E3 - RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION [3 Exam Questions - 3 Groups] 40 Questions

Question 1

“What is the approximate maximum separation measured along the surface of the Earth between two stations communicating by EME?”

A. 500 miles, if the moon is at perigee
B. 2000 miles, if the moon is at apogee
C. 5000 miles, if the moon is at perigee
D. 12,000 miles, if the moon is visible by both stations

Answer 1

D. 12,000 miles, if the moon is visible by both stations

Question 2

“What characterizes libration fading of an EME signal?”

A. A slow change in the pitch of the CW signal
B. A fluttery irregular fading
C. A gradual loss of signal as the sun rises
D. The returning echo is several hertz lower in frequency than the transmitted signal

Answer 2

B. A fluttery irregular fading

Question 3

“When scheduling EME contacts, which of these conditions will generally result in the least path loss?”

A. When the moon is at perigee
B. When the moon is full
C. When the moon is at apogee
D. When the MUF is above 30 MHz

Answer 3

A. When the moon is at perigee

Question 4

“What do Hepburn maps predict?”

A. Sporadic E propagation
B. Locations of auroral reflecting zones
C. Likelihood of rain scatter along cold or warm fronts
D. Probability of tropospheric propagation

Answer 4

D. Probability of tropospheric propagation

Question 5

“Tropospheric propagation of microwave signals often occurs in association with what phenomenon?”

A. Grayline
B. Lightning discharges
C. Warm and cold fronts
D. Sprites and jets

Answer 5

C. Warm and cold fronts

Question 6

“What might help to restore contact when DX signals become too weak to copy across an entire HF band a few hours after sunset?”

A. Switch to a higher frequency HF band
B. Switch to a lower frequency HF band
C. Wait 90 minutes or so for the signal degradation to pass
D. Wait 24 hours before attempting another communication on the band

Answer 6

B. Switch to a lower frequency HF band

Question 7

“Atmospheric ducts capable of propagating microwave signals often form over what geographic feature?”

A. Mountain ranges
B. Forests
C. Bodies of water
D. Urban areas

Answer 7

C. Bodies of water

Question 8

“When a meteor strikes the Earth’s atmosphere, a cylindrical region of free electrons is formed at what layer of the ionosphere?”

A. The E layer
B. The F1 layer
C. The F2 layer
D. The D layer

Answer 8

A. The E layer

Question 9

“Which of the following frequency ranges is most suited for meteor scatter communications?”

A. 1.8 MHz - 1.9 MHz
B. 10 MHz - 14 MHz
C. 28 MHz - 148 MHz
D. 220 MHz - 450 MHz

Answer 9

C. 28 MHz - 148 MHz

Question 10

“Which type of atmospheric structure can create a path for microwave propagation?”

A. The jet stream
B. Temperature inversion
C. Wind shear
D. Dust devil

Answer 10

B. Temperature inversion

Question 11

“What is a typical range for tropospheric propagation of microwave signals?”

A. 10 miles to 50 miles
B. 100 miles to 300 miles
C. 1200 miles
D. 2500 miles

Answer 11

B. 100 miles to 300 miles

Question 12

“What is the cause of auroral activity?”

A. The interaction in the F2 layer between the solar wind and the Van Allen belt
B. An extreme low-pressure area in the polar regions
C. The interaction in the E layer of charged particles from the Sun with the Earth’s magnetic field
D. Meteor showers concentrated in the extreme northern and southern latitudes

Answer 12

C. The interaction in the E layer of charged particles from the Sun with the Earth’s magnetic field

Question 13

“Which of these emission modes is best for auroral propagation?”

A. CW
B. SSB
C. FM
D. RTTY

Answer 13

A. CW

Question 14

“What is meant by circularly polarized electromagnetic waves?”

A. Waves with an electric field bent into a circular shape
B. Waves with a rotating electric field
C. Waves that circle the Earth
D. Waves produced by a loop antenna

Answer 14

B. Waves with a rotating electric field

Question 15

“What is transequatorial propagation?”

A. Propagation between two mid-latitude points at approximately the same distance north and south of the magnetic equator
B. Propagation between points located on the magnetic equator
C. Propagation between a point on the equator and its antipodal point
D. Propagation between points at the same latitude

Answer 15

A. Propagation between two mid-latitude points at approximately the same distance north and south of the magnetic equator

Question 16

“What is the approximate maximum range for signals using transequatorial propagation?”

A. 1000 miles
B. 2500 miles
C. 5000 miles
D. 7500 miles

Answer 16

C. 5000 miles

Question 17

“What is the best time of day for transequatorial propagation?”

A. Morning
B. Noon
C. Afternoon or early evening
D. Late at night

Answer 17

C. Afternoon or early evening

Question 18

“What is meant by the terms “extraordinary” and “ordinary” waves?”

A. Extraordinary waves describe rare long-skip propagation compared to ordinary waves, which travel shorter distances
B. Independent waves created in the ionosphere that are elliptically polarized
C. Long-path and short-path waves
D. Refracted rays and reflected waves

Answer 18

B. Independent waves created in the ionosphere that are elliptically polarized

Question 19

“Which amateur bands typically support long-path propagation?”

A. Only 160 meters to 40 meters
B. Only 30 meters to 10 meters
C. 160 meters to 10 meters
D. 6 meters to 2 meters

Answer 19

C. 160 meters to 10 meters

Question 20

“Which of the following amateur bands most frequently provides long-path propagation?”

A. 80 meters
B. 20 meters
C. 10 meters
D. 6 meters

Answer 20

B. 20 meters

Question 21

“What happens to linearly polarized radio waves that split into ordinary and extraordinary waves in the ionosphere?”

A. They are bent toward the magnetic poles
B. They become depolarized
C. They become elliptically polarized
D. They become phase locked

Answer 21

C. They become elliptically polarized

Question 22

“Why is chordal hop propagation desirable?”

A. The signal experiences less loss compared to multi-hop using Earth as a reflector
B. The MUF for chordal hop propagation is much lower than for normal skip propagation
C. Atmospheric noise is lower in the direction of chordal hop propagation
D. Signals travel faster along ionospheric chords

Answer 22

A. The signal experiences less loss compared to multi-hop using Earth as a reflector

Question 23

“At what time of day can sporadic E propagation occur?”

A. Only around sunset
B. Only around sunset and sunrise
C. Only in hours of darkness
D. Any time

Answer 23

D. Any time

Question 24

“What is the primary characteristic of chordal hop propagation?”

A. Propagation away from the great circle bearing between stations
B. Successive ionospheric refractions without an intermediate reflection from the ground
C. Propagation across the geomagnetic equator
D. Signals reflected back toward the transmitting station

Answer 24

B. Successive ionospheric refractions without an intermediate reflection from the ground

Question 25

“What does the radio communication term “ray tracing” describe?”

A. The process in which an electronic display presents a pattern
B. Modeling a radio wave’s path through the ionosphere
C. Determining the radiation pattern from an array of antennas
D. Evaluating high voltage sources for x-rays

Answer 25

B. Modeling a radio wave’s path through the ionosphere

Question 26

“What is indicated by a rising A or K index?”

A. Increasing disruption of the geomagnetic field
B. Decreasing disruption of the geomagnetic field
C. Higher levels of solar UV radiation
D. An increase in the critical frequency

Answer 26

A. Increasing disruption of the geomagnetic field

Question 27

“Which of the following signal paths is most likely to experience high levels of absorption when the A index or K index is elevated?”

A. Transequatorial
B. Polar
C. Sporadic E
D. NVIS

Answer 27

B. Polar

Question 28

“What does the value of Bz (B sub Z) represent?”

A. Geomagnetic field stability
B. Critical frequency for vertical transmissions
C. Direction and strength of the interplanetary magnetic field
D. Duration of long-delayed echoes

Answer 28

C. Direction and strength of the interplanetary magnetic field

Question 29

“What orientation of Bz (B sub z) increases the likelihood that incoming particles from the sun will cause disturbed conditions?”

A. Southward
B. Northward
C. Eastward
D. Westward

Answer 29

A. Southward

Question 30

“By how much does the VHF/UHF radio horizon distance exceed the geometric horizon?”

A. By approximately 15 percent of the distance
B. By approximately twice the distance
C. By approximately 50 percent of the distance
D. By approximately four times the distance

Answer 30

A. By approximately 15 percent of the distance

Question 31

“Which of the following descriptors indicates the greatest solar flare intensity?”

A. Class A
B. Class B
C. Class M
D. Class X

Answer 31

D. Class X

Question 32

“What does the space weather term “G5” mean?”

A. An extreme geomagnetic storm
B. Very low solar activity
C. Moderate solar wind
D. Waning sunspot numbers

Answer 32

A. An extreme geomagnetic storm

Question 33

“How does the intensity of an X3 flare compare to that of an X2 flare?”

A. 10 percent greater
B. 50 percent greater
C. Twice as great
D. Four times as great

Answer 33

B. 50 percent greater

Question 34

“What does the 304A solar parameter measure?”

A. The ratio of x-ray flux to radio flux, correlated to sunspot number
B. UV emissions at 304 angstroms, correlated to the solar flux index
C. The solar wind velocity at 304 degrees from the solar equator, correlated to solar activity
D. The solar emission at 304 GHz, correlated to x-ray flare levels

Answer 34

B. UV emissions at 304 angstroms, correlated to the solar flux index

Question 35

“What does VOACAP software model?”

A. AC voltage and impedance
B. VHF radio propagation
C. HF propagation
D. AC current and impedance

Answer 35

C. HF propagation

Question 36

“How does the maximum range of ground-wave propagation change when the signal frequency is increased?”

A. It stays the same
B. It increases
C. It decreases
D. It peaks at roughly 14 MHz

Answer 36

C. It decreases

Question 37

“What type of polarization is best for ground-wave propagation?”

A. Vertical
B. Horizontal
C. Circular
D. Elliptical

Answer 37

A. Vertical

Question 38

“Why does the radio-path horizon distance exceed the geometric horizon?”

A. E-region skip
B. D-region skip
C. Due to the Doppler effect
D. Downward bending due to density variations in the atmosphere

Answer 38

D. Downward bending due to density variations in the atmosphere

Question 39

“What might be indicated by a sudden rise in radio background noise across a large portion of the HF spectrum?”

A. A temperature inversion has occurred
B. A solar flare has occurred
C. Increased transequatorial propagation is likely
D. Long-path propagation is likely

Answer 39

B. A solar flare has occurred