2. Chapter 1 Introduction

3. What is Amateur Radio?
Section 1.1 contains a lot of interesting background & introductory material.
Read it at your leisure.
Not covered in class.
No questions over this material.

4. The FCC and Licensing Why Get a License?
Unlike other radio services, the amateur can select between many different types of operating activities.
Operating without a license is a violation of federal law, leading to large fines & possibly jail time.
License provides protection from interference from unlicensed operations.

5. The FCC and Licensing Licensing Overview.
FCC has different rules for different types of radio usage.
Each type of usage is referred to as a “Service”.

6. The FCC and Licensing Licensing Overview.
Most services do not require an examination.
Limited number of frequencies.
Limited purposes of operation.
Equipment must be approved by the FCC.

7. The FCC and Licensing Licensing Overview. Amateur Radio Service.
Wide Range of frequencies across entire RF spectrum.
Many types of operation.
Equipment may be purchased off the shelf or may be home-built.

8. The FCC and Licensing Licensing Overview. Amateur radio licenses.
Originally administered by the FCC.
Many had to travel long distances to take exam.
Had to wait several weeks to get license.

9. The FCC and Licensing Licensing Overview. Amateur radio licenses.
Now administered by volunteers under the auspices of a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC).
Examination sessions held locally.
New license issued quickly.
Upgraded license new privileges are available immediately.

10. The FCC and Licensing Licensing Overview. Amateur radio licenses.
3 classes of licenses currently being issued.
Technician.
General.
Amateur Extra.

11. The FCC and Licensing Licensing Overview. Amateur radio licenses.
2 classes of licenses not currently being issued but which can be renewed.
Novice.
Advanced.

12. The FCC and Licensing Licensing Overview. Amateur radio license exams.
Element 2 – Technician Exam.
35 questions.
Element 3 – General Exam.
Element 4 – Amateur Extra Exam.
50 questions.

13. The FCC and Licensing Licensing Overview. Amateur radio license exams.
Technician class license.
Must pass element 2.
Element 3 – General class license.
Must pass elements 2 & 3.
Element 4 – Amateur Extra class license.
Must pass elements 2, 3, & 4.

14. Amateur Radio Activities
Identification and Contacts.
A call sign is used to identify your transmissions.
Call signs are unique.
No 2 amateur radio operators in the world have the same call sign.
Your call sign becomes your “on-air” identity.

15. Amateur Radio Activities
Identification and Contacts.
In the USA, a call sign might indicate what part of the country an amateur lives in.

16. Amateur Radio Activities
Identification and Contacts.
In the USA, a call sign might indicate the class of operator license held.
Group
Definition A
1x2 (1st letter K, N, or W)
2x1 (1st two letters AA-AL) 2x1 (1st letter K, N, or W)
2x2 (1st two letters AA-AL) B
2x2 (1st letter K, N, or W) C
1x3 (1st letter K, N, or W) D
2x3 (1st letter K or W)
Class
Groups
Amateur Extra
A, B, C, or D
Advanced
B, C, or D
General
C, or D
Technician
Novice D

17. Amateur Radio Activities
Identification and Contacts.
Any conversation with another amateur radio station is called a “contact”.
An attempt to make a contact is called a “call” or “calling”.

18. Amateur Radio Activities
Identification and Contacts.
There are 3 main types of contacts:
Voice contacts.
Digital contacts.
Morse code contacts.

19. Amateur Radio Activities
Emergencies and Public Service.
Amateur radio operators have a long tradition of public service communications.
Emergencies.
Message handling.
Public service events.

20. Amateur Radio Activities
Emergencies and Public Service.
ARES.
RACES.
SATERN.
HWN.
SKYWARN.

21. Amateur Radio Activities
Awards and Contests.
Many amateur operators work to win awards for certain operating achievements:
WAS, DXCC, etc.
Many try to win trophies or certificates by participating in contests.

22. Amateur Radio Activities
Novel Activities.
SSTV and ATV.
Packet Radio and Broadband Hamnet.
APRS.
Meteor Scatter and EME.
Satellites.

23. Getting Your Ham Radio License
The Technician License.
Entry-level license.
About 50% of all US amateurs hold a Technician class license.
Primarily local area communications.

24. Getting Your Ham Radio License
Obtaining a License.
Study The Ham Radio License Manual or other materials.
Take the exam.
Receive a CSCE.
Can operate when call sign issued.
For Laurel VEC normally next business day.

25. Getting Your Ham Radio License
What We Assume About You.
Strong interest in Amateur Radio.
Basic math.
Learn new words and terminology.

26. Getting Your Ham Radio License
Online Practice Exams.

27. Getting Your Ham Radio License
Testing Process.
Test sessions are coordinated by a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC).
FCC recognizes 14 VECs.
Individual VEC’s may or may not charge a test fee.
ARRL = $15
W5YI = $14
Laurel VEC = No test fee
Team of at least 3 Volunteer Examiners (VEs) required to administer exam.

28. Getting Your Ham Radio License
Testing Process.
Exam session for this class:
Last class session.
Bring to session:
Photo ID.
SSN or FRN.
Pen (for signing paperwork).
Pencil (for filling out answer sheet).
No test fee.

29. Chapter 2 Radio and Signals Fundamentals

30. Metric Units Metric Units.
Most of the time we will be using metric units.
Need to be familiar with several of the metric prefixes & how to convert between them.

31. Metric Units

32. T5B01 -- How many milliamperes is 1.5 amperes?

33. T5B02 -- What is another way to specify a radio signal frequency of 1,500,000 hertz?
1500 kHz
1500 MHz
15 GHz
150 kHz

34. T5B03 -- How many volts are equal to one kilovolt?
One one-thousandth of a volt
One hundred volts
One thousand volts
One million volts

35. T5B04 -- How many volts are equal to one microvolt?
One one-millionth of a volt
One million volts
One thousand kilovolts
One one-thousandth of a volt

36. T5B05 -- Which of the following is equal to 500 milliwatts?

37. T5B06 -- If an ammeter calibrated in amperes is used to measure a 3000-milliampere current, what reading would it show?
0.003 amperes
0.3 amperes
3 amperes
3,000,000 amperes

38. T5B07 -- If a frequency display calibrated in megahertz shows a reading of MHz, what would it show if it were calibrated in kilohertz?
kHz
35.25 kHz
3525 kHz
3,525,000 kHz

39. T5B08 -- How many microfarads are equal to 1,000,000 picofarads?

40. T5B12 -- Which of the following frequencies is equal to 28,400 kHz?
MHz
2.800 MHz
MHz
kHz

41. T5B13 -- If a frequency display shows a reading of 2425 MHz, what frequency is that in GHz?

42. Break

43. Radio Signals and Waves
Radio Waves.
Radio waves (electromagnetic radiation) are AC waves.
Created by an electrical signal that rapidly changes direction.
a.k.a. – Radio signal.
Travel at the speed of light.
Radio waves are used to carry the information you want to convey to someone else.

44. Radio Signals and Waves
Radio Waves.
Turning an electrical signal into a radio wave is called radiating or radiation.
Not the same as radioactive radiation.
Radio equipment is designed to manipulate radio signals.

45. Radio Signals and Waves
Radio Waves.
Before we study radio waves, we need to learn some vocabulary.
Amplitude.
Frequency.
Period.
Wavelength.
Harmonics.

46. Radio Signals and Waves
Frequency and Phase.
Radio signals are AC signals.
Rapidly reverse polarity & back again.
Rate at which polarity changes is called “frequency”.
Measured in Hertz (Hz).
1 Hz = 1 complete cycle per second
The range of frequencies that produces radio signals is referred to as “RF”.

47. Radio Signals and Waves
Frequency and Phase.
Signals at the same frequency that cross zero at exactly the same time going in the same direction are “in phase”.

48. Radio Signals and Waves
Frequency and Phase.
Signals that do not cross zero at exactly the same time or are going in different directions are “out of phase”.

49. Radio Signals and Waves
Frequency and Phase.
The difference in phase between 2 signals is measured in “degrees”.
1 cycle = 360°.
If 2 signals cross zero at the same time but in different directions they are 180° out of phase.

50. Radio Signals and Waves

51. T5A12 -- What describes the number of times per second that an alternating current makes a complete cycle?
Pulse rate
Speed
Wavelength
Frequency

52. T5C05 -- What is the unit of frequency?
Hertz
Henry
Farad
Tesla

53. T5C14 -- What is the proper abbreviation for megahertz?
mHz
mhZ
Mhz
MHz

54. Radio Signals and Waves
Radio Frequency (RF) Spectrum.
The RF spectrum is the range of wave frequencies which will leave an antenna and travel through space.
The RF spectrum is divided into segments of frequencies that basically have similar behavior.

55. Radio Signals and Waves
Radio Frequency (RF) Spectrum.
Range Name
Abbreviation
Frequency Range
Very Low Frequency
VLF
3 kHz to 30 kHz
Low Frequency LF
30 kHz to 300 kHz
Medium Frequency MF
300 kHz to 3 MHz
High Frequency HF
3 MHz to 30 MHz
Very High Frequency
VHF
30 MHz to 300 MHz
Ultra High Frequency
UHF
300 MHz to 3 GHz
Super High Frequency
SHF
3 GHz to 30 GHz
Extremely High Frequency
EHF
30 GHz to 300 GHz

56. Radio Signals and Waves
Radio Frequency (RF) Spectrum.

57. T3B08 -- What are the frequency limits of the VHF spectrum?
30 to 300 kHz
30 to 300 MHz
300 to 3000 kHz
300 to 3000 MHz

58. T3B09 -- What are the frequency limits of the UHF spectrum?
30 to 300 kHz
30 to 300 MHz
300 to 3000 kHz
300 to 3000 MHz

59. T3B10 -- What frequency range is referred to as HF?
300 to 3000 MHz
30 to 300 MHz
3 to 30 MHz
300 to 3000 kHz

60. T5C06 -- What does the abbreviation “RF” refer to?
Radio frequency signals of all types
The resonant frequency of a tuned circuit
The real frequency transmitted as opposed to the apparent frequency
Reflective force in antenna transmission lines

61. Radio Signals and Waves
Wavelength.
The distance a radio wave travels during one cycle.

62. Radio Signals and Waves
Wavelength.
Radio waves travel at the speed of light.
Therefore:
λ = wavelength (in meters).
c = speed of light = 300,000,000 meters/second.
f = frequency (in Hz).
λ = c/f

63. Radio Signals and Waves
Wavelength.
300
fMHz λm
Frequency (MHz) = 300 / Wavelength (meters)
Wavelength (meters) = 300 / Frequency (MHz)

64. Radio Signals and Waves
Wavelength.
As frequency increases wavelength decreases & vice versa.

65. Radio Signals and Waves
Radio Bands.
The RF spectrum is divided into “bands”.
Bands are named by their approximate wavelength.
40m Band = MHz to MHz
20m Band = MHz to MHz
15m Band = MHz to MHz
10m Band = MHz to MHz
2m Band = 144 MHz to 148 MHz

66. T3B01 -- What is the name for the distance a radio wave travels during one complete cycle?
Wave speed
Waveform
Wavelength
Wave spread

67. T3B04 -- How fast does a radio wave travel through free space?
At the speed of light
At the speed of sound
Its speed is inversely proportional to its wavelength
Its speed increases as the frequency increases

68. T3B05 -- How does the wavelength of a radio wave relate to its frequency?
The wavelength gets longer as the frequency increases
The wavelength gets shorter as the frequency increases
There is no relationship between wavelength and frequency
The wavelength depends on the bandwidth of the signal

69. T3B06 -- What is the formula for converting frequency to approximate wavelength in meters?
Wavelength in meters equals frequency in hertz multiplied by 300
Wavelength in meters equals frequency in hertz divided by 300
Wavelength in meters equals frequency in megahertz divided by 300
Wavelength in meters equals 300 divided by frequency in megahertz

70. T3B07 -- What property of radio waves is often used to identify the different frequency bands?
The approximate wavelength
The magnetic intensity of waves
The time it takes for waves to travel one mile
The voltage standing wave ratio of waves

71. T3B11 -- What is the approximate velocity of a radio wave as it travels through free space?
150,000 kilometers per second
300,000,000 meters per second
300,000,000 miles per hour
150,000 miles per hour

72. Radio Equipment Basics
Basic Station Organization.
Receiver (RCVR).
Transmitter (XMTR).
Method to switch antenna from receiver to transmitter (T-R Switch).
Antenna.
A transceiver (XCVR) combines the RCVR, XMTR, & T-R switch all in one piece of equipment.

73. Radio Equipment Basics
Basic Station Organization.

74. T7A02 -- What is a transceiver?
A type of antenna switch
A unit combining the functions of a transmitter and a receiver
A component in a repeater that filters out unwanted interference
A type of antenna matching network

75. Radio Equipment Basics
Repeaters.
Repeaters are a transmitter and receiver connected together so that a signal received on the receiver is simultaneously re-transmitted by the transmitter on a different frequency.
Repeaters are normally installed in high locations (hills, towers, buildings, etc.) to improve the range of mobile or handheld stations.

76. T1F09 -- What type of amateur station simultaneously retransmits the signal of another amateur station on a different channel or channels?
Beacon station
Earth station
Repeater station
Message forwarding station

77. Questions?

78. Electricity, Components and Circuits
Next Week
Chapter 3
Electricity, Components and Circuits