Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Lesson 19: General Class Exam Course G4E

Hello again!  Here is lesson 19 covering HF mobile operation and emergency power sources.  These questions are fairly straight forward. 

As far as privileges go, there is really no difference between mobile station operation and any other type of amateur station.  Mobile HF operation does have some peculiarities and limitations.  The primary limitation of mobile operation is the limited size of the mobile antennas.  It is not practical to drag a half-wave dipole for 80 meters on top of your car.  There are compact antennas designed specifically for mobile operation, but no matter how well the antenna is designed, it will never work as well as a full sized antenna.

This section also deals with alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and gasoline generators.  For the generator power questions, the theme is safety.  Whenever you operate a gasoline powered generator, make sure the area is well ventilated.  Carbon monoxide poisoning kills a lot of people every year!  Even when operating a generator outside, precautions must be takes to ensure exhaust fumes are not entering the home, tent, or shack.   

There is one question that needs to be memorized:

- The common power produced by a photovoltaic (solar) cell is 0.5 VDC.

That's about it.  If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments box.  Until next time...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Lesson 18: General Class Exam Course G4D

Here is lesson 18!  This lesson covers the G4D questions dealing with speech processors, connectors, and S-meters.  There is some memorization in this lesson, but it is not too bad.  The information you need to focus on is:

- Speech processors increase the average power of your signal, but not the PEP.
- An S-meter reading of 20 dB over S9 is 100 times stronger than a signal at just S9. (I dorked up the question in the video.  Disregard the formula.)
- A Type-N connector is a moisture resistant RF connector that is useful up to 10 GHz.
- A DB-9 connector is a good connector for a data serial port.
- UHF connectors is a family of RF connectors that have nothing to do with UHF.  They are useful up to 150 MHz.

And that's it!  If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments box.  Thanks!

73,
Andy
KE4GKP

Monday, December 13, 2010

Lesson 17: General Class Exam Course G4C

Here is lesson 17!  This lesson covers the G4C section of questions from the exam pool dealing with interference and grounding.

There are a few items that you may want to focus on in this section.  There are a couple of questions that deal with filters used to prevent RF interference (RFI).  Sometimes the speaker wires of a stereo can pick up signals from your transmitter and interfere with the stereo speakers.  A way to limit the interference to the speakers is to install a Bypass Capacitor along the speaker wires.  The other type of interference common between hams and consumer electronics is interference with a nearby telephone.  For this question on the exam, the solution you are looking for is to install an RFI Filter at the affected telephone.

A common theme in the questions dealing with station grounding is to keep the ground wire from your station to the ground as short as possible.  Long ground wires may resonate like an antenna at certain frequencies.  This prevents the ground wire from doing its job and sending unwanted RF energy to the ground.  If this is happening it can cause RF hot spots to build on your station equipment possibly giving you an RF burn if you touch the wrong thing.  Keep ground wires short!


Please leave any comments, suggestions, and questions you may have!


73,
Andy
KE4GKP

Monday, December 6, 2010

Lesson 16: General Class Exxam Course G4B

Here is lesson 16 covering the G4B section of questions form the question pool.  This lesson primarily deals with test equipment.  The lesson is straight forward, but I will give you a run down of the various test equipment covered.  Remember, these are very simplified definitions for the intent of identifying the correct answer on the exam.

- An Oscilloscope is used to measure waveforms. 
- A signal tracer is used to identify inoperative circuits in a receiver.
- A noise bridge measures impedance and is connected between a receiver and an antenna of unknown impedance.
- A field strength meter will measures RF field strength and can be used to measure RF output.
- A dip meter measures the resonant frequency of a circuit.


Until lesson 17...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Thursday, December 2, 2010

Lesson 15: General Class Exam Course G4A

Welcome back!  Here is lesson 15 covering the G4A questions of the General Class question pool.  This lesson deals with Digital Signal Processors, vacuum tube RF power amplifiers, and neutralizing circuits.  This lesson is fairly straight forward with the exception of the questions dealing with the vacuum tube RF power amplifier adjustments.  Unless are already familiar with these amplifiers, the answers may be a bit of a mystery.  Here's the information that I recommend you memorize:

- The reading on the plate current meter of a vacuum tube RF amplifier which indicates correct adjustment of the plate tuning control is a pronounced dip.

- The correct adjustment for the "Load" or "Coupling" control of a vacuum tube RF power amplifier is the maximum power output without exceeding maximum allowable plate current.

Please feel free to leave any comments, suggestions, or questions!  Until the next lesson...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Lesson 14: General Class Exam Course G3C

Here is the 14th lesson in the General Class series.  This lesson covers the G3C questions and ionosphere propagation.  Nothing too earth shattering to remember in this lesson.  A few things to reflect on, though.

The order of the ionospheric layers which impact propagation, and which you need to know for the exam, from lowest to highest are the D, E, F1 and F2 layers.  The D layer only exists during daylight hours.  As the sun goes down, the D layer disappears.  This is important to know because the D layer will absorb most signals below 10 MHz.  This limits daytime propagation for the lower HF frequencies to ground wave propagation only.

The F2 layer is the highest layer of the ionosphere which impact signal propagation.  Because it is the highest layer, signal which are bounced off of it tend to reach the farthest distances on the earth's surface.

Hope you enjoy the lesson! 

73,
Andy
KE4GKP



Sunday, November 28, 2010

Lesson 13: General Class Exam Course G3B

Here is the 13th lesson in the General Class License series.  This lesson primarily deals with Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF), Lowest Usable Frequency (LUF), and ionospheric skip.  One of the thrills of the HF bands is that you regularly have the ability to send you signals all over the globe via bounces off various layers of the ionosphere.  This lesson provides some parameters to those skip conditions.

For the purposes of he exam, the MUF and LUF are describing the condition of the ionosphere and how capable it is to bending signals back to earth.  The MUF is the maximum usable frequency that will support communications between two points.  The LUF is the lowest usable frequency that will support communications between two points.  For the questions on the exam, the LUF and MUF are dealing with the HF bands as well as the 6m band.  The closer you are transmitting to the MUF without going over, the better your signal will propagate.  As you decrease in frequency below the MUF, the skip distance becomes less and less.  If you transmit below the LUF, your signal gets absorbed by the ionosphere.

Though the MUF and LUF may seem like opposites, it is possible for the LUF to be a higher frequency than the MUF.  When this happens, all long distance HF propagation is for the most part shut down.

The two numbers (or distances, rather) that you need to memorize are:

-The average distance on the earths surface for a signal skipped off the F2 layer of the ionosphere is 2,500 miles.
-The average distance on the earths surface for a signal skipped off the E layer of the ionosphere is 1,200 miles.

And that's about it.  Please feel free to leave any comments, suggestions, or questions you may have in the comments box below.  Thanks!

73,
Andy
KE4GK





Friday, November 26, 2010

Lesson 12: General Class Exam Course G3A

This is lesson 12 and the G3A questions.  Here we are dealing with sunspots and geomagnetic disturbances as well as there impact on radio wave propagation.  Especially in dealing with HF frequencies, the solar cycle and the rest of the sun's behavior has a big impact on propagation, both good and bad.  It is part of the environment that you will need a fairly good understanding of if you are hoping work the HF frequencies.  The lesson is fairly straight forward, but there are a few things you will need to know.

-The average sunspot cycle is 11 years.
-The sun's rotation is 27 days long.  If you are having good propagation on 10m, then you might need to wait until the sun does a complete rotation before you find that sweet spot again.
-It takes 8 minutes for X-ray and ultraviolet radiation to reach the earth from the sun.
-It takes 20-40 hours for the impact of charged particles expelled by coronal Mass ejections to impact the earth's magnetic field.  These are carried in the solar winds.
-Sunspots are good for HF propagation especially above 20 MHz.
-Geomagnetic disturbances are bad for HF propagation, especially in regions closer to the poles where you can usually see the northern and southern lights.  This does not necessarily mean they are bad for VHF propagation.
-The K-index in a short term prediction of the stability of the earth's magnetic field.
-The A-index is a long term prediction of the stability of the earth's magnetic field.

Focus on the above and this lesson will be easy.

73,
Andy
KE4GKP



Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Lesson 11: General Class Exam Course G2F

Welcome back!  Here is lesson 11 covering the G2F questions and Morse Code procedures.  CW is a fun way of communicating that is easier than you think to learn and really opens up a lot of possibilities in Ham Radio.  If you have the opportunity, I highly suggest you learn it.  This lesson is fairly straight forward, but there are some Q signals and prosigns you'll need to memorize.  They are:

Q signals:
     QRS   Send slower
     QRQ  Send faster
     QSL   I acknowledge receipt
     QRV  I am ready to receive messages

Prosigns:
     AR    End of formal message
     KN   Listening for a specific station or stations
     CL    Closing station

A 'C' in an RST report means you have a chirpy or unstable signal.

That's all the hard stuff for lesson 11.  If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions please leave them in the comment box.  Until lesson 12...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP



Lesson 10: General Class Exam Course G2E

Here is lesson 10!  Lesson 10 covers the G2E questions dealing with data modes.  There is a bit that you may want to memorize.  There is a great deal on RTTY and data bits that most Hams may not be familiar with, especially if you're not computer savvy.  That information you need to know for the exam is as follows:

-The mode for AFSK RTTY is most often LSB
-RTTY uses a 5 bit code with additional start and stop bits
-RTTY frequency shift (FSK) in HF is 170 Hz

-Routing and handling information contained in data packets are found in the header

-Frequecies where data is most often used:
     20m 14.070-14.100 MHz
     80m 3570-3600 MHz
     20m PSK is most often used ~14.070 MHz

As always, please leave any comments, suggestion or questions you may have.  Thanks!

73,
Andy
KE4GKP



Monday, November 22, 2010

Lesson 9: General Class Exam Course G2D

Here is lesson 9.  Lesson 9 covers the G2D questions, specifically the Amateur Auxiliary.  The Amateur Auxiliary are Amateur volunteers who are enlisted by the FCC to help ensure Part 97 compliance.  There are a lot of them and you'd be surprised how fast they can find you if you're coloring outside the lines.  Most often non-compliance is a mistake and you'll get a friendly warning, but have no doubt that the auxiliary can forward you straight to the FCC.  So be good.

Please feel free to leave any comments, suggestions, or questions in the comments box.  Until next time...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP



Lesson 8: General Class Exam Course G2C

Hello once again!  Here is lesson 8 which covers the G2C questions dealing with emergency communications.  This questions in this section are fairly straight forward.  There is a common theme in the questions: when dealing with an emergency...anything goes (almost).  If you are handling a true emergency dealing with immediate threat to human life or property, there is a lot of slack in the Part 97 rules to allow you to deal with the emergency in an as effective manner as possible.  You also want to keep communications as simple and to the point as possible. 

Feel free to leave any comments, suggestions, or questions in the comments box! 

73!
Andy
KE4GKP



Sunday, November 21, 2010

Lesson 7: General Class Exam Course G2B

Here is lesson 7 in the General Class exam series covering the G2B questions.  This lesson can basically be summed up as a lesson in Amateur Radio courtesy.  The use of band plans is gone over in detail.  For those not familiar with using a band plan, it is essentially a voluntary agreement between Amateurs to use certain segments of the radio spectrum for certain purposes.  For instance, PSK use on specific frequencies, calling frequencies, low power frequencies, etc. are part of a band plan. 

The questions are fairly straight forward, but there are a few that you will need to memorize.  These questions deal with how far away (frequency-wise) you need to be from another station transmitting in various modes to avoid causing interference. 

CW                            150-500Hz
SSB approx.               3 kHz
170 Hz shift RTTY      250-500 Hz

That's it.  If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions please leave them in the comment box.

73!
Andy
KE4GKP

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Lesson 6: General Class Exam Course G2A

Here is lesson 6! This lesson goes over the G2A questions dealing with phone communication and HF voice modes. No real difficult memorization in this one, but there are a few questions whose phrasing is a bit tricky and can throw you off the correct answer. As always, if you have any comments, suggestions, or questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment box!

73,
Andy
KE4GKP

Monday, November 8, 2010

Lesson 5: General Class Exam Course G1E

Here is the Lesson 5 which covers the G1E questions.  The G1E questions primarily deal with Repeaters and third party traffic.  There are several questions in this lesson which I feel are a little vague and may be a little too in the weeds for regular use.  Other than that, this is a pretty easy lesson.  If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments box!

73,
Andy
KE4GKP



Saturday, October 23, 2010

Lesson 4: General Class Exam Course G1D

Here is lesson 4 and the G1D questions.  This lesson deals with the Volunteer Examiner program.  Being a VE is a great experience and also a great way to give back to the hobby.  It's fairly easy to become one.  Once you pick up your General Class license you can just go to the ARRL website, take the test, and mail it in.  There are other Volunteer Examiner Coordinators which can endorse you, but the ARRL is definitely the biggest.  The questions in this section are fairly straight forward and you should be able to breeze through it.  However, if you happen to have any questions, comments, or suggestions feel free to leave them in the comment box.  Thanks!

73,
Andy
KE4GKP



Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Lesson 3: General Class Exam Course G1C

Here is lesson 3!  The G1C questions primarily go over power limitations, bandwidths, and baud rates.  There is a bit of memorization which goes into this lesson, but there are some things to keep in mind that will help you remember the numbers a little easier.

Here are the things you need to straight up memorize:

The maximum bandwidth for RTTY and data using unspecified code on 2m and 6m is 20 kHz.

The maximum bandwidth for USB communication on 60m is 2.8 kHz.

For the purposes of the exam, Ham operators on all HF/LF bands (10m - 160m) can use up to 1500W PEP output for transmissions.  There are two exceptions: 30m and 60m.  For the 30m question, you need to know that the 30m band extends from 10.1 to 10.150 MHz and you can only transmit up to 200W PEP output.  For any other question just providing the frequency, the answer is going to be 1500W.  For 60m you can only transmit up to 50W PEP output relative to a half-wave dipole.

For the questions on signal rate (baud) there is a bit of trick.  For all the baud questions on the exam, the same four possible answers are given: 300 baud, 1200 baud, 19.6 kilobaud, and 56 kilobaud.  56 kilobaud (the fastest possible answer) is an incorrect answer for all the baud questions so you can knock it out right away.  The way the rest break down is: HF bands below 10m (12m - 160m) use the slowest signal rate (300 baud); 10m is in the middle at 1200 baud; and the VHF bands (2m and 6m) are the fastest of the three categories at 19.6 kilobaud.   The higher the frequency, the faster the baud rate.  If you can remember that breakdown, you will get those right!

Please feel free to leave any comments, suggestions or questions in the comment box.

Until lesson 4...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Lesson 2: General Class Exam Course G1B

Hello once again!  Here is lesson two of the General Class license course.  This lesson covers the G1B questions which basically deal with more rules and regulations.  Luckily, the majority of the answers make sense so there is not too much memorization.  The two things you do need to memorize are:

The maximum height of an antenna without having to seek permission from the FAA and register with the FCC is 200ft.  If you live near a public use airport, check to make sure that an antenna that high is not going to create an aircraft safety issue.  The height restriction for those who live near airports may be less than 200 ft.

The maximum power a beacon station can transmit is 100 W PEP output.

And that's pretty much it.  As always if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please leave them in the comment box.  Until lesson 3...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP



Sunday, October 17, 2010

Lesson 1: General Class Exam Course G1A

Hello again!  After a bit of a break, I am tackling the General Class license course!  The questions in these lessons are only good until the end of June 2011 so don't delay in getting your upgrade!

This lesson covers the G1A group of questions which primarily deal with frequency allocations.  There is a lot of memorization for this group.  I've broken down what you need to know here:

The band frequencies you need to memorize are:
75/80m     3.525 - 3.6 MHz and 3.8 - 4.0 MHz
40m          7.025 - 7.125 MHz and 7.175 - 7.3 MHz
20m          14.025 - 14.150 MHz and 14.225 - 14.350 MHz
15m          21.025 - 21.2 MHz and 21.225 - 21.450 MHz
12m          24.890 - 24.99 MHz
10m          28-29.7 MHz

On 30m you can only use RTTY, data, and CW.  Image transmission is not allowed!

On 60m is USB voice only!  You can not even use CW on 60m!

It is also important to not that General Class operators can use the entire Amateur privilege on 160m, 30m, 17m, 12m, and 10m.  They do not have the whole amateur privilege on 15m!  Don't get tripped up by this question on the exam!

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please leave them in the comment box.  Until lesson 2...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP







Thursday, October 7, 2010

Moving on to General Class

Hello again!  It looks like the Technician Class Exam Prep videos have met with some good results which honestly makes me pretty thrilled!  Based on the comments from the various posts on this site and my YouTube channel, I am going to start on a General Class license course vice a Morse Code or electronics course (though I still plan on tackling them in the near future).   Like the Technician Class courses, the intent of the videos is to essentially coach the exam.  They are designed to get you past the exam so that you can go on and do great things in Amateur Radio!

In the Technician Class videos, I tried to knock one out per day for posting.  The General Class questions are a little more in depth and the average number of questions per sub-element is higher so I don't think I'm going to be able to maintain the same tempo as I did with the Technician videos.  However, rest assured that I am working diligently on the project and will get them out as soon as possible.  The other factor to take into account is that the General Class questions are scheduled to change in the summer of 2011... so time is a factor. 

With that said, please let me know if you have any suggestions on ways to improve from the Technician videos.

I hope these videos continue to prove to be a useful tool in preparing for the Amateur Radio exams.  I appreciate all the supportive comments everyone has made!  I hope to start getting the new videos out in the next week or so.

73!
Andy
KE4GKP

Friday, July 23, 2010

Lesson 35: Technician Class Exam Prep T0C

Here is the last and final lesson in the Technician Class Exam Prep!  Lesson 35 covers the T0C questions from the exam question pool and RF hazards.  The ultimate theme to this lesson is you need to be aware that your signal produces RF radiation and there is a limit where RF exposure can become unhealthy.  The levels of RF which you and others can be safely exposed to varies by frequencies.  Human bodies, like antennas can resonate at certain frequencies which means RF at 80m will have different exposure limits than RF at 6m.  Be aware and be careful.

I hope this course was an aide in your attempt to get your Technician License.  Use it as you see fit.

Until the next course...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP 


Thursday, July 22, 2010

Lesson 34: Technician Class Exam Prep T0B

Hi again!  Here is the 34th lesson in the Technician Class Exam prep course.  This lesson covers the T0B questions from the exam pool and antenna installation.  Like the previous lesson, lesson 34 deals primarily with safety.  Three of the big antenna risks in Amateur Radio are falling off an antenna tower, an antenna hitting power lines, and lightning strikes.  If you can remember the general themes of avoiding power lines all together, wearing a harness and safety equipment to avoid falling off an antenna tower, and making sure your antenna and tower have a good ground to protect from lightning, you should do fine on this section. 

Only one lesson left in this series!

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Lesson 33: Technician Class Exam Prep T0A

Hello!  Here is lesson 33 covering the T0A questions of the exam pool and AC power circuits.  Despite the title for this section, it primarily deals with electronic safety.  This whole T0 sub-element deals with Amateur Radio safe practices.  This is important because Amateur Radio, unlike hobbies like butterfly catching or stamp collecting, may actually kill you.  The ways which you may be hurt or injured may not be that obvious.  This sub-element is the FCC's way of making sure you've done the proper research in how to operate safely without causing harm to yourself or others. 

We're on the home stretch!  Only two lessons left!

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Sunday, July 18, 2010

Lesson 32: Technician Class Exam Prep T9B

Hello again!  This is lesson 32 which covers the T9B section of the exam question pool and feedlines.  Unless you are already familiar with radio communications, feedlines may come across as a bit obscure.  There are some common themes.  For instance: you always want to make sure your feedline impedance matches your transmitter's output impedance; coaxial cable is the most commonly used type of feedline even though it may not be the best performer; and never let moisture get into coax.  There are few other items you will want to memorize.

-The most commonly used feedline impedance is 50 ohms.
-Type N feedline connectors are best for UHF.
-PL-259 feedline connectors are best for HF.
-The feedline with the lowest loss at VHF and UHF frequencies is air-insulated hard line.

Until lesson 33...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Thursday, July 15, 2010

Lesson 31: Technician Class Exam Prep T9A

Here is lesson 31 and the T9A questions from the exam question pool.  The T9A questions deal with antennas.  You may have the best transceiver on the market, but if you have a bad antenna the quality of the transceiver won't mean a thing.  You will want to familiarize yourself with some basic antenna principles before you try to get on the air.  You at least need to know the basic principles for building a dipole antenna.  The exam question review will help, but they really don't go into the detail you need.  A good book is Basic Antennas: Understanding Practical Antennas and Design published by the ARRL.  It breaks down the basic theory and gives some good project ideas. 

There are two formulas you will need to know for the exam.  The first is to find the length of a quarter wave vertical antenna in inches.  The formula for this is:

Length(in) = 12(234/freq(MHz))

The other is to find the length of a half wave dipole in inches.  The formula for that one is:

Length(in) = 12(468/freq(MHz)

For once, these formulas come in handy for everyday Ham use, unlike some of the others.

Until next time...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Lesson 30: Technician Class Exam Prep T8D

Welcome back!  Here is lesson 30 which covers the T8D questions from the exam pool and non-voice communications, essentially data modes.  Operating with the various digital modes can be very interesting.  There are a lot of different modes and more are being developed all the time.  I was able to find a decent link which includes a brief description of the various modes, to include sound samples. 

As always please feel free to leave any questions, comments or suggestions in the comments box.  Until lesson 31...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Monday, July 12, 2010

Lesson 29: Technician Class Exam Prep T8C

Here is lesson 29 of the Technician Class exam prep course.  This lesson goes over the T8C section of questions form the exam pool covering operating activities.  There is a lot to do in Amateur Radio and many different ways to do it.  There are contest which test your skill as an operator.  You can link into the Internet to increase your range.  You can even use the Amateur frequencies for remote control models.  This section of the exam deals with these various activities.  If you go to the ARRL link and go to On the Air, you'll find a lot of information on the various activities you can do.

As always, please leave any questions, comments, and/or suggestion you may have in the comments box.

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Sunday, July 11, 2010

Lesson 28: Technician Class Exam Prep T8B

Hello!  Here is lesson 28 which covers the T8B questions from the exam pool and satellite operation.  This is one of the funner sections, in my opinion.  It's technical, but not too technical and most of the questions are easily understood.  I added a link to AMSAT (The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) which has about everything you will ever need to know about Amateur Satellites. 

Hope you enjoy the lesson.  Until next time...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Saturday, July 10, 2010

Lesson 27: Technician Class Exam Prep T8A

Hello once again!  Here is lesson 27, the latest lesson in the Technician Class License prep course.  This lesson covers the T8A questions for the exam question pool dealing with modulation modes and bandwidth.  Bandwidth is the space a radio signal occupies in the radio spectrum and is measured in Hz.  Different modes take up different amounts of space.  There are a few bandwidths you will need to memorize for the exam.  They are:

Single Sideband Voice Signal is 3 kHz.
VHF Repeater FM Voice Signal is between 5 and 15 kHz.
Fast Scan TV on 70 cm is about 6 MHz.
CW is 150 Hz.

If you can remember that CW has the smallest bandwidth, that will help with a few other question on the exam.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, as always please leave them in the comments box.  Until next time...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Lesson 26: Technician Class Exam Prep T7D

Here is lesson 27 covering the T7D questions form the question pool dealing with Basic Repair and Testing.  Despite the title, there really isn't too much on basic repair in this section.  This lesson primarily goes over soldering and the use of ammeters, voltmeters, and ohmmeters.  The stuff to remember for this section is:

-Ammeters measure current (amps) and need to be connected in series with the circuit.
-Voltmeters measure EMF (voltage) and need to be connected in parallel withe the circuit.
-Ohmmeters measure resistance (ohms).

As always, please leave any questions, comments or suggestions in the comments box.

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Monday, July 5, 2010

Lesson 25: Technician Class Exam Prep T7C

Hello!  Here is lesson 25 covering the T7C questions dealing with antenna measurements and troubleshooting.  This is a fairly simple lesson.  The two main topics deal with Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) and not to let moisture into your coaxial cable.  Generally speaking, SWR measures how well a signal from a transmitter is matched to a transmission line.  An SWR meter will provide you with a ratio of how much of the signal you're trying to transmit is being reflected back at the transmitter through the feedline.  A 1:1 ratio is perfect.  Unfortunately, a 1:1 is a little impossible to get.  However, you can come very close.  A high SWR may not only mean that your signal is doing nothing but heating your feedline, but the reflected power could potentially damage you equipment.  I found a nice and basic overview of coaxial cable and SWR which you can find the link to in the Ham Links box.

Until next time...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Sunday, July 4, 2010

Lesson 24: Technician Class Exam Prep T7B

Welcome back!  This is lesson 24 covering the T7B section of the question pool and common receiver and transmitter problems.  One of the goals of the questions on the exam is to ensure that every Amateur operator has at least a vague understanding of what is meant by meeting the standards of good Amateur practice.  If your station is malfunctioning, you may be hurting more than just yourself.  Your station could be impacting the ability of other Hams to communicate and may even create problems for your non-Ham neighbors.  You will encounter problems and knowing how to deal with those problems is an important part of becoming a good Amateur operator.

As always, please leave any questions, comments, or suggestions in the comments box.  Until lesson 24...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Saturday, July 3, 2010

Lesson 23: Technician Class Exam Prep T7A

Hello once again.  This is lesson 23.  It deals with the T7A questions from the pool covering station radios.  Despite the fact that this sounds like a fun subject, in regards to the exam it is not.  This is probably the most obscure section of the question pool.  This section asks you to recognize specific types of circuits by functional components which is a bit of a pain.  Unless you are already an electrical engineer, you are going to experience the same feeling I did when I saw these questions...a sense of dread.  On the bright side, you will probably only see one question from this section on the exam.  Until lesson 24...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Friday, July 2, 2010

Lesson 22: Technician Class Exam Prep T6D

Here is lesson 22 and the T6D questions from the question pool.  TheT6D questions cover component functions.  This lesson is a fairly simple one and provides a good review of the lessons in the T6 sub-element of the exam pool.  If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions please feel free to leave them in the comments box.  Until lesson 23...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Thursday, July 1, 2010

Lesson 21: Technician Class Exam Prep T6C

Welcome back!  Here is the 21st lesson in the Technician Class Exam course series.  This one is one of my favorites.  This lesson deals with schematic symbols.  Schematic diagrams are the blueprints for electronic circuits and details how the components are interconnected.  Every electronic component has a symbol which is universally recognized.  If you ever do anything with building or experimenting with electronics, you will become very familiar with schematic diagrams. 

As always, please leave any questions, comments or suggestions.  Until lesson 22...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP



Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Lesson 20: Technician Class Exam Prep T6B

This is the 20th lesson in the Technician Class Exam preparation course.  This lesson covers the T6B questions from the exam question pool dealing with semiconductors.  This lesson primarily focuses on the functions of diodes and transistors.  This subject can get pretty deep, but I tried to give you enough of a knowledge base in the video to deal with the questions.

Some of the items you will need to remember.

-Diodes allow current to flow in only one direction.
-The leads on a diode are called an anode (+) and a cathode (-).  The cathode is identified with a stripe.
-Transistors are capable of using a voltage or current signal to control current flow and can act as amplifiers or switches.
-A Bipolar junction transistor has three leads.  They are the base, emitter, and collector.
-A field effect transistor, or FET, has three leads as well.  They are the gate, source, and drain.

If you have all this you should be fine with this section.  Explanations of semiconductors on the internet tends to be a bit complex.  If you are looking for more information about semiconductors, or electronics in general, I recommend the book Understanding Basic Electronics published by the ARRL.  This gives down to earth and simple explanations of some fairly complex electronics subjects.  This book does not presume you have any previous knowledge of electronics and builds from the ground up.  A great book!

Until next time and lesson 21...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Lesson 19: Technician Class Exam Prep T6A

Again, welcome back!  Here is lesson 19 which goes over electronic components from the T6A section of the exam question pool.  Even though you don't need to learn the schematic symbols of the various components for this lesson, I threw some in there anyway.  There are other sections where you will need to know a schematic symbol or two and I figured it would be easier if some of it were review at that point.  This lesson is one of the funner ones. 

Be sure to take the quiz in the video!  It really does help if you go through the quiz and try to answer the questions correctly.  This repetition helps build memory and really increases your score when you finally take the exam...I promise.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, I welcome it all.  Until the next lesson...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Monday, June 28, 2010

Lesson 18: Technician Class Exam Prep T5D

Welcome back!  Here is lesson 18 which covers the T5D questions from the exam question pool and is entirely devoted to Ohm's law.  If you haven't memorized or know how to use Ohm's law yet, you will after this lesson.  Ohm's law basically states that voltage, current, and resistance in a circuit are all related.  The formula is E=IR where E is voltage in volts, I is current in amperes, and R is resistance in ohms.  From the word problems on the exam, you solve the equation for the variable you are looking for and just substitute in the numbers.  There is a decision circle which helps solve for each variable quickly.  It looks like this:
                                                
To solve for voltage, current, or resistance, you just cover the letter you are looking for and what remains uncovered is what you need to calculate.  For instance, if you are looking for resistance, you cover the 'R' in the circle and what you are left with is E/I.  So divide E (volts) by I (amperes) and it will give you the resistance in ohms.  Simple?

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments box.  Until the next installment...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP



Sunday, June 27, 2010

Lesson 17: Technician Class Exam Prep T5C

Hello again!  Lesson 17 is one of the funner lessons in my opinion.  In this lesson we get started covering some basic electronic principles and components.  There are a few basic units and a formula you need to memorize for this section.

The basic unit of capacitance is the farad.
The basic unit of inductance is the henry.
The basic unit of frequency is Hertz.

And you need to be able to find the power in a DC circuit when you are given the current (amperes) and voltage,  That formula is:

P=IE  Where P is power in watts, I is the current in amperes, and E is the voltage in volts.

And that's about it.  As always, I welcome your questions, comments, or suggestions...especially the suggestions as I am trying to build this site into a useful resource.  Thanks!

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Saturday, June 26, 2010

Lesson 16: Technician Class Exam Prep

Here is lesson 16.  This lesson may prove to be the toughest one yet in preparing for the Technician Class exam.  This lesson covers the T5B questions dealing with metric conversions and calculating decibels (dB).  Don't worry I've broken down what you need to know.  There is a metric conversion chart in the links section, but for the purposes of the exam I will lay down what you need to memorize.

Keep in mind that the prefix in a metric unit (kilo, mega, pico, etc) describes the size of a particular measurement to the standard unit of measure.  So if the standard unit of measure is watts, a kilowatt is 1000 watts.  These metric prefixes help us deal with really big and really small numbers.  Here are the ones you need to memorize:

Pico = 1/1,000,000,000,000 (1 trillionth) of the standard unit (Hz, Amperes, Volts, etc.)
Micro = 1/1,000,000 of the standard unit (Hz, Amperes, Volts, etc.)
Milli = 1/1000 of the standard unit (Hz, Amperes, Volts, etc.)
Kilo = 1000 of the standard unit (Hz, Amperes, Volts, etc.)
Mega = 1,000,000 of the standard unit (Hz, Amperes, Volts, etc.)

To find how many kHz go into a MHz, one way to find the answer is to break the number down into Hz.  A kHz is 1000 Hz.  a MHz is 1,000,000 Hz.  So to find out how many kHz go into a MHz, all you do is divide the bigger unit into the smaller unit.  1,000,000/1000 = 1000 so 1 MHz is equal to 1000 kHz.

To find how many MHz 3525 kHz is, you can break the numbers down into the base unit (Hz) as well.  So 3525 kHz is equal to 3,525,000 Hz and a MHz is equal to 1,000,000 Hz.  Divide 3,525,000 by 1,000,000 and you get 3.525 MHz.  It's a lot easier if you've ever been taught to multiply and divide by powers of 10.  If you remember, the conversion chart in the links section has the powers of 10 listed.

The other piece of memorization you need to do is the formula for calculating decibels (dB).  Bels are often used to calculate the amount of change in noise or power.  Decibels are the units used most often.  A decibel is 1/10th of a Bel.  The way this is used is it calculates the amount of change from one power or noise level to another.  Logarithms are used in the formula so it would be wise to find yourself a good scientific calculator.  On the exam, the questions deal with changes in power.

The formula you need to memorize is:

dB = 10log(P1/P0
Where P0 is the reference power (where you're starting from) and P1 is the power being compared to the reference power (where you are ending).  So if you were to calculate the change in dB from an increase in power from 3 watts to 10 watts, P0 would be the 3 Watts (where you're starting) and P1 would be 10 Watts (where you're ending).  Substitute these numbers into the formula and that's it.  It's also important to note that if the change in power is a decrease (10 watts to 3 watts, for example) the answer on the calculator will be a negative number.  Since we are dealing with the amount of change, the answer will always be positive.  It is like calculating distance.  If you drove 20 miles and them backtracked 5 miles, the total distance traveled is 25 miles.  Just because you backtracked doesn't mean those 5 miles are subtracted from the 20 miles.  Change is the same way.  A decrease in power only means the change is happening down vice up.  Clear as mud?

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions (there might be a few in this one...I am a rotten math teacher) please leave them in the comments box.  Until the next lesson...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP



Friday, June 25, 2010

Lesson 15: Technician Class Exam Prep T5A

And once again, here is the latest lesson installment to prepare you for the Technician Class Amateur Radio exam.  In this lesson, we go over the T5A section of the question pool which cover basic electrical principles.  There are a few basics which you will need to memorize if you (like me) have erased most of your high school physics class out of your memory.  They are:

-Current is measured in Amperes.
-The rate at which electrical energy is used is called Power.
-Electrical power is measured in Watts.
-Electromotive Force (EMF) is also known as Voltage and is measured in Volts.

Until the next installment...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Thursday, June 24, 2010

Lesson 14: Technician Class Exam Prep T4B

Here is lesson 14 of the Technician Class Amateur Radio Exam course.  This lesson covers the T4B questions from the exam question pool dealing with operating controls.  One of the things I recommended for this lesson is to go to the newsstand, or order online, a copy of an Amateur Radio magazine like QST (published by the ARRL) or CQ : Radio Amateurs Journal.  Look through the magazine, especially the ads for the various new transceivers.  Take particular note of what features these transceivers have.  What type of memory, squelch, gain control, etc.  Also, it wouldn't hurt to read through some of the equipment reviews.  This will give you a good idea what this section of the exam is talking about, plus it gives you an excuse to buy a Ham Radio magazine.  Until lesson 15...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Lesson 13: Technician Class Exam Prep T4A

Welcome back!  In lesson 13 we go over the T4A section of the question pool dealing with Station Setup.  This is a relatively easy lesson and should give your brain a rest for a bit.  In this lesson I talk about a data mode called PSK 31.  PSK 31 stands for Phase Shift Keying 31 Baud and is one of the easiest data modes to get started.  PSK 31 is resistant to interference and solid signals can be received where voice and most other means of data communication fail.  It requires low power and a very simple antenna to get great signals.  I've added a link if you are interested.

Until next time...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Lesson 12: Technician Class Exam Prep T3C

Hello once again!  Here is the latest addition, Lesson 12, to the Technician Class Exam Course.  This lesson covers the T3C section of the question pool.  This section deals primarily with radio propagation.  This is a big deal if you are looking for those DX, or distant, contacts.  One of the subjects that wasn't covered in too much detail in the questions is the D, E, and F layers of the ionosphere.  These are the key layers when we are talking radio waves traveling great distances.  Depending on the band and the time of day, you can get all sorts of great contacts by bouncing radio signals off the ionosphere.  I added a link in case you were looking for more information.  As always, if you have any questions comments or suggestions please leave them in the comments box.  Until lesson 13...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Monday, June 21, 2010

Lesson 11: Technician Class Exam Prep T3B

Hello once again! Here is Lesson 11 of the Technician Class Exam Course.  In this lesson we cover the T3B questions from the exam question pool concentrating on Radio and Electromagnetic Wave Properties.  There is a good amount of memorization for this section.  I have broken down what I think might be tricky to remember here to help focus your memorization skills.

The speed of light = 300,000,000 meters per second

Wavelength (meters)=300/frequency in MHz

Frequency limits of the HF Spectrum 3-30MHz; VHF Spectrum 30-300 MHz; and UHF Spectrum 300-3000 MHz.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please leave them in the comments box.  Until lesson 12...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Sunday, June 20, 2010

Lesson 10: Technician Class Exam Prep T3A

Hello again!  This is lesson 10 which goes over the T3A questions from the Technician Class exam question pool and covers Radio Wave Characteristics.  Now we are starting to get into the real meat of Ham Radio!  The challenge of Amateur Radio is to figure out how to manipulate electromagnetic waves to carry radio signals when, how, and where you want them.  This brings either great joy or despair to every Ham operator.  I hope you enjoy the video.  As always, fell free to leave any questions, comments, or suggestions in the comments box.

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Saturday, June 19, 2010

Lesson 9: Technician Class Exam Prep T2C

Welcome back!  Here is the 9th Lesson in the Technician Class Amateur Radio license prep course.  This lesson deals with the T2C section of the exam question pool which covers Public Service.  In this video I talk a little about RACES and ARES.  These are both excellent groups to be a part of if you are interested in emergency communications.  They offer excellent training and provide you a chance to give back to the community.  Also, once you're lecensed, the ARRL has an excellent set of emergency communication courses to help get you proficient in how the process works, hierarchy, etc.  Until lesson 10...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Friday, June 18, 2010

Lesson 8: Technician Class Exam Prep T2B

Hello once again!  Here is Lesson 8 of the Technician Class Exam Prep Course covering the T2B questions from the question pool.  This lesson covers questions dealing with VHF/UHF operating practices.  There are some tricky questions that deal with FM signals, deviation, amplitude, and bandwidth in this one.  Unless you want to go deep in to Frequency Modulation, I recommend just memorizing the answers to the two questions.  I provided a few comparisons (though probably poor ones) to help you remember the answers.  You will have plenty of oportunity to go into detail when the issues come up after you get your license.  However, I am providing a link if you want to go into more detail now.  As always, I am happy to receive any questions, comments, or suggestions.  Please leave them in the comments box below.

73,
Andy
KE4GKP




Thursday, June 17, 2010

Lesson 7: Technician Class Exam Prep T2A

Hello all!  This is lesson 7 of the Technician Class license exam course dealing with the T2A questions from the exam question pool covering Operating Procedures.  Even though you may only expect one question from the T2A section on the exam, this is important stuff to know for general Ham practice.  Please feel free to leave any questions, comments, or suggestions in the comments box.  Until lesson 8...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Lesson 6: Technician Class Exam Prep T1F

Hello again! This is the 6th lesson to get you prepared for the Amateur Radio Technician Class exam.  In this lesson we cover the T1F questions from the exam question pool which is the last of the T1 sub-element so you've reached the first milestone!  The subjects covered are station identification and operation standards to include special operations for repeaters and auxiliary stations, third party communications, club stations, station security, and FCC inspections.  Because this video went a little long it is broken into two parts.

One of the subjects that was not covered in too much detail in the question pool but I think is important is Third Party Communications.  There are two slightly different aspects to third party communications.  The first is the passing of messages from a non-licensed individual (third party) over the Amateur bands to another non-licensed individual.  With in the United States, this is fine as long as the persons operating the transmitters are licensed U.S. Amateurs and the message does not violate any FCC rules.  Third party communication is done a great deal in emergency communications and disaster relief.  From an international point of view, third party traffic is acceptable only if the foreign government where the message is being sent or received allows third party message traffic. In the second aspect, Amateurs may allow a third party to send the information themselves over the Amateur bands.  This can only be done under the direct supervision of a licensed Amateur who acts as the control operator.  The control operator is responsible to ensure the third party sending the message remains in compliance with FCC rules and regulations.   Clear as mud?

As always, if you have any comments. questions, or suggestions please leave them in the comment box.  Until next time...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP





Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Lesson 5: Technician Class Exam T1E

We're well on our way!  This is the 5th lesson in the Technician Class exam course to help you get your Technician Class Amateur Radio license.  In this lesson the T1E questions from the exam question pool are covered.  The subjects include station control and type of control.  As always, please leave any questions, suggestions, or comments you may have in the comments box below.  Until the next lesson...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Monday, June 14, 2010

Lesson 4: Technician Class Exam T1D

 Here is the latest lesson on the way to taking the Technician Class Amateur Radio exam.  As always, if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments box and I will be happy to get back to you.  Also, if you are interested in exploring any of the subjects in more detail than this page and the links can provide, I highly recommend getting a copy of The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications.  It has everything you need to know or ever want to know about Ham Radio.  It is updated annually and is an essential piece of information for any Amateur operator.  Until the next lesson...

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Sunday, June 13, 2010

Technician Exam License Prep: Lesson 3

Here is the latest installment of the Technician Exam License series.  Please feel free to leave any comments or questions in the comments section.  I'll be happy to get back with you.

73,
Andy
KE4GKP


Saturday, June 12, 2010

Technician Class License Exam: Lesson 2

Here are some pieces of the video that I thought would be helpful to see again:

First, you can find the mode and frequency chart published by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) on the links window.  It breaks down everything for all licensed U.S. Amateurs.  Second, the frequencies I suggested in the video that you memorize are listed below:

6M     50-54 MHz
All modes anywhere except for 50-50.1 MHz which is CW only

2M     144-148 MHz
All modes anywhere except for 144-144.1 MHz which is CW only

1.25M     219-220 MHz and 222-225 MHz
219-220 MHZ is fixed digital message forwarding system only
All modes for 222-225 MHz

70cm     420-450 MHz
All modes anywhere

23cm 1240-1300 MHz
All modes anywhere
 
There are a few things to keep in mind concerning this list.  Even though the FCC won't get upset if you use any authorized mode anywhere it is authorized, a lot of Hams will.  When transmitting, it is best to adhear to the band plan agreed upon by most amateur operators.  I have a link to the band plan in the links window.  Also, the above frequencies are not all the frequencies authorized for a Technician Class operator.  These are just the bands, frequencies, and modes you need to know to pass the exam.  I'm trying to keep it easy.  I've also provided a link to information regarding the various modes.  If you have any questions, I'd try there first.
 
I hope these videos are working out for you.  Remeber, these videos are designed to get you past the exam.  Actually operating a Ham station is not a closed book exam.  You can have whatever you need to know right in front of you when you are actually transmitting.  Don't sweat it.
 
If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments box.

Thanks and 73!
Andy
KE4GKP


Friday, June 11, 2010

Tech License Intro and Lesson 1


This is the first video in a series of probably about 35 preparing for the Technician Class exam.  I had to push the time to get the video within YouTube parameters so if there are any questions, please leave them in a post and I'll get right to them.  This was also my first adventure into a video podcast so please, bare with me.



Ham Radio,It's Fantastic!

I really enjoy Ham radio. I like building my own equipment, looking for new contacts, and collecting the QSL cards that eventually come from those big, hard to find contacts. It is relaxing and relatively exciting all at the same time. Sort of like an electronic form of fishing. In fact at it's fundamentals, it is almost exactly like fishing. You throw your line (signal) into the water and see who bites. There are more adventurist sides of Amateur Radio as well. Ham Radio introduced me to storm chasing and satellite communication.  I talked to Bosnian Hams reporting war updates.  I talked to space shuttle astronauts.  And once almost was able to talk to the King of Jordan.
Unfortunately, I've strayed a bit from the hobby over the last few years. I made a few attempts to get going strong again but something always got in the way, usually work. I've decided to get going again despite all my other commitments and am going to use this blog as a tool to stick to it.
One of the things I've always had a problem with Ham radio is a lot of the Hams out there are not very good teachers. I got my license pretty much by memorizing the question pool posted by the FCC without any explanation. I can tell you what the answers are but I don't understand a lot about the "how". It's also intimidating as all get out to get out there and get transmitting without worrying about messing up. I am going to address that here and maybe fill in the gaps that I found when I first got started. I'm going to get back to the basics in my fresh start and do my best to figure it out. Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things and find that Zen once again.