General exam: operating procedures
HF phone and CW practice, band plans, nets, emergency traffic and digital-mode etiquette. 60 questions, 10 at a time, starting with ones you haven't seen.
Rules to remember10 key operating procedures rulesShow the rules
- By long-standing convention, voice on 160, 75 and 40 meters uses lower sideband. (p. 20)
- Except in emergencies, no amateur station or net has priority access to any frequency (§97.101(b)). (p. 22)
- An SSB voice signal is about 2 to 3 kHz wide, so stations should stay at least that far apart. (p. 23)
- A RACES station's control operator must hold an FCC-issued amateur operator license (§97.407(a)). (p. 24)
- RACES training drills and tests may routinely run for no more than 1 hour per week without special authorization (§97.407(d)(4)). (p. 24)
- Amateur HF RTTY most commonly uses a 170 Hz shift between mark and space. (p. 29)
- FT8 transmissions are tightly timed, so the computer clock must be accurate to about one second. (p. 29)
- Most 20-meter digital activity sits between 14.070 and 14.100 MHz. (p. 29)
- PACTOR links connect exactly two stations, so a third station cannot join an existing contact. (p. 29)
- On 20 meters, FT8 activity is commonly found around 14.074 to 14.077 MHz. (p. 31)
Taken from the explanations to checked practice questions; page numbers link to the official handbook.
Sample operating procedures questions
1.What does the Q signal "QRN" mean?
- ASend more slowly
- BI am troubled by static
- CZero beat my signal
- DStop sending
Show the answer
✓ B. I am troubled by static
QRN means "I am troubled by static," meaning natural atmospheric noise.
2.Which mode is most commonly used for voice communications on frequencies of 14 MHz or higher?
- ASuppressed sideband
- BDouble sideband
- CUpper sideband
- DLower sideband
Show the answer
✓ C. Upper sideband
By convention, amateurs use upper sideband for voice on 20 meters (14 MHz) and all higher bands.
3.When selecting a CW transmitting frequency, what minimum separation from other stations should be used to minimize interference to stations on adjacent frequencies?
- A150 Hz to 500 Hz
- B5 Hz to 50 Hz
- C3 kHz to 6 kHz
- D1 kHz to 3 kHz
Show the answer
✓ A. 150 Hz to 500 Hz
CW signals are narrow, so 150 to 500 Hz of separation is usually enough to avoid interfering with nearby stations.
4.What is good amateur practice if propagation changes during a contact creating interference from other stations using the frequency?
- ADecrease power and continue to transmit
- BAdvise the interfering stations that you are on the frequency and that you have priority
- CAttempt to resolve the interference problem with the other stations in a mutually acceptable manner
- DSwitch to the opposite sideband
Show the answer
✓ C. Attempt to resolve the interference problem with the other stations in a mutually acceptable manner
When propagation changes cause interference, good practice is to work out a mutually acceptable solution with the other stations; no one has priority.