Pages 102-114)
1. What kind of traffic has the highest priority? ______
2. What should you use to signal an emergency using Morse code? ______
3. What should you say on the international
worldwide bands to signal an emergency? ______
4. What should you say to signal an emergency on a 2 meter repeater? ______
5. What should you do after checking into an emergency net? ______
6. Are “tactical call signs” allowed in an emergency? ______
7. What do we call radio traffic on behalf of
someone other than the two control operators? ______
8. Which organization usually serves Federal government agencies? ______
9. Which emergency group usually serves Red Cross,
Salvation Army and National Weather Service? ______
10. What do we call radio traffic relating to someone’s well being? ______
WEAK SIGNALS (Pages 115-121)
1. How far can VHF signals typically reach? ______
2. When communicating simplex in a big city,
should you choose UHF or VHF? ______
3. The excitement of being able to communicate with 6 meter
over long distances may be from radio waves refracting off the ______.
4. What mode do we normally use for “weak signal work?” ______
5. Which do we use on VHF and UHF: lower sideband or upper sideband? ______
6. What do we call that “letter-number” designator
that is assigned to a station’s geographic location? ______
7. What is a fun webpage for 6 meter activity? www. ______.org
DIGITAL & SPACE (Pages 122-131)
1. What kind of ham station is tied into the Internet? ______
2. What does VoIP mean? ______
3. What system allows radio-to-radio Internet linking? ______
4. What system allows your computer to link into the Internet? ______
5. What common piece of radio equipment
will you NOT need for a digital radio station? ______
6. What does PSK mean? ______
7. What system allows hams to automatically
transmit their position over amateur radio? ______
8. What organization supports amateur radio satellites? ______
9. What license class is required to operate through satellites? ______
10. How much power should a ham run when working through a satellite? ______
11. What does “LEO” stand for? ______
12. Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS)
may be heard on what 2 meter frequency? ______
BANDWIDTH & INTERFERENCE (Pages 132-141)
1. What type of radio emission has the narrowest bandwidth? ______
2. What is the typical bandwidth of an FM signal? ______
3. When you see “NTSC,” what type of radio emission is being transmitted? ______
4. What is the bandwidth for a single sideband voice signal? ______
5. A break in your cable TV coax could lead to ______.
6. What type of connector is on a television cable box’s coax? ______
7. What filter goes on a TV for outside antenna reception? ______