Amateur Radio General Element 3 (2007)
General: Element 3, effective July 1, 2007
This is a summary of the Amateur General 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. When you find questions you don't understand, this should be a good resource for locating detailed information to study.
See also:
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.)
G0: ELECTRICAL AND RF SAFETY[edit]
G0A: RF safety principles, rules and guidelines; routine station evaluation[edit]
(15 questions)
FCC parts: 97.13(c)(1)
Topics covered:
- RF effects on body tissue (temporary, damaging, and leathal)
- maximum permissible exposure (MPE) (
- radiation exposure
- station evaluation for MPE
- transmitter duty cycle
- RF field strength measurement
- saftey while servicing antennas
G0B: Safety in the ham shack: electrical shock and treatment, grounding, fusing, interlocks, wiring, antenna and tower safety[edit]
(14 questions)
- fuses in 240-VAC wiring
- wire gauge (AWG)
- Ground Fault Circuit Interruptors (GFCI)
- station grounding
- tower climbing saftey
- tower grounding, lightning saftey
- lead tin solder issues
- electrical hazard levels
G1: COMMISSION'S RULES[edit]
G1A: General class control operator frequency privileges; primary and secondary allocations[edit]
(16 questions)
Topics covered:
- Band plan
- frequency to band conversion
- 300 / mhz = meters (light travels at 300e6 m/sec)
- band and frequency sharing (primary vs. secondary, etc.) 97.303
- allowed use of different modes and content on different bands 97.305
- 30m (10mhz) is a digital data only (CW, RTTY, data) band limited to 200w
G1B: Antenna structure limitations; good engineering and good amateur practice; beacon operation; restricted operation; retransmitting radio signals[edit]
(13 questions)
FCC parts: 97.1, 97.15(a), 97.101(a), 97.113, 97.121, 97.203, 97.207(f)
Topics covered: (almost all by above fcc regs--need to match them up)
- antenna structure limits 97.1
- beacon operation 97.203, 97.1(a)
- disaster operation
- Allowed and prohibited communications 97.113
- list of inappropriate material for transmission in 97.113(a)(4)
- retransmission of music prohibited except from manned space vehicles 97.113(e))
- communications you get paid for is prohibited except for (2)
- sale or trade of amateur equipment not on a regular basis 97.113(a)(3)
- teachers teaching amateur radio as part of classroom instruction 97.113(c)
- codes and abbreviations
- secret codes can only be used as telecommand to a satellite or space station 97.207(f)
- any other codes used must be published (i.e., not secret) (this may be an assumed adaptation of 97.309(a)(4))
- any other codes used may not be used to obscure the meaning (mentioned multiple times)
- broadcasting to general public prohibited except during emergencies when other means are not available 97.113(a)(5) 97.113(b)
- If interferance is caused to properly working equipment, amateur activity can be time restricted 97.121
G1C: Transmitter power regulations; HF data emission standards[edit]
(13 questions)
FCC parts: 97.303(s) 97.305(c), 97.313, 97.307(f)
Topics covered:
- power restrictions 97.313
- 1500w most bands for General and Extra
- 200w 10.10-10.15mhz (30m) and on all bands for Novice, Technician
- novice further restricted on some bands
- 70cm restricted to 50w in some geographic areas (including Florida) with some exceptions
- 33cm restricted to 50w near White Sands Missile Range
- 219-220mhz restricted to 50w (special use band for pre-approved automatic relay stations)
- multiple narrow band holes reserved in high Ghz frequencies
- 60m band is limited to 50W and limited to 2.8khz bandwidth USB on 5 channels 97.303(s)
- symbol rate restrictions for digital modes 97.307(f)
- digital bandwidths allowed according to band plan 97.305 and notes 97.307(f)
| max symbol rate / bandwidth | 307(f) | bands |
|---|---|---|
| 300 | 3 | bands >= 12m except where no data (75m and some holes) |
| 1200 | 4 | 10m |
| 19.6k / 20khz | 5 | 6m, 2m |
| 56k / 100khz | 6 | part of 1.25m; 70cm |
| unspecified (309b) | 7 | 900mhz and above (33cm) |
| unspecified / 100khz | 13 | 219-220 (1.25m) |
G1D: Volunteer Examiners and Volunteer Examiner Coordinators; temporary identification[edit]
(13 questions)
FCC parts: 97.119(f)(2) 97.3(a)(15) 97.9(b) 97.509
Topics covered:
- Identifying properly as general before your upgrade shows in the database 97.119(f)(2)
- call + "/AG" for CW
- call + "temporary AG" for phone
- regulations involving preparing and administring exams (VE/VEC) 97 subsection F
G1E: Control categories; repeater regulations; harmful interference; third party rules; ITU regions[edit]
(10 questions)
FCC parts: 97.3(a)(39), 97.13(b), 97.115 97.117 97.119(b)(2), 97.205, 97.311(b), 97.303
Topics covered:
- Third party communications 97.115
- repeater operations 97.205 and definition 97.3(a)(39)
- harmful interference
- Station identification 97.119
G2: OPERATING PROCEDURES[edit]
G2A: Phone operating procedures; USB/LSB utilization conventions; procedural signals; breaking into a QSO in progress; VOX operation[edit]
(13 questions)
G2B: Operating courtesy; band plans[edit]
(13 questions)
G2C: Emergencies, including drills and emergency communications[edit]
(12 questions)
FCC parts: 97.111(a)(2) 97.403 97.405(a) 97.405(b) 97.407(a) 97.407(b)
G2D: Amateur auxiliary; minimizing Interference; HF operations[edit]
(12 questions)
G2E: Digital operating: procedures, procedural signals and common abbreviations[edit]
(11 questions)
G2F: CW operating procedures and procedural signals, Q signals and common abbreviations; full break in[edit]
(11 questions)
G3: RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION[edit]
G3A: Sunspots and solar radiation; ionospheric disturbances; propagation forecasting and indices[edit]
(19 questions)
G3B: Maximum Usable Frequency; Lowest Usable Frequency; propagation "hops"[edit]
(14 questions)
G3C: Ionospheric layers; critical angle and frequency; HF scatter; Near Vertical Incidence Sky waves[edit]
(14 questions)
G4: AMATEUR RADIO PRACTICES[edit]
G4A: Two-tone Test; amplifier tuning and neutralization; DSP[edit]
(13 questions)
G4B: Test and monitoring equipment[edit]
(16 questions)
G4C: Interference with consumer electronics; grounding[edit]
(13 questions)
G4D: Speech processors; S meters; common connectors[edit]
(11 questions)
G4E: HF mobile radio installations; emergency and battery powered operation[edit]
(13 questions)
G5: ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES[edit]
G5A: Resistance; reactance; inductance; capacitance; impedance; impedance matching[edit]
(14 questions)
G5B: The Decibel; current and voltage dividers; electrical power calculations; sine wave root-mean-square (RMS) values; PEP calculations[edit]
(15 questions)
G5C: Resistors, capacitors, and inductors in series and parallel; transformers[edit]
(16 questions)
G6: CIRCUIT COMPONENTS[edit]
G6A: Resistors; capacitors; inductors[edit]
(13 questions)
G6B: Rectifiers; solid state diodes and transistors; solar cells; vacuum tubes; batteries[edit]
(16 questions)
G6C: Analog and digital integrated circuits (IC's); microprocessors; memory; I/O devices; microwave IC's (MMIC's ); display devices[edit]
(12 questions)
G7: PRACTICAL CIRCUITS[edit]
G7A: Power supplies; transmitters and receivers; filters, schematic drawing symbols[edit]
(24 questions)
G7B: Digital circuits (gates, flip-flops, shift registers); amplifiers and oscillators[edit]
(14 questions)
G8: SIGNALS AND EMISSIONS[edit]
G8A: Carriers and modulation: AM; FM; single and double sideband ; modulation envelope; deviation; overmodulation[edit]
(12 questions)
G8B: Frequency mixing; multiplication; HF data communications; bandwidths of various modes[edit]
(12 questions)
G9: ANTENNAS AND FEEDLINES[edit]
G9A: Antenna feedlines: characteristic impedance, and attenuation; SWR calculation, measurement and effects; matching networks[edit]
(14 questions)
G9B: Basic antennas[edit]
(12 questions)
G9C: Directional antennas[edit]
(21 questions)
G9D: Specialized antennas[edit]
(12 questions)