Practice the published Technician licence exam questions

T9A01

What is a beam antenna?

1. A. An antenna built from square aluminum beams
2. B. An omnidirectional antenna invented by Clarence Beam
3. C. An antenna that concentrates signals in one direction
4. D. An antenna that focuses the signal into two intense rays

T9A02

Which of the following describes a type of antenna loading?

1. A. Electrically lengthening by inserting inductors in radiating elements
2. B. Inserting a resistor in the radiating portion of the antenna to make it resonant
3. C. Installing a spring in the base of a mobile vertical antenna to make it more flexible
4. D. Strengthening the radiating elements of a beam antenna to better resist wind damage

T9A03

How is the polarization of an antenna described?

1. A. By the shape of the driven element
2. B. By the orientation of the electric field
3. C. By the orientation of the magnetic field
4. D. By the direction of radiation

T9A04

What is a disadvantage of a handheld radio transceiver’s short flexible antenna compared to a full-sized quarter- wave antenna?

1. A. It has low efficiency
2. B. It transmits only circularly polarized signals
3. C. It is more susceptible to receiver desensitization
4. D. It only works on analog signals, not digital ones

T9A05

Which of the following increases the resonant frequency of a dipole antenna?

1. A. Lengthening it
2. B. Inserting coils in series with radiating wires
3. C. Shortening it
4. D. Adding capacitive loading to the ends of the radiating wires

T9A06

Which of the following types of antennas offers the greatest gain?

1. A. 5/8 wave vertical
2. B. Isotropic
3. C. J pole
4. D. Yagi

T9A07

What is a potential drawback of using a handheld VHF transceiver inside a vehicle that lacks an externally mounted antenna?

1. A. Signal strength is reduced due to the shielding effect of the vehicle
2. B. The bandwidth of the antenna will decrease, increasing SWR
3. C. The SWR might decrease, decreasing the signal strength
4. D. The handheld will overheat due to reflected power in the vehicle

T9A08

Why is a 19-inch-long vertical antenna often used on 2 meters?

1. A. It has high gain
2. B. It is a resonant half-wave
3. C. It is a resonant quarter-wave
4. D. It has low RF radiation exposure

T9A09

What is an advantage of a 5/8-wavelength whip antenna for VHF or UHF mobile service compared to a 1/4-wave antenna?

1. A. It has more gain
2. B. It radiates at a higher angle
3. C. It has lower SWR
4. D. It has lower impedance

T9A10

In which direction does a half-wave dipole antenna radiate the strongest signal?

1. A. Equally in all directions
2. B. Off the ends of the antenna
3. C. In the direction of the feed line
4. D. Broadside to the antenna

T9A11

What is antenna gain?

1. A. The additional power that is added to the transmitter power
2. B. The additional power that is required in the antenna when transmitting on a higher frequency
3. C. The increase in signal strength in a specified direction compared to a reference antenna
4. D. The increase in impedance on receive or transmit compared to a reference antenna

T9B01

Which of the following connectors should be carefully taped for weather protection when used outdoors?

1. A. PL259
2. B. BNC
3. C. Type N
4. D. All these choices are correct

T9B02

What is the most common impedance of coaxial cables used in amateur radio?

1. A. 8 ohms
2. B. 50 ohms
3. C. 600 ohms
4. D. 12 ohms

T9B03

Why is coaxial cable the most common feed line for amateur radio antenna systems?

1. A. It is easy to use and requires few special installation considerations
2. B. It has less loss than any other type of feed line
3. C. It can handle more power than any other type of feed line
4. D. It is less expensive than any other type of feed line

T9B04

What is the major function of an antenna tuner (antenna coupler)?

1. A. It matches the antenna system impedance to the transceiver's output impedance
2. B. It helps a receiver automatically tune in weak stations
3. C. It allows an antenna to be used on both transmit and receive
4. D. It automatically selects the proper antenna for the frequency band being used

T9B05

What happens as the frequency of a signal in coaxial cable is increased?

1. A. The characteristic impedance decreases
2. B. The loss decreases
3. C. The characteristic impedance increases
4. D. The loss increases

T9B06

Which of the following connector types is most suitable as an RF connector for frequencies above 400 MHz?

1. A. PL-259
2. B. Type N
3. C. RS-213
4. D. DB-25

T9B07

Which of the following is true of PL-259 type coax connectors?

1. A. They are preferred for microwave operation
2. B. They are watertight
3. C. They are commonly used at HF and VHF frequencies
4. D. They are a bayonet-type connector

T9B08

Which of the following is a source of loss in coaxial feed line?

1. A. Water intrusion into coaxial connectors
2. B. High SWR
3. C. Multiple connectors in the line
4. D. All these choices are correct

T9B09

What can cause erratic changes in SWR?

1. A. Local thunderstorm
2. B. Loose connection in the antenna or feed line
3. C. Over-modulation
4. D. Overload from a strong local station

T9B10

What is the electrical difference between RG-58 and RG-213 coaxial cable?

1. A. There is no significant difference between the two types
2. B. RG-58 cable has two shields
3. C. RG-213 cable has less loss at a given frequency
4. D. RG-58 cable can handle higher power levels

T9B11

Which of the following types of feed line has the lowest loss?

1. A. 50-ohm flexible coax
2. B. Multi-conductor unbalanced cable
3. C. Air-insulated hardline
4. D. 75-ohm flexible coax

T9B12

What is standing wave ratio (SWR)?

1. A. A measure of how well a load is matched to a transmission line
2. B. The ratio of amplifier power output to input
3. C. The transmitter efficiency ratio
4. D. An indication of the quality of your station’s ground connection