Amateur Radio Extra Element 4 (2002)

Extra: Element 4 (2002)

This is a summary of the Amateur Extra Exam question pool, from the ARRL question pool page. This is meant as a study guide, describing and linking to more complete information than what is in the question pool itself. The goal here is to explain the material, summarize (and link to) original sources, or link to existing online material. When you find questions you don't understand, this should be a good resource for locating detailed information to study.

See also:

• Amateur radio testing
• ssd's question pool practice

Note! While the outline here is complete, the content is not. Sections are being done one at a time. If you are struggling with a section, let me know, and I'll work on that next. (Or do the research and add it yourself.)

work in progress

Incomplete: E1 E2C E2E

Stopped at: E3B

E1: COMMISSION'S RULES

E1A

Operating standards: frequency privileges for Extra class amateurs; emission standards; message forwarding; frequency sharing between ITU Regions; FCC modification of station license; 30-meter band sharing; stations aboard ships or aircraft; telemetry; telecommand of an amateur station; authorized telecommand transmissions (18 questions)

FCC parts: 97.3, 97.11(a), 97.27, 97.211(b), 97.219, 97.301-303, 97.307(c), 97.307(e)

Topics:

• Band plan
  • parts specific to extra in 20m, 15m 97.301(b)
  • primary and secondary allocations 97.303
  • sharing requirements of primary and secondary in each band
• emissions standards 97.307
  • requirements to reduce harmful interference 97.307(c)
  • maximum power of spurious emissions from transmitters 97.307(d,e)
• accountability and responsibility of operators participating in message forwarding 97.219
• license grant must show licensee's correct mailing address or risk license revocation 97.27
• operating on a ship or airplane 97.11,
• telecommand (remote control) vs. telemetry (remote measurement) 97.3(43,45
• transmitting of secret codes only allowed for telecommand of a space station 97.211(b)

E1B

Station restrictions: restrictions on station locations; restricted operation; teacher as control operator; station antenna structures; definition and operation of remote control and automatic control; control link

(15 questions)

FCC parts: 97.109(d), 201(d), 97.203(d), 97.205(d), 97.113(c), 97.121(a ), 97.13(a), 97.13(b), 97.15a, 97.15b, 97.3(a)(38), 97.3(a)(6), 97.109(d), 97.3a38,

E1C

Reciprocal operating: reciprocal operating authority; purpose of reciprocal agreement rules; alien control operator privileges; identification (Note: This includes CEPT and IARP)

(12 questions)

FCC parts: 97.107, 97.107(a), 97.107(b), 97.119(g), 97.5(c), 97.5(c),(d), (e), 97.107, 97.5(d), 97.5(e),

E1D

Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES): definition; purpose; station registration; station license required; control operator requirements; control operator privileges; frequencies available; limitations on use of RACES frequencies; points of communication for RACES operation; permissible communications

(11 questions)

FCC parts: 97.3(a)(37), 97.407(a), 97.407(b), 97.407(c), (d), 97.407(e),

E1E

Amateur Satellite Service: definition; purpose; station license required for space station; frequencies available; telecommand operation: definition; eligibility; telecommand station (definition); space telecommand station; special provisions; telemetry: definition; special provisions; space station: definition; eligibility; special provisions; authorized frequencies (space station); notification requirements; earth operation: definition; eligibility; authorized frequencies (Earth station)

(13 questions)

FCC parts: 97.207, 97.207 (a), 97.207 (f), 97.207(b), 97.209 (a), 97.211 (a), 97.211 (b), 97.3(a)(16), 97.3(a)(3), 97.3(a)(40), 97.3(a)(44),

E1F

Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs): definition; VEC qualifications; VEC agreement; scheduling examinations; coordinating VEs; reimbursement for expenses; accrediting VEs; question pools; Volunteer Examiners (VEs): definition; requirements; accreditation; reimbursement for expenses; VE conduct; preparing an examination; examination elements; definition of code and written elements; preparation responsibility; examination requirements; examination credit; examination procedure; examination administration; temporary operating authority

(22 questions)

FCC parts: 97.3(a)(48), 97.503(a), 97.503(b), 97.507 (a), (b), (c),97.523, 97.507(b), 97.509(a), 97.509(b)(1), 97.525, 97.509(b)(4), 97.509(c), 97.509(d), 97.509(e), 97.509(e), 97.527, 97.509(h), 97.509(i), 97.509(j), 97.509(k), 97.519(d)(3), 97.521, 97.523, 97.527,

E1G

Certification of external RF power amplifiers and external RF power amplifier kits; Line A; National Radio Quiet Zone; business communications; definition and operation of spread spectrum; auxiliary station operation

(13 questions)

FCC parts: 97.109(c), 97.113, 97.113(a)(2), 97.113(a)(3), 97.203(e), 97.3 (a)(32), 97.3(a)(32), 97.3(c)(8), 97.303(f)(1), 97.311(a), 97.311(d), 97.315(b)(5), 97.315(c),

E2: OPERATING PROCEDURES

E2A

Amateur Satellites: orbital mechanics; frequencies available for satellite operation; satellite hardware; satellite operations (12 questions)

Topics about satellites include:

• pass direction (ascending is south to north)
• orbital period
• linear transponder
• doppler effect on satellite frequencies
• spinning satellites and circular polarized antennas and Faraday rotation
• Keplerian elements
• Amateur satellite uplink / downlink modes

V	VHF
U	UHF
H	21-30mhz
L	1.26-1.27Ghz

E2B: Television: fast scan television (FSTV) standards; slow scan television (SSTV) standards; facsimile (fax) communications

(20 questions)

Topics:

• Fast scan TV
  • frame rate is 30fps (60 half frames per second)
  • horizontal lines is 525
  • interlace
  • blanking
  • bandwidth is 6MHz
  • standard blanking voltage is 75% PEV (peak envelope voltage?)
  • standard voltage for black is 70% PEV
  • standard voltage for white is 12.5% PEV
  • audio is normally FM
  • FMTV vs. vestigial sideband AM TV
• Facsimile (FAX)
  • high quality still images (for paper?)
  • typical scan rate 240 lines per minute
  • typical transmission time 3.3 minutes at 240 LPM
• Slow-scan television
  • for still pictures
  • 128 or 256 lines common
  • 2-3khz of RF bandwith, same as voice, allowed in phone bands
  • standard audio frequencies from 1500hz(black) to 2300hz(white)

E2C: Contest and DX operating; spread-spectrum transmissions; automatic HF forwarding; selecting your operating frequency

(12 questions)

E2D: Operating VHF / UHF digital modes: packet clusters; digital bulletin boards; Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS)

(11 questions)

Topics:

• packet radio and APRS
  • see also wikipedia:packet radio, wikipedia:AX.25,
  • CMD mode to accept commands
  • packet cluster BBS for special interest groups
  • follow band plan use for HF (data band only) and VHF (any FM band)
  • store and forward|
    • hold messages longer, for around the world relay, rather than just within satellite's immediate footprint
• APRS
  • see also wikipedia:APRS
  • common APRS frequency 146.390
  • APRS can integrate with GPS to send position telemetry
  • APRS can send telemetry data from NMEA-0183 interface (GPS or LORAN0 or manually enetered
  • beacon data is transmitted with unnumbered information frames (XX)

Data through put speeds (XX need to rank these)

• RTTY (170hz shift, 45 baud)
• AMTOR
• PSK31
• 300 baud packet

E2E: Operating HF digital modes

(10 questions)

E3: RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION

E3A: Earth-Moon-Earth (EME or moonbounce) communications; meteor scatter

(11 questions)

Topics:

• EME
  • limited by line of sight still -- both stations must see the moon
  • libration fading
  • perigee (closest approach)
  • requires equipment with low noise figures
  • TX/RX timing sequences
    • vhf 2 min
    • uhf 2.5 min
  • weak signal (XX) band plan (144.000-144.100, 432.000-432.100)
• meteor scatter
  • E layer
  • best freq 28-148 mhz
  • TX/RX timing sequences
    • vhf 15 sec

E3B: Transequatorial; long path; gray line

(11 questions)

E3C

Auroral propagation; selective fading; radio-path horizon; take-off angle over flat or sloping terrain; earth effects on propagation

(15 questions)

E4: AMATEUR RADIO PRACTICES

E4A

Test equipment: spectrum analyzers (interpreting spectrum analyzer displays; transmitter output spectrum), logic probes (indications of high and low states in digital circuits; indications of pulse conditions in digital circuits)

(12 questions)

E4B

Frequency measurement devices (i.e., frequency counter, oscilloscope Lissajous figures, dip meter); meter performance limitations; oscilloscope performance limitations; frequency counter performance limitations

(19 questions)

E4C

Receiver performance characteristics (i.e., phase noise, desensitization, capture effect, intercept point, noise floor, dynamic range {blocking and IMD}, image rejection, MDS, signal-to-noise-ratio); intermodulation and cross-modulation interference

(27 questions)

E4D: Noise suppression: vehicular system noise; electronic motor noise; static; line noise

(10 questions)

E4E

Component mounting techniques (i.e., surface, dead bug (raised), circuit board; direction finding: techniques and equipment; fox hunting

(11 questions)

E5: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES

E5A

Characteristics of resonant circuits: Series resonance (capacitor and inductor to resonate at a specific frequency); Parallel resonance (capacitor and inductor to resonate at a specific frequency); half-power bandwidth (25 questions)

Topics:

• Electrical resonance
• half-power bandwidth and Q factor

E5B: Exponential charge/discharge curves (time constants): definition; time constants in RL and RC circuits

(11 questions)

E5C

Impedance diagrams: Basic principles of Smith charts; impedance of RLC networks at specified frequencies; PC based impedance analysis (including Smith Charts)

(13 questions)

• Parts of a Smith chart, how to use smith charts
• expressing reactance as rectangular or polar coordinates
• http://www.intmath.com/Complex-numbers/9_Impedance-phase-angle.php

• EQUATION for reactance with frequency

E5D: Phase angle between voltage and current; impedances and phase angles of series and parallel circuits;

(11 questions)

E5E

Algebraic operations using complex numbers: rectangular coordinates (real and imaginary parts); polar coordinates (magnitude and angle)

(23 questions)

• EQUATON

E5F: Skin effect; electrostatic and electromagnetic fields

(11 questions)

E5G: Circuit Q; reactive power; power factor

(16 questions)

• EQUATION
• wikipedia:power factor

E5H: Effective radiated power; system gains and losses

(16 questions)

E5I: Photoconductive principles and effects

(13 questions)

E6: CIRCUIT COMPONENTS

E6A

Semiconductor material: Germanium, Silicon, P-type, N-type; Transistor types: NPN, PNP, junction, power; field-effect transistors (FETs): enhancement mode; depletion mode; MOS; CMOS; N-channel; P-channel

(17 questions)

E6B

Diodes: Zener, tunnel, varactor, hot-carrier, junction, point contact, PIN and light emitting; operational amplifiers (inverting amplifiers, noninverting amplifiers, voltage gain, frequency response, FET amplifier circuits, single-stage amplifier applications); phase-locked loops

(27 questions)

E6C: TTL digital integrated circuits; CMOS digital integrated circuits; gates

(11 questions)

E6D

Vidicon and cathode-ray tube devices; charge-coupled devices (CCDs); liquid crystal displays (LCDs); toroids: permeability, core material, selecting, winding

(18 questions)

• http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/magnetic/indtor.html

E6E: Quartz crystal (frequency determining properties as used in oscillators and filters); monolithic amplifiers (MMICs)

(14 questions)

E7: PRACTICAL CIRCUITS

E7A

Digital logic circuits: Flip flops; Astable and monostable multivibrators; Gates (AND, NAND, OR, NOR); Positive and negative logic

(13 questions)

E7B

Amplifier circuits: Class A, Class AB, Class B, Class C, amplifier operating efficiency (i.e., DC input versus PEP), transmitter final amplifiers; amplifier circuits: tube, bipolar transistor, FET

(23 questions)

• wikipedia:Electronic amplifier#Power_amplifier_classes

E7C

Impedance-matching networks: Pi, L, Pi-L; filter circuits: constant K, M-derived, band-stop, notch, crystal lattice, pi-section, T-section, L-section, Butterworth, Chebyshev, elliptical; filter applications (audio, IF, digital signal processing {DSP})

(15 questions)

E7D: Oscillators: types, applications, stability; voltage-regulator circuits: discrete, integrated and switched mode

(15 questions)

• Hartley oscillator
• Colpitts oscillator
• Pierce oscillator
• linear power supplies
• switching power supplies

E7E: Modulators: reactance, phase, balanced; detectors; mixer stages; frequency synthesizers

(21 questions)

E7F: Digital frequency divider circuits; frequency marker generators; frequency counters

(11 questions)

E7G: Active audio filters: characteristics; basic circuit design; preselector applications

(11 questions)

E8: SIGNALS AND EMISSIONS

E8A

AC waveforms: sine wave, square wave, sawtooth wave; AC measurements: peak, peak-to-peak and root-mean-square (RMS) value, peak-envelope-power (PEP) relative to average

(18 questions)

E8B

FCC emission designators versus emission types; modulation symbols and transmission characteristics; modulation methods; modulation index; deviation ratio; pulse modulation: width; position

(22 questions)

E8C: Digital signals: including CW; digital signal information rate vs bandwidth; spread-spectrum communications

(16 questions)

E8D

Peak amplitude (positive and negative); peak-to-peak values: measurements; Electromagnetic radiation; wave polarization; signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio

(17 questions)

E9: ANTENNAS

E9A

Isotropic radiators: definition; used as a standard for comparison; radiation pattern; basic antenna parameters: radiation resistance and reactance (including wire dipole, folded dipole), gain, beamwidth, efficiency

(20 questions)

E9B

Free-space antenna patterns: E and H plane patterns (i.e., azimuth and elevation in free-space); gain as a function of pattern; antenna design (computer modeling of antennas)

(10 questions)

E9C

Phased vertical antennas; radiation patterns; beverage antennas; rhombic antennas: resonant; terminated; radiation pattern; antenna patterns: elevation above real ground, ground effects as related to polarization, take-off angles as a function of height above ground

(21 questions)

E9D

Space and satellite communications antennas: gain; beamwidth; tracking; losses in real antennas and matching: resistivity losses, losses in resonating elements (loading coils, matching networks, etc. {i.e., mobile, trap}); SWR bandwidth; efficiency

(21 questions)

E9E

Matching antennas to feed lines; characteristics of open and shorted feed lines: 1/8 wavelength; 1/4 wavelength; 1/2 wavelength; feed lines: coax versus open-wire; velocity factor; electrical length; transformation characteristics of line terminated in impedance not equal to characteristic impedance; use of antenna analyzers

(22 questions)