ARRL Research Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Where can an amateur radio operator find the current Part 97 FCC rules in their entirety?
- The ARRL Handbook only
- The FCC Electronic Code of Federal Regulations at ecfr.gov (Correct answer)
- The QRZ.com forum database
- The ITU Radio Regulations website
Correct answer: The FCC Electronic Code of Federal Regulations at ecfr.gov
Part 97 rules are published in full at the FCC's Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) at ecfr.gov, which is always kept current.
Question 2: What does the ARRL's 'Technical Information Service' primarily provide to amateur radio operators?
- Licensing exam schedules
- Technical articles, antenna modeling files, and references on radio topics (Correct answer)
- Real-time propagation data
- DX cluster spotting feeds
Correct answer: Technical articles, antenna modeling files, and references on radio topics
The ARRL Technical Information Service provides members with technical articles, reference data, antenna modeling files, and Q&A support on radio engineering topics.
Question 3: Which ITU document defines the international frequency allocations that underpin US amateur band plans?
- ITU Constitution
- ITU Radio Regulations, Article 5 (Correct answer)
- ITU-T Recommendation G.711
- ICAO Annex 10
Correct answer: ITU Radio Regulations, Article 5
ITU Radio Regulations Article 5 contains the international Table of Frequency Allocations, which the FCC's Part 97 must be consistent with.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of the ARRL's online 'Band Plan' page?
- To list contest exchange requirements
- To show voluntary frequency usage guidelines within amateur allocations (Correct answer)
- To display current solar flux indices
- To register special event callsigns
Correct answer: To show voluntary frequency usage guidelines within amateur allocations
The ARRL Band Plan page presents voluntary guidelines for how amateurs should share frequencies within their FCC-allocated bands to minimize interference.
Question 5: When researching propagation for a scheduled contact, which resource provides historical ionospheric data for a specific path?
- VOACAP online propagation prediction tool (Correct answer)
- The FCC ULS database
- ARRL contest log aggregator
- W1AW bulletin archives
Correct answer: VOACAP online propagation prediction tool
VOACAP (Voice of America Coverage Analysis Program) provides HF propagation predictions and historical path analysis based on ionospheric models.
Question 6: What information can be found in the ARRL Repeater Directory that is NOT in a typical DX cluster?
- Current DX spot frequencies
- Repeater CTCSS/DCS tones, frequencies, and trustee callsigns (Correct answer)
- Solar weather indices
- CW propagation beacons
Correct answer: Repeater CTCSS/DCS tones, frequencies, and trustee callsigns
The ARRL Repeater Directory lists local and regional repeaters with their input/output frequencies, access tones (CTCSS/DCS), and the responsible trustee's callsign.
Question 7: Which tool would a ham use to research whether a specific geographic area has a frequency coordination conflict for a new repeater?
- The FCC's AM station query tool
- Their regional frequency coordinator's database (Correct answer)
- The ITU Master International Frequency Register
- The WSPR network map
Correct answer: Their regional frequency coordinator's database
Regional frequency coordinators maintain databases of existing repeater pairs and can identify conflicts before a new repeater is placed on the air.
ARRL Research Skills 2
Where can an amateur radio operator find the current Part 97 FCC rules in their entirety?