Ham Radio General License Practice Test 2026: Practice test 2

1. Question 1 of 25

   Why are 160 and 80 meters often poor for long distances in the daytime?

   • AThe D region absorbs lower HF signals during the day
   • BThe F2 region disappears in daylight, so the signals pass into space
   • CSunspots block those bands
   • DGround wave is stronger at night
   Show answer

   Answer: A. The D region absorbs lower HF signals during the day

   The D region forms in daylight and absorbs lower frequencies. It fades after sunset, so these bands open up at night.

2. Question 2 of 25

   What is near vertical incidence skywave (NVIS) used for?

   • AShort-range HF contacts using signals sent almost straight up
   • BVHF line-of-sight contacts
   • CContacts with satellites
   • DLong-path contacts around the world
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Short-range HF contacts using signals sent almost straight up

   NVIS sends HF signals, often on 80 or 40 meters, at a high angle so they come back down nearby. It fills the gap that ground wave and normal skip miss.

3. Question 3 of 25

   Which ionospheric region gives the longest single-hop HF contacts?

   • AThe E region
   • BThe D region
   • CThe F2 region
   • DThe troposphere
   Show answer

   Answer: C. The F2 region

   The F2 region is the highest part of the ionosphere, so signals refracted there come back down the farthest away.

4. Question 4 of 25

   What does automatic level control (ALC) do in a transmitter?

   • AIt tunes the antenna for you each time you change bands
   • BIt sets the receive volume
   • CIt limits drive to keep the output from distorting
   • DIt changes the transmit frequency
   Show answer

   Answer: C. It limits drive to keep the output from distorting

   ALC reduces drive when the signal gets too strong. Too much ALC action can still cause distortion, so set drive and microphone gain correctly.

5. Question 5 of 25

   What does a speech processor do for an SSB signal?

   • AIt removes the need for a microphone
   • BIt narrows the signal to 150 Hz
   • CIt lowers the peak power below 1 watt
   • DIt raises the average power of the signal
   Show answer

   Answer: D. It raises the average power of the signal

   A speech processor raises average power compared to peak power, which can make a voice easier to understand. Overuse causes distortion.

6. Question 6 of 25

   About how many decibels is one S unit on a typical S meter?

   • AAbout 3 dB
   • BAbout 6 dB
   • CAbout 20 dB
   • DAbout 1 dB
   Show answer

   Answer: B. About 6 dB

   One S unit is about 6 dB, which is about four times the power. Raising a signal by one S unit takes a big power increase.

7. Question 7 of 25

   When using lower sideband, how far above the lower band edge should your displayed carrier frequency be?

   • AAt least 3 kHz
   • BAt least 30 kHz
   • CAt least 300 Hz
   • DIt may be right on the edge
   Show answer

   Answer: A. At least 3 kHz

   An LSB signal extends about 3 kHz below the carrier. Keeping the carrier at least 3 kHz above the edge keeps the whole signal inside the band.

8. Question 8 of 25

   What is a two-tone test used to check?

   • AThe SWR of an antenna
   • BThe battery voltage
   • CThe accuracy of a frequency counter
   • DThe linearity of an SSB transmitter
   Show answer

   Answer: D. The linearity of an SSB transmitter

   A two-tone test feeds two audio tones into an SSB transmitter. The output, shown on an oscilloscope, reveals distortion.

9. Question 9 of 25

   What is one advantage of an antenna analyzer?

   • AIt decodes digital signals and shows them as text on its screen
   • BIt replaces the feed line
   • CIt doubles the transmitter power
   • DIt measures SWR and impedance without using the transmitter
   Show answer

   Answer: D. It measures SWR and impedance without using the transmitter

   An antenna analyzer has its own low-power source, so you can check an antenna without putting a strong signal on the air.

10. Question 10 of 25

    A neighbor's stereo picks up your SSB voice. What is a good first fix?

    • ASwitch to a longer feed line
    • BGround the stereo to a gas pipe
    • CRaise your transmit power
    • DPut ferrite chokes on the stereo's speaker and power leads
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Put ferrite chokes on the stereo's speaker and power leads

    Speaker and power leads often act as antennas. Ferrite chokes block the RF from reaching the stereo circuits.

11. Question 11 of 25

    Why is a vehicle's accessory power socket a poor choice for a 100-watt HF transceiver?

    • AIt blocks the radio's ground
    • BIt is always too high in voltage
    • CIt supplies AC instead of DC
    • DIts wiring may not handle the current the radio draws
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Its wiring may not handle the current the radio draws

    A 100-watt radio can draw about 20 amperes. Use heavy wiring connected to the battery, with proper fuses.

12. Question 12 of 25

    Why put a series diode between a solar panel and a storage battery?

    • ATo raise the panel's output voltage
    • BTo change DC into AC
    • CTo filter switching noise from the panel's charge controller before it reaches the radio
    • DTo stop the battery from discharging through the panel at night
    Show answer

    Answer: D. To stop the battery from discharging through the panel at night

    Without the diode, current can flow backward from the battery into the panel when it is dark.

13. Question 13 of 25

    What does a noise blanker reduce?

    • AHum from the power supply
    • BA steady carrier on your frequency
    • CShort pulses of noise, such as from engine ignition
    • DThe bandwidth of your transmitted signal
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Short pulses of noise, such as from engine ignition

    A noise blanker cuts out brief, strong impulses. Steady carriers are handled by a notch filter instead.

14. Question 14 of 25

    What is a notch filter used for in a receiver?

    • ATo remove a single steady interfering tone or carrier
    • BTo pass only one sideband
    • CTo reduce impulse noise from power lines
    • DTo boost weak signals
    Show answer

    Answer: A. To remove a single steady interfering tone or carrier

    A notch filter cuts a very narrow range, so a single carrier or heterodyne can be removed while the rest of the signal is heard.

15. Question 15 of 25

    How does a capacitor's reactance change as frequency goes up?

    • AIt decreases
    • BIt increases
    • CIt stays the same
    • DIt becomes infinite
    Show answer

    Answer: A. It decreases

    Capacitive reactance falls as frequency rises. Inductive reactance does the opposite and rises with frequency.

16. Question 16 of 25

    When is a circuit with an inductor and a capacitor at resonance?

    • AWhen the current is zero
    • BWhen inductive reactance equals capacitive reactance
    • CWhen the resistance is zero
    • DWhen the voltage is doubled
    Show answer

    Answer: B. When inductive reactance equals capacitive reactance

    At the resonant frequency the inductive and capacitive reactances are equal and cancel each other.

17. Question 17 of 25

    What is the RMS voltage of a sine wave with a peak of 100 volts?

    • AAbout 141 volts
    • BAbout 200 volts
    • CAbout 50 volts
    • DAbout 70.7 volts
    Show answer

    Answer: D. About 70.7 volts

    For a sine wave, RMS voltage is about 0.707 times the peak voltage. 100 times 0.707 is about 70.7 volts.

18. Question 18 of 25

    How much power is used when 10 volts is applied across a 50-ohm resistor?

    • A5 watts
    • B500 watts
    • C2 watts
    • D0.2 watts
    Show answer

    Answer: C. 2 watts

    Power equals voltage squared divided by resistance. 10 squared is 100, and 100 divided by 50 is 2 watts.

19. Question 19 of 25

    What is the total resistance of two 100-ohm resistors in parallel?

    • A200 ohms
    • B100 ohms
    • C25 ohms
    • D50 ohms
    Show answer

    Answer: D. 50 ohms

    Two equal resistors in parallel give half the value of one. Resistors in series simply add.

20. Question 20 of 25

    A transformer has a 10 to 1 turns ratio and 120 volts AC on its primary. What is the secondary voltage?

    • A1.2 volts
    • B1,200 volts
    • C120 volts
    • D12 volts
    Show answer

    Answer: D. 12 volts

    Voltage changes in proportion to the turns ratio. A 10 to 1 step-down transformer turns 120 volts into 12 volts.

21. Question 21 of 25

    What is a ferrite bead or core often used for on station cables?

    • ATo raise the voltage on the cable
    • BTo protect the cable from rain
    • CTo make the cable shorter
    • DTo choke off unwanted RF current on the cable
    Show answer

    Answer: D. To choke off unwanted RF current on the cable

    Ferrite adds impedance to RF currents on the outside of a cable, which helps cure RF interference.

22. Question 22 of 25

    What is one advantage of an electrolytic capacitor?

    • AHigh capacitance in a small size
    • BIt can be connected in either polarity
    • CIt never wears out
    • DIt has very low loss at UHF
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    Answer: A. High capacitance in a small size

    Electrolytic capacitors pack a lot of capacitance into a small case, so they are common in power supply filters.

23. Question 23 of 25

    Why is the type N connector a good choice at UHF?

    • AIt works only at HF
    • BIt needs no center pin
    • CIt is the smallest connector made
    • DIt has low loss and resists moisture
    Show answer

    Answer: D. It has low loss and resists moisture

    Type N connectors keep losses low at high frequencies and can be sealed well, so they suit VHF, UHF and microwave work.

24. Question 24 of 25

    What is one advantage of CMOS integrated circuits?

    • AThey use very little power
    • BThey work only with analog signals
    • CThey need no supply voltage
    • DThey handle very high RF power
    Show answer

    Answer: A. They use very little power

    CMOS logic draws very little current, which makes it useful in battery-powered equipment.

25. Question 25 of 25

    What is the purpose of a bleeder resistor in a power supply?

    • ATo change AC into DC
    • BTo discharge the filter capacitors when power is turned off
    • CTo protect against lightning
    • DTo raise the output voltage
    Show answer

    Answer: B. To discharge the filter capacitors when power is turned off

    Filter capacitors can hold a dangerous charge. A bleeder resistor drains them safely after the supply is switched off.

Keyboard: 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.

The real test: 26 of 35 correct