Ham Radio General Class Test Ham Radio General Class MCQ 1

Question 1

What is the maximum transmitter output power permitted for a General class licensee operating on the 60-meter (5 MHz) channels?

Accepted Answer

100 watts ERP (effective radiated power)

Answer

On the 60-meter channels, the FCC limits General class (and all amateur) stations to 100 watts ERP referenced to a dipole, not the usual 1500-watt PEP limit that applies to most HF bands. This is a special restriction due to the band's shared status with federal users.

Question 2

What is the maximum symbol rate permitted for RTTY or data transmissions on HF frequencies below 28 MHz?

Accepted Answer

300 baud

Answer

FCC rules limit RTTY and unspecified digital emissions on HF bands below 28 MHz to a maximum of 300 baud. This restriction helps control occupied bandwidth on the crowded HF spectrum. Above 28 MHz, higher symbol rates are permitted.

Question 3

What formula is used to calculate the resonant length of a half-wave dipole antenna in feet?

Accepted Answer

468 / f(MHz)

Answer

A half-wave dipole's resonant length in feet is approximated by 468 divided by the frequency in MHz. The constant 234 applies to a quarter-wave element (one half of the dipole). The slight reduction from the theoretical 492 accounts for the velocity factor of real wire.

Question 4

Which layer of the ionosphere is primarily responsible for long-distance HF sky-wave propagation during daylight hours?

Accepted Answer

F2 layer

Answer

The F2 layer, located roughly 200–400 km above Earth, is the highest and most stable ionospheric layer and is the primary reflector enabling long-distance (DX) HF communications. The D layer absorbs lower-frequency HF signals during the day, while the E layer supports shorter skip distances. The troposphere affects VHF/UHF, not HF.

Question 5

How often must an amateur station transmit its call sign to meet FCC identification requirements during a contact?

Accepted Answer

At least once every 10 minutes and at the end of the contact

Answer

FCC Part 97 rules require amateur stations to transmit their call sign at the end of each contact and at least every 10 minutes during a contact. This ensures other stations and monitoring agencies can identify who is on the air. Identification must be in English (or CW).

Ham Radio General Class Test Practice Test

Ham Radio General Class Test Practice Test

Ham Radio General Class Test Ham Radio General Class MCQ 1