VEC'S QUESTION POOL SYLLABI

2006 Technician Class (Element 2) Master syllabus

Released 6 February, 2006

SUBELEMENT T1 - FCC Rules, station license responsibilities - 4 exam questions - 4 groups

T1A - Basis and purpose of the Amateur Radio Service, penalties for unlicensed operation, other penalties, examinations

T1B - ITU regions, international regulations, US call sign structure, special event calls, vanity call signs

T1C - Authorized frequencies (Technician), reciprocal licensing, operation near band edges, spectrum sharing

T1D - The station license, correct name and address on file, license term, renewals, grace period

SUBELEMENT T2 - Control operator duties - 4 exam questions - 4 groups

T2A - Prohibited communications: music, broadcasting, codes and ciphers, business use, permissible communications, bulletins, code practice, incidental music

T2B - Basic identification requirements, repeater ID standards, identification for non-voice modes, identification requirements for mobile and portable operation

T2C - Definition of control operator, location of control operator, automatic and remote control, auxiliary stations

T2D - Operating another person's station, guest operators at your station, third party communications, autopatch, incidental business use, compensation of operators, club stations, station security, station inspection, protection against unauthorized transmissions

SUBELEMENT T3  -  Operating practices - 4 exam questions - 4 groups

T3A - Choosing an operating frequency, calling CQ, calling another station, test transmissions

T3B - Use of minimum power, band plans, repeater coordination, mode restricted sub-bands

T3C - Courtesy and respect for others, sensitive subject areas, obscene and indecent language

T3D - Interference to and from consumer devices, public relations, intentional and unintentional interference

SUBELEMENT T4 - Radio and electronic fundamentals - 5 exam questions - 5 groups

T4A - Names of electrical units, DC and AC, what is a radio signal, conductors and insulators, electrical components

T4B - relationship between frequency and wavelength, identification of bands, names of frequency ranges, types of waves

T4C - How radio works: receivers, transmitters, transceivers, amplifiers, power supplies, types of batteries, service life

T4D - Ohms law relationships

T4E - Power calculations, units, kilo, mega, milli, micro

SUBELEMENT T5  -  Station setup and operation - 4 exam questions - 4 groups

T5A - Station hookup - microphone, speaker, headphones, filters, power source, connecting a computer

T5B - Operating controls

T5C - Repeaters; repeater and simplex operating techniques, offsets, selective squelch, open and closed repeaters, linked repeaters

T5D - Recognition and correction of problems, symptoms of overload and overdrive, distortion, over and under modulation, RF feedback, off frequency signals, fading and noise, problems with digital communications links

SUBELEMENT T6 - Communications modes and methods - 3 exam questions - 3 groups

T6A - Modulation modes, descriptions and bandwidth (AM, FM, SSB)

T6B - Voice communications,  EchoLink and IRLP

T6C - Non-voice communications - image communications, data, CW, packet, PSK31, Morse code techniques, Q signals

SUBELEMENT T7 - Special operations - 2 exam questions - 2 groups

T7A - Operating in the field, radio direction finding, radio control, contests, special event stations

T7B - Satellite operation, Doppler shift, satellite sub bands, LEO,  orbit calculation, split frequency operation, operating protocols, AMSAT, ISS communications

SUBELEMENT T8 - Emergency and Public Service Communications - 3 exam questions - 3 groups

T8A - FCC declarations of an emergency, use of non-amateur equipment and frequencies, use of equipment by unlicensed persons, tactical call signs

T8B - Preparation for emergency operations, RACES/ARES, safety of life and property, using ham radio at civic events, compensation prohibited

T8C - Net operations, responsibilities of the net control station, message handling,  interfacing with public safety officials

SUBELEMENT T9 - Radio waves, propagation, and antennas  - 3 exam questions - 3 groups

T9A - Antenna types - vertical, horizontal, concept of gain, common portable and mobile antennas,  losses with short antennas, relationships between antenna length and frequency, dummy loads

T9B  - Propagation, fading, multipath distortion, reflections, radio horizon, terrain blocking,  wavelength vs. penetration,  antenna orientation

T9C  - Feedlines types, losses vs. frequency, SWR concepts,  measuring SWR, matching and power transfer,  weather protection,  feedline failure modes

SUBELEMENT T0 - Electrical and RF Safety - 3 exam questions - 3 groups

T0A - AC power circuits, hazardous voltages, fuses and  circuit breakers, grounding, lightning protection, battery safety, electrical code compliance

T0B - Antenna installation, tower safety, overhead power lines

T0C - RF hazards, radiation exposure, RF heating hazards, proximity to antennas, recognized safe power levels, hand held safety, exposure to others

2007 Element 3 General Class Question Pool

(Revised February 23, 2007)

2007 General Class (Element 3) Master syllabus

Update version, Released February 23, 2007

SUBELEMENT G1 - COMMISSION'S RULES [5 Exam Questions - 5 Groups]

G1A -  General class control operator frequency privileges; primary and secondary allocations

G1B -  Antenna structure limitations; good engineering and good amateur practice; beacon operation; restricted operation; retransmitting radio signals

G1C - Transmitter power regulations; HF data emission standards

G1D -  Volunteer Examiners and Volunteer Examiner Coordinators; temporary identification

G1E - Control categories; repeater regulations; harmful interference; third party rules; ITU regions

SUBELEMENT G2 - OPERATING PROCEDURES [6 Exam Questions - 6 Groups]

G2A Phone operating procedures; USB/LSB utilization conventions; procedural signals; breaking into a QSO in progress; VOX operation

G2B - Operating courtesy; band plans

G2C - Emergencies, including drills and emergency communications

G2D - Amateur auxiliary; minimizing Interference; HF operations

G2E - Digital operating: procedures, procedural signals and common abbreviations

G2F - CW operating procedures and procedural signals, Q signals and common abbreviations; full break in

SUBELEMENT G3 - RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION [3 Exam Questions - 3 Groups]

G3A - Sunspots and solar radiation; ionospheric disturbances; propagation forecasting and indices

G3B - Maximum Usable Frequency; Lowest Usable Frequency; propagation "hops"

G3C - Ionospheric layers; critical angle and frequency; HF scatter; Near Vertical Incidence Sky waves

G4 - AMATEUR RADIO PRACTICES [5 Questions - 5 groups]

G4A - Two-tone Test; amplifier tuning and neutralization; DSP

G4B - Test and monitoring equipment

G4C - Interference with consumer electronics; grounding

G4D - Speech processors; S meters; common connectors

G4E - HF mobile radio installations; emergency and battery powered operation

SUBELEMENT G5 - ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES [3 exam questions - 3 groups]

G5A - Resistance; reactance; inductance; capacitance; impedance; impedance matching

G5B - The Decibel; current and voltage dividers; electrical power calculations; sine wave root-mean-square (RMS) values; PEP calculations

G5C - Resistors, capacitors, and inductors in series and parallel; transformers

SUBELEMENT G6 - CIRCUIT COMPONENTS [3 exam question - 3 groups]

G6A - Resistors; capacitors; inductors

G6B - Rectifiers; solid state diodes and transistors; solar cells; vacuum tubes; batteries

G6C - Analog and digital integrated circuits (IC's); microprocessors; memory; I/O devices; microwave IC's (MMIC's ); display devices

SUBELEMENT G7 - PRACTICAL CIRCUITS [2 exam question - 2 groups] 

G7A - Power supplies; transmitters and receivers; filters; schematic symbols

G7B - Digital circuits (gates, flip-flops, shift registers); amplifiers and oscillators

SUBELEMENT G8 - SIGNALS AND EMISSIONS [2 exam questions - 2 groups]

G8A - Carriers and modulation: AM; FM; single and double sideband; modulation envelope; deviation; overmodulation

G8B - Frequency mixing; multiplication; HF data communications; bandwidths of various modes

SUBELEMENT G9 - ANTENNAS  [4 exam questions - 4 groups]

G9A - Antenna feedlines: characteristic impedance, and attenuation; SWR calculation, measurement and effects; matching networks

G9B - Basic antennas

G9C - Directional antennas 

G9D - Specialized antennas
         

SUBELEMENT G0 - ELECTRICAL AND RF SAFETY [2 Exam Questions - 2 groups]

G0A - RF safety principles, rules and guidelines; routine station evaluation

G0B - Safety in the ham shack: electrical shock and treatment, grounding, fusing, interlocks, wiring, antenna and tower safety

2008 Extra Class Question Pool (UPDATE 02/20/2008)

ELEMENT 4 - EXTRA CLASS QUESTION POOL

SUBELEMENT E1 -- COMMISSION'S RULES [6 Exam Questions -- 6 Groups]

E1A Operating Standards: frequency privileges for Extra Class amateurs; emission standards; automatic message forwarding; frequency sharing; FCC license actions; stations aboard ships or aircraft

E1B Station restrictions and special operations: restrictions on station location; general operating restrictions, spurious emissions, control operator reimbursement; antenna structure restrictions; RACES operations

E1C Station control: definitions and restrictions pertaining to local, automatic and remote control operation; control operator responsibilities for remote and automatically controlled stations

E1D Amateur Satellite service: definitions and purpose; license requirements for space stations; available frequencies and bands; telecommand and telemetry operations; restrictions, and special provisions; notification requirements

E1E Volunteer examiner program: definitions, qualifications, preparation and administration of exams; accreditation; question pools; documentation requirements

E1F Miscellaneous rules: external RF power amplifiers; Line A; national quiet zone; business communications; compensated communications; spread spectrum; auxiliary stations; reciprocal operating privileges; IARP and CEPT licenses; third party communications with foreign countries; special temporary authority

SUBELEMENT E2 -- OPERATING PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES [5 Exam Questions -- 5 Groups]

E2A Amateur radio in space: amateur satellites; orbital mechanics; frequencies and modes; satellite hardware; satellite operations

E2B Television practices: fast scan television standards and techniques; slow scan television standards and techniques

E2C Operating methods, part 1: contest and DX operating; spread-spectrum transmissions; automatic HF forwarding; selecting an operating frequency

E2D Operating methods, part 2: VHF and UHF digital modes; packet clusters; Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) 

E2E Operating methods, part 3: operating HF digital modes; error correction

SUBELEMENT E3 -- RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION [3 Exam Questions -- 3 Groups]

E3A Propagation and technique, part 1: Earth-Moon-Earth communications; meteor scatter

E3B Propagation and technique, part 2: transequatorial; long path; gray line; multi-path propagation

E3C Propagation and technique, part 3: Auroral propagation; selective fading; radio-path horizon; take-off angle over flat or sloping terrain; earth effects on propagation; less common propagation modes

SUBELEMENT E4 -- AMATEUR RADIO TECHNOLOGY AND MEASUREMENTS [5 Exam Questions -- 5 Groups]

E4A Test equipment: analog and digital instruments; spectrum and network analyzers, antenna analyzers; oscilloscopes; testing transistors; RF measurements

E4B Measurement technique and limitations: instrument accuracy and performance limitations; probes; techniques to minimize errors; measurement of "Q"; instrument calibration

E4C Receiver performance characteristics, part 1: phase noise, capture effect, noise floor, image rejection, MDS, signal-to-noise-ratio; selectivity

E4D Receiver performance characteristics, part 2: blocking dynamic range, intermodulation and cross-modulation interference; 3rd order intercept; desensitization; preselection

E4E Noise suppression: system noise; electrical appliance noise; line noise; locating noise sources; DSP noise reduction; noise blankers

SUBELEMENT E5 -- ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES [4 Exam Questions -- 4 Groups]

E5A Resonance and Q: characteristics of resonant circuits: series and parallel resonance; Q; half-power bandwidth; phase relationships in reactive circuits

E5B Time constants and phase relationships: R/L/C time constants: definition; time constants in RL and RC circuits; phase angle between voltage and current; phase angles of series and parallel circuits

E5C Impedance plots and coordinate systems: plotting impedances in polar coordinates; rectangular coordinates

E5D AC and RF energy in real circuits: skin effect; electrostatic and electromagnetic fields; reactive power; power factor; coordinate systems

SUBELEMENT E6 -- CIRCUIT COMPONENTS [6 Exam Questions -- 6 Groups]

E6A Semiconductor materials and devices: semiconductor materials (germanium, silicon, P-type, N-type); transistor types: NPN, PNP, junction, power; field-effect transistors: enhancement mode; depletion mode; MOS; CMOS; N-channel; P-channel

E6B Semiconductor diodes

E6C Integrated circuits: TTL digital integrated circuits; CMOS digital integrated circuits; gates

E6D Optical devices and toroids: vidicon and cathode-ray tube devices; charge-coupled devices (CCDs); liquid crystal displays (LCDs); toroids: permeability, core material, selecting, winding

E6E Piezoelectric crystals and MMICS: quartz crystals (as used in oscillators and filters); monolithic amplifiers (MMICs)

E6F Optical components and power systems: photoconductive principles and effects, photovoltaic systems, optical couplers, optical sensors, and optoisolators

SUBELEMENT E7 -- PRACTICAL CIRCUITS [8 Exam Questions -- 8 Groups]

E7 Digital circuits: digital circuit principles and logic circuits: classes of logic elements; positive and negative logic; frequency dividers; truth tables

E7B Amplifiers: Class of operation; vacuum tube and solid-state circuits; distortion and intermodulation; spurious and parasitic suppression; microwave amplifiers

E7C Filters and matching networks: filters and impedance matching networks: types of networks; types of filters; filter applications; filter characteristics; impedance matching; DSP filtering

E7D Power supplies and voltage regulators

E7E Modulation and demodulation: reactance, phase and balanced modulators; detectors; mixer stages; DSP modulation and demodulation; software defined radio systems

E7F Frequency markers and counters: frequency divider circuits; frequency marker generators; frequency counters

E7G Active filters and op-amps: active audio filters; characteristics; basic circuit design; operational amplifiers

E7H Oscillators and signal sources: types of oscillators;  synthesizers and phase-locked loops; direct digital synthesizers

SUBELEMENT E8 -- SIGNALS AND EMISSIONS [4 Exam Questions -- 4 Groups]

E8A AC waveforms: sine, square, sawtooth and irregular waveforms; AC measurements; average and PEP of RF signals; pulse and digital signal waveforms

E8B Modulation and demodulation: modulation methods; modulation index and deviation ratio; pulse modulation; frequency and time division multiplexing

E8C Digital signals: digital communications modes; CW; information rate vs. bandwidth; spread-spectrum communications; modulation methods

E8D Waves, measurements, and RF grounding: peak-to-peak values, polarization; RF grounding

SUBELEMENT E9 -- ANTENNAS AND TRANSMISSION LINES [8 Exam Questions -- 8 Groups]

E9A Isotropic and gain antennas: definition; used as a standard for comparison; radiation pattern; basic antenna parameters: radiation resistance and reactance, gain, beamwidth, efficiency

E9B Antenna patterns: E and H plane patterns; gain as a function of pattern; antenna design (computer modeling of antennas); Yagi antennas

E9C Wire and phased vertical antennas: beverage antennas; terminated and resonant rhombic antennas; elevation above real ground; ground effects as related to polarization; take-off angles

E9D Directional antennas: gain; satellite antennas; antenna beamwidth; losses; SWR bandwidth; antenna efficiency; shortened and mobile antennas; grounding

E9E Matching: matching antennas to feed lines; power dividers

E9F Transmission lines: characteristics of open and shorted feed lines: 1/8 wavelength; 1/4 wavelength; 1/2 wavelength; feed lines: coax versus open-wire; velocity factor; electrical length; transformation characteristics of line terminated in impedance not equal to characteristic impedance

E9G The Smith chart

E9F

SUBELEMENT E0 - Safety - [1 exam question -- 1 group]

E0A Safety: amateur radio safety practices; RF radiation hazards; hazardous materials