Ham Radio Technician Test Amateur 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of a CTCSS tone on a repeater?
- To encrypt the transmission
- To open the repeater only to signals carrying the correct subaudible tone (Correct answer)
- To increase the repeater's output power
- To identify the repeater's call sign automatically
Correct answer: To open the repeater only to signals carrying the correct subaudible tone
CTCSS (Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System) causes the repeater to open only when it receives a signal that includes the correct subaudible tone.
Question 2: If you receive a distress call on a frequency you normally use, what should you do?
- Ignore it and continue your scheduled contact
- Acknowledge it and offer assistance or relay the call to emergency services (Correct answer)
- Immediately change frequency to avoid interference
- Record it and report it to the FCC later
Correct answer: Acknowledge it and offer assistance or relay the call to emergency services
Amateur operators are expected to render assistance to a station in distress, including relaying information to emergency services.
Question 3: Which band is known as the '2-meter band' in amateur radio?
- 136–137 MHz
- 144–148 MHz (Correct answer)
- 222–225 MHz
- 420–450 MHz
Correct answer: 144–148 MHz
The 2-meter amateur band spans 144 to 148 MHz, named for the approximate wavelength of signals in that range.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of an antenna tuner (antenna coupler)?
- To amplify the transmitted signal
- To match the impedance of the transmitter to the antenna system (Correct answer)
- To filter out harmonics from the transmitter
- To increase the antenna's physical length
Correct answer: To match the impedance of the transmitter to the antenna system
An antenna tuner matches the impedance of the transmission line and antenna to the transceiver's output impedance, minimizing SWR.
Question 5: What does RF safety's 'duty cycle' refer to?
- The percentage of time a transmitter is actually transmitting during an evaluation period (Correct answer)
- The ratio of transmitter power to antenna gain
- The number of hours per day a station may operate
- The power level relative to the FCC maximum
Correct answer: The percentage of time a transmitter is actually transmitting during an evaluation period
Duty cycle is the percentage of time a transmitter is actively transmitting, used to average RF exposure for safety evaluations.
Question 6: Which of the following frequencies is in the Technician class HF phone (voice) allocation?
- 7.200 MHz
- 14.200 MHz
- 28.300 MHz (Correct answer)
- 21.300 MHz
Correct answer: 28.300 MHz
Technician licensees have phone privileges on 28.300–28.500 MHz in the 10-meter band.
Question 7: What is the function of a 'squelch' control on a VHF/UHF transceiver?
- To adjust the transmitted power level
- To silence the receiver when no signal above a set threshold is present (Correct answer)
- To select between FM and AM modes
- To set the repeater offset direction
Correct answer: To silence the receiver when no signal above a set threshold is present
The squelch control mutes the receiver's audio output when received signals fall below a set threshold, eliminating background noise.
Ham Radio Technician Test Amateur 3
What is the purpose of a CTCSS tone on a repeater?