1. Amateur Extra License Class
Chapter 2
Operating Practices

2. General Operating Extra Class HF Frequencies
80m: MHz to MHz
75m: MHz to MHz
40m: MHz to MHz
20m: MHz to MHz
20m: MHz to MHz
15m: MHz to MHz
15m: MHz to MHz
Most DX operations in lower-end of the band.
Extra class portions of the bands are less crowded.

3. General Operating Frequency Selection Be aware of the band edges!
Carrier Frequency
Carrier Frequency KHz
Lower Side band
Upper Side band
Carrier Hz
Carrier Frequency KHz
Carrier Hz

4. General Operating Frequency Selection (cont’d)
ITU Regions 1, 2, & 3 allocations (especially 40m)
Band Plans
Alternate bands/frequencies.
Be flexible.

5. General Operating DX’ing Why DX? DX windows QSL managers.
160m: MHz to MHz
75m: MHz to MHz
QSL managers.

6. General Operating DX’ing DX operating techniques Pileup management
Listen before you transmit!
“You can’t work ‘em if you can’t hear ‘em!”
Use your full call once or twice.
Use standard (ICAO) phonetics.
Pileup management
Simplex
Split
By-the-numbers

7. General Operating DX’ing Split operation.
DX station may be on a frequency not available to some answering stations.
40m.
Separates calling stations from DX station.
Calling stations can hear DX station without interference.
Spreads out pile-up.
Fewer calling stations on each frequency reduces interference & DX station can more efficiently pick out a station to answer.

8. General Operating DX’ing Propagation
Conditions declining as Solar Cycle 24 winds down.
Propagation forecasting software.
Propagation bulletins
Beacons.
Telnet/Packet spotting networks.
Move to lower frequency band as DX stations get weaker.

9. E2C05 -- What is the function of a DX QSL Manager?
To allocate frequencies for Dxpeditions
To handle the receiving and sending of confirmation cards for a DX station
To run a net to allow many stations to contact a rare DX station
To relay calls to and from a DX station

10. E2C08 -- Which of the following contacts may be confirmed through the U.S. QSL bureau system?
Special event contacts between stations in the U.S.
Contacts between a U.S. station and a non-U.S. station
Repeater contacts between U.S. club members
Contacts using tactical call signs

11. To separate the calling stations from the DX station
E2C10 -- Why might a DX station state that they are listening on another frequency?
Because the DX station may be transmitting on a frequency that is prohibited to some responding stations
To separate the calling stations from the DX station
To improve operating efficiency by reducing interference
All of these choices are correct

12. E2C11 -- How should you generally identify your station when attempting to contact a DX station during a contest or in a pileup?
Send your full call sign once or twice
Send only the last two letters of your call sign until you make contact
Send your full call sign and grid square
Send the call sign of the DX station three times, the words “this is”, then your call sign three times

13. E2C12 -- What might help to restore contact when DX signals become too weak to copy across an entire HF band a few hours after sunset?
Switch to a higher frequency HF band
Switch to a lower frequency HF band
Wait 90 minutes or so for the signal degradation to pass
Wait 24 hours before attempting another communication on the band

14. General Operating Contesting (a.k.a. – Radiosport) Why contest?
§97.1(c) -- Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators….
Categories (single-op, multi-op, multi-multi, etc.).
Spotting networks, CWSkimmer.
“Self-spotting” generally prohibited.
Exchange.
Multipliers.

15. General Operating Contesting Operating Methods.
Search & Pounce.
“Running” a frequency.
Some contests restricted by band and/or mode.

16. General Operating Contesting No repeater contacts.
Avoid recognized calling frequencies.
VHF/UHF contest activity normally found in weak signal portion of each band near calling frequency.

17. General Operating Contesting Submitting logs. Paper logs.
Original method.
Generally discouraged.
May be prohibited for large logs.
Electronic logs.
Cabrillo format.
or website applet.
Do NOT have to submit log to participate.

18. General Operating Contesting Finding contests. WA7BNM website.
ARRL website.
CQ Magazine website.
National Contest Journal (NCJ) website.

19. E2C01 -- Which of the following is true about contest operating?
Operators are permitted to make contacts even if they do not submit a log
Interference to other amateurs is unavoidable and therefore acceptable
It is mandatory to transmit the call sign of the station being worked as part of every transmission to that station
Every contest requires a signal report in the exchange

20. E2C02 -- Which of the following best describes the term self-spotting in regards to contest operating?
The generally prohibited practice of posting one’s own call sign and frequency on a spotting network
The acceptable practice of manually posting the call signs of stations on a call sign spotting network
A manual technique for rapidly zero beating or tuning to a station’s frequency before calling that station
An automatic method for rapidly zero beating or tuning to a station’s frequency before calling that station

21. E2C03 -- From which of the following bands is amateur radio contesting generally excluded?
30 meters
6 meters
2 meters
33 cm

22. E2C06 -- During a VHF/UHF contest, in which band segment would you expect to find the highest level of activity?
At the top of each band, usually in a segment reserved for contests
In the middle of each band, usually on the national calling frequency
In the weak signal segment of the band, with most of the activity near the calling frequency
In the middle of the band, usually 25 kHz above the national calling frequency

23. E2C07 -- What is the Cabrillo format? 
A standard for submission of electronic contest logs
A method of exchanging information during a contest QSO
The most common set of contest rules
The rules of order for meetings between contest sponsors

24. E2C13 -- What indicator is required to be used by U. S
E2C13 -- What indicator is required to be used by U.S.-licensed operators when operating a station via remote control where the transmitter is located in the U.S.?
/ followed by the USPS two letter abbreviation for the state in which the remote station is located
/R# where # is the district of the remote station
The ARRL section of the remote station
No additional indicator is required

25. Digital Mode Operating
Packet Radio
AX.25 protocol
ASCII.
Block of data – typically 128 or 256 bytes.
Add header, & checksum.
Receiving station responds with ACK or request for repeat.

26. Digital Mode Operating
Packet Radio
Terminal Node Controller (TNC).
Mostly VHF or UHF.
1200 baud AFSK FM (2m).
Automatic Message Forwarding.
MHz.

27. Digital Mode Operating
Packet Radio
Digipeater.
Satellite.
PACSAT.
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.
Store & forward.
DX packet cluster.

28. E2D04 -- What is the purpose of digital store-and-forward functions on an Amateur Radio satellite?
To upload operational software for the transponder
To delay download of telemetry between satellites
To store digital messages in the satellite for later download by other stations
To relay messages between satellites

29. E2D05 -- Which of the following techniques is normally used by low Earth orbiting digital satellites to relay messages around the world?
Digipeating
Store-and-forward
Multi-satellite relaying
Node hopping

30. Digital Mode Operating
Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)

31. Digital Mode Operating
Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)
Developed by Bob Bruniga, WB4APR.
Standard packet transmission.
AX.25 protocol.
Unnumbered information (UI) frames.
Typical frequency.
MHz (North America)

32. Digital Mode Operating
Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)
Applications.
Position reporting.
Uses GPS data to transmit latitude & longitude of station.
Severe weather spotting.
Public service events.
Weather data gathering.
Messaging.

33. Digital Mode Operating
Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)
Full-featured station.
2m FM transceiver.
TNC.
Computer.
GPS.

34. Digital Mode Operating
Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)
Stand-alone tracker.
2m FM transmitter.
TNC.
GPS receiver.

35. Digital Mode Operating
Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)

36. E2A14 -- What technology is used to track, in real time, balloons carrying amateur radio transmitters?
Radar
Bandwidth compressed LORAN
APRS
Doppler shift of beacon signals

37. E2D07 – What digital protocol is used by APRS?
PACTOR
802.11
AX.25
AMTOR

38. E2D08 – What type of packet frame is used to transmit APRS beacon data?
Unnumbered Information
Disconnect
Acknowledgement
Connect

39. E2D10 -- How can an APRS station be used to help support a public service communications activity?
An APRS station with an emergency medical technician can automatically transmit medical data to the nearest hospital
APRS stations with General Personnel Scanners can automatically relay the participant numbers and time as they pass the check points
An APRS station with a GPS unit can automatically transmit information to show a mobile station's position during the event
All of these choices are correct

40. E2D11 -- Which of the following data are used by the APRS network to communicate your location?
Polar coordinates
Time and frequency
Radio direction finding spectrum analysis
Latitude and longitude

41. Break

42. Amateur Satellites

43. Amateur Satellites Understanding Satellite Orbits
An orbit is one complete trip by an object around its primary.
The primary is the object around which the object is orbiting.
The primary of the earth is the sun.
The primary of the moon is the earth.
The primary of artificial earth satellites is the earth.

44. Amateur Satellites Understanding Satellite Orbits
Inertia causes a satellite to try to keep moving in a straight line.
Commonly referred to as centrifugal force.
The higher the speed, the stronger the centrifugal force.
The sharper the turn (satellite closer to earth), the stronger the centrifugal force.
Gravity tries to pull the satellite towards the primary.
The closer the satellite is to the primary, the stronger the pull of gravity.
An orbit is stable if the centrifugal force equals the pull of gravity.

45. Amateur Satellites Understanding Satellite Orbits
Johannes Kepler (1571–1630).
Mathematically described orbits of planets.
Same laws apply to artificial satellites orbiting the Earth.

46. Amateur Satellites Understanding Satellite Orbits Kepler’s 1st Law.
All planetary orbits are elliptical with the Sun at one of the foci of the ellipse.

47. Amateur Satellites Understanding Satellite Orbits Kepler’s 2nd Law.
A line joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time.

48. Amateur Satellites Understanding Satellite Orbits Kepler’s 3rd Law.
The square of the orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit.
In plain English – The farther a planet is from the Sun, the longer it takes to complete one orbit around the Sun.
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites typically have orbital periods of about 90 minutes.
Satellites at about 25,000 miles above the Earth have orbital periods of about 24 hours and are called geosynchronous or geostationary satellites.

49. Amateur Satellites Understanding Satellite Orbits Keplerian elements.
Sets of numbers that describe a satellite’s orbit.
If you know the Keplerian elements for a satellite, you can determine its position at any given time.
Software programs use Keplerian elements to plot the current positions of satellites.
SatScape
Orbitron
SatPC32

50. Amateur Satellites Orbital Mechanics Definitions. Inclination. Apogee
The angle of an orbit with respect to the Equator.
An orbit with an inclination of 0° is always directly over the Equator.
An orbit with an inclination of 90° will pass directly over both the North Pole and the South Pole.
Apogee
The point in an orbit where the satellite is farthest from the Earth.
Perigee
The point in an orbit where the satellite is closest to the Earth.

51. Amateur Satellites Orbital Mechanics Definitions. Node.
A point in an orbit where the satellite crosses the Equator.
Ascending node.
The point in an orbit where the satellite crosses the Equator traveling from south to north.
Descending node.
The point in an orbit where the satellite crosses the Equator traveling from north to south.

52. Amateur Satellites Orbital Mechanics Definitions. Ascending pass.
The pass of a satellite over a location while traveling from south to north.
Descending pass.
The pass of a satellite over a location while traveling from north to south .

53. Amateur Satellites
Orbital Mechanics

54. Amateur Satellites Faraday Rotation
The polarization appears to be continuously rotating as seen by the receiving station.
Effects of Faraday rotation are minimized by using circular polarization.
Faraday Rotation
The polarization of a radio wave is shifted as it passes through the ionosphere.

55. Amateur Satellites Spin Modulation
The spin causes amplitude changes and polarization changes of the received signal.
Effects of spin modulation are minimized by using circular polarization.
Spin Modulation
Satellites are often stabilized by having them spin about their axis like a gyroscope.

56. E2A01 -- What is the direction of an ascending pass for an amateur satellite?
From west to east
From east to west
From south to north
From north to south

57. E2A02 -- What is the direction of a descending pass for an amateur satellite?
From north to south
From west to east
From east to west
From south to north

58. E2A03 -- What is the orbital period of an Earth satellite?
The point of maximum height of a satellite's orbit
The point of minimum height of a satellite's orbit
The time it takes for a satellite to complete one revolution around the Earth
The time it takes for a satellite to travel from perigee to apogee

59. E2A10 -- Why may the received signal from an amateur satellite exhibit a rapidly repeating fading effect?
Because the satellite is spinning
Because of ionospheric absorption
Because of the satellite's low orbital altitude
Because of the Doppler Effect

60. E2A11 -- What type of antenna can be used to minimize the effects of spin modulation and Faraday rotation?
A linearly polarized antenna
A circularly polarized antenna
An isotropic antenna
A log-periodic dipole array

61. E2A12 -- What is one way to predict the location of a satellite at a given time?
By means of the Doppler data for the specified satellite
By subtracting the mean anomaly from the orbital inclination
By adding the mean anomaly to the orbital inclination
By calculations using the Keplerian elements for the specified satellite

62. E2A13 -- What type of satellite appears to stay in one position in the sky?
HEO
Geostationary
Geomagnetic
LEO

63. Amateur Satellites Satellite Operation
There are 3 main types of satellite systems.
Repeaters.
Transponders.
Digital store & forward.

64. Amateur Satellites Satellite Operation Repeaters.
FM voice repeaters on satellites function exactly like repeaters on the surface of the Earth.
Typically satellite repeaters are cross-band repeaters.
Repeater input & output frequencies are on different bands.
Repeaters are installed on the International Space Station (ISS), AO-27, AO-85, & other satellites.

65. Amateur Satellites Satellite Operation Repeaters.
Some satellite repeaters can be accessed using a dual-band handheld radio with a hand-held 2m/70cm beam.

66. Amateur Satellites Satellite Operation Transponders.
A linear translator that receives a range of frequencies in one band & shifts it to a range of frequencies in a different band.
Many stations can communicate through the satellite simultaneously using different modes.
Any type of signal can be sent using a transponder.
Since all users share the available power, continuous-duty modes such as RTTY or FM are not normally used.

67. Amateur Satellites Satellite Operation Digital store & forward.
Satellite-based file servers that can store messages for retrieval by another station at a different location in the orbit.
Uses packet radio.
AO-16 or PACSAT.

68. Amateur Satellites Satellite Operating Frequencies
Satellite mode denotes uplink & downlink frequencies.
Pair of letters.
1st letter = uplink frequency.
2nd letter = downlink frequency.
Mode U/V means 70cm uplink & 2m downlink.

69. Amateur Satellites Satellite Operating Frequencies Mode Designators
Band H
15m (21.0 MHz to MHz)
10m (28.0 MHz to 29.7 MHz) V
2m (144 MHz to 146 MHz) U
70cm (435 MHz to 438 MHz) L
23cm (1.26 GHz to 1.2 GHz) S
13cm (2.4 GHz to 2.45 GHz) C
5cm (5.8 GHz) X
3cm (10.45 GHz) K
1.2cm (24 GHz)

70. Amateur Satellites Doppler Shift
Because satellite is moving at high speed, apparent frequency changes as satellite moves past earth station.
Apparent frequency is higher than actual frequency as satellite approaches earth station.
Apparent frequency is lower than actual frequency as satellite moves away from earth station.
Apparent frequency = actual frequency when earth station is 90° from satellite path.

71. Amateur Satellites
Doppler Shift

72. E2A04 -- What is meant by the term mode as applied to an amateur radio satellite?
The type of signals that can be relayed through the satellite
The satellite's uplink and downlink frequency bands
The satellite's orientation with respect to the Earth
Whether the satellite is in a polar or equatorial orbit

73. E2A05 -- What do the letters in a satellite's mode designator specify?
Power limits for uplink and downlink transmissions
The location of the ground control station
The polarization of uplink and downlink signals
The uplink and downlink frequency ranges

74. E2A06 -- On what band would a satellite receive signals if it were operating in mode U/V?
435 MHz MHz
144 MHz MHz
50.0 MHz MHz
29.5 MHz MHz

75. E2A07 -- Which of the following types of signals can be relayed through a linear transponder?
FM and CW
SSB and SSTV
PSK and Packet
All of these choices are correct

76. E2A08 -- Why should effective radiated power to a satellite which uses a linear transponder be limited?
To prevent creating errors in the satellite telemetry
To avoid reducing the downlink power to all other users
To prevent the satellite from emitting out-of-band signals
To avoid interfering with terrestrial QSOs

77. E2A09 -- What do the terms L band and S band specify with regard to satellite communications?
The 23 centimeter and 13 centimeter bands
The 2 meter and 70 centimeter bands
FM and Digital Store-and-Forward systems
Which sideband to use

78. Questions?