Ham Radio General Class Test FREE Ham Radio General Questions and Answers 2 β Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the maximum transmitting power allowed on the 20-meter band for a General class licensee?
- 1500 watts PEP (Correct answer)
- 500 watts PEP
- 200 watts PEP
- 100 watts PEP
Correct answer: 1500 watts PEP
General class operators may use up to 1500 watts PEP output on the 20-meter band.
Question 2: Which sideband is conventionally used for voice transmissions on frequencies below 10 MHz?
- Lower sideband (LSB) (Correct answer)
- Upper sideband (USB)
- Double sideband (DSB)
- Independent sideband (ISB)
Correct answer: Lower sideband (LSB)
By convention, amateur radio operators use LSB for voice on frequencies below 10 MHz.
Question 3: What does the term 'standing wave ratio' (SWR) indicate?
- The impedance match between the antenna system and the transmission line (Correct answer)
- The gain of the antenna
- The bandwidth of the transmitted signal
- The power output of the transmitter
Correct answer: The impedance match between the antenna system and the transmission line
SWR measures how well the antenna system impedance matches the feed line impedance.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a dummy load in amateur radio?
- To allow transmitter testing without radiating a signal (Correct answer)
- To increase the power output of a transmitter
- To filter harmonics from the transmitted signal
- To match impedance between different antennas
Correct answer: To allow transmitter testing without radiating a signal
A dummy load absorbs RF energy so you can test your transmitter without transmitting over the air.
Question 5: Which type of propagation allows HF signals to travel beyond the horizon by reflecting off the ionosphere?
- Skywave propagation (Correct answer)
- Ground wave propagation
- Line-of-sight propagation
- Tropospheric ducting
Correct answer: Skywave propagation
Skywave propagation occurs when HF signals refract off ionospheric layers, enabling long-distance communication.
Question 6: What is the minimum distance a General class operator must maintain from the Canadian border when operating on 70 cm?
- There is no specific border distance restriction for 70 cm (Correct answer)
- 50 miles
- 100 miles
- 250 miles
Correct answer: There is no specific border distance restriction for 70 cm
The 70 cm band does not have a specific border distance restriction for General class operators.
What is the maximum transmitting power allowed on the 20-meter band for a General class licensee?