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Showing posts with label vacuum tubes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacuum tubes. Show all posts

Saturday, August 10, 2013

1965 Ham License Answers

Novice:
  1. Question #9: What method of frequency control is required to be used in the transmitter of a station licensed to the holder of a Novice Class License? The frequency must be crystal-controlled.
  2. Question #13: What is the maximum permissible percentage of modulation of an amateur radiotelephone station? 100%
  3. Question #17: What is the relationship between a fundamental frequency and its second harmonic; its third harmonic, etc.? The second harmonic is twice the frequency of the fundamental, the third harmonic is three times the fundamental frequency, and so on. A harmonic is always related to its fundamental frequency by an integral multiplier; i.e., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.
  4. Question #23: How is the actual power input to the tube or tubes supplying energy to the antenna of an amateur transmitter determined? The input power is determined by measuring the direct-current plate oltage and the d.c. plate current to the tubes in the final stage in the transmitter. The power input is equal to the plate voltage multiplied by the plate current in amperes.
  5. Question #27: What is meant by a "parasitic" oscillation? A parasitic oscillation is one not essential to the operation of the equipment and usually occurring on a frequency considerably removed from the operating frequency.
General:
  1. Question #1: Name the basic units of:
    • electrical resistance - ohm
    • inductance - henry
    • capacitance - farad
    • current - ampere
    • electromotive force or potential difference - volt (electromotive force is a fancy term for "voltage")
    • power - watt
    • energy - joule
    • quantity - coulomb
    • magneto-motive force - gilbert
    • frequency - cycles-per-second, or cycles (nowadays known as "hertz")
     
  2. Question #10: What is the principal reason for using a filter in a plate power-supply system? The principal reason for using a filter in a plate power-supply system is to smooth out the a.c. ripple component in the output and make it "pure d.c."
  3. Question #19: What undesirable effects may result from operation of an unneutralized triode r.f. amplifier in a transmitter? Self-oscillation may result, with consequent radiation on undesired frequencies, possibly outside an amateur band.
  4. Question #69: What is meant by a "doubler" stage? A vacuum-type circuit in which the output circuit is tuned to twice or doube the frequency of the input circuit.
  5. Question #71: What is the reciprocal of resistance? Conductance, measured in mhos ("ohms" spelled backwards)
  6. Question #106: What precaution should be taken to protect filter capacitors connected in series? Resistors having a value of approximately 100,000 ohms should be shunted across each capacitor to equalize the d.c. voltage drops and thus prevent breakdown of the individual capacitors.
Extra:
  1. Question #4: What factors determine the core losses in a transformer? Core losses are one of two types, hysteresis and eddy-current losses. Hysteresis losses vary with the type and volume of iron or steel used in the core and with the operating frequency and magnetic flux density. Eddy-current losses vary with the volume and resistance of the core material, the thickness of the laminations, and frequency and the flux density.
  2. Question #7: In a Class-C r.f. amplifier, what ratio of load impedance to dynamic plate impedance will give the greatest plate efficiency? The highest possible load impedance will give the greatest efficiency, since the ratio of the power in the load to power lost in the plate becomes larger as the ratio of load impedance is increased. However, under these conditions, the power output is relatively small.
  3. Question #12: During 100 percent sinusoidal amplitude modulation, what percentage of the average output power is in the sidebands? 33 1/3% The average power output would increase 50% with such modulation; i.e., a 100-watt unmodulated carrier output would rise to 150 watts. Sidebands carry the excess of 50 watts, which is 1/3 the total.
  4. Question #25: What are synchronizing pulses as used in television transmitters and receivers? Synchronizing pulses used in television transmitters and receivers are pulses of extremely short duration which ensure that trace lines across the face of the picture tube in the receiver are synchronized with the trace lines in the television camera.
  5. Question #34: What determines the operating frequency of a magnetron oscillator? Its dimensions and the electric and magnetic field intensities; also, the associated circuit constants.
  6. Question #46: If the conductors in a 2-wire r.f. transmission line are replaced by larger conductors, how is the surge impedance affected, assuming no change in the center-to-center spacing of the conductor? The surge impedance is lowered.
  7. Question #63: What is the purpose of the mosaic plate in a television camera? To what item of photographic equipment is it similar in function? To store an electrical image corresponding to the visual image focused upon it, for later scanning by an electron beam to translate the electrical image into a television signal. Its function is similar to that of the film in a photographic camera, which similarly stores the image for later development.
  8. Question #92: What are the "Baudot" and "Seven Unit" codes? How are they used? Both are used in teleprinter operation. Baudot used with synchronous printers, 7-unit with start-stop printers. Each transmitted character has assigned to it a fixed time interval divided into units, 5 for Baudot and 7 for 7-unit teletype. A particular character is distinguished by a unique combination of mark and space units in that particular codes being used in all cases.
  9. Question #120: What is the meaning of the term "frequency swing" in reference to frequency-modulation transmitters? The peak difference between the maximum and minimum values of the instantaneous frequency.
  10. Question #136: What is the ohms per volt of a voltmeter constructed of a 0-1 d.c. milliammeter and a suitable resistor which makes the full-scale reading of the meter 500 volts? 1000 ohms per volt.
  11. Question #181: What is meant by low-level modulation? That applied to an early or intermediate stage of a transmitter (instead of to the final amplifier) i.e., at a point where the power level is comparatively low.
  12. Question #204: State where antenna impedance is usually measured. At the point where the antenna is fed. The value so measured is frequently converted into an equivalent value at a current loop.
  13. Question #219: Define a "back-wave" and explain what causes it. A signal emitted during key-up conditions. In make-break keying, it may be caused by energy from unkeyed exciter stages leaking through a keyed amplifier (because of improper neutralizations, etc.) or by parasitic oscillation. In frequency-shift keying the "space" signal in the back-wave.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Could you pass the 1965 Ham License exam?

1965 ARRL FCC
License Manual
I was at an estate sale a couple of weeks back and came across a couple of books that got my attention, The Radio Amateur's License Manual and How to Become a Radio Amateur. Unfortunately I didn't get to find out the callsign of whoever it was that had the books.

The license manual covered all of the classes of licenses available at the time: Novice, Technician, General, Conditional (same as General but test taken by mail), Advanced (not available to new applicants), and Extra.


As I scoped out the book, I found some interesting rules that the FCC enforced at the time:
  • If you wanted to take the test or renew, you paid $4, and it was good for 5 years. If you changed your address, it was $2.
  • Callsigns must be transmitted at the beginning of each transmission, every 10 minutes, and at the end of each transmission (currently hams don't need to identify at the beginning).
  • Novices retained their callsigns for a year and must upgrade.
  • Hams violating FCC rules faced a $500 fine per day during which the offense occurs.
  • Logs were kept of each QSO and must show:
    •  Date & time of transmission  
    •  Signature of each operator
    •  Call of the station contacted
    • Power
    • Frequency
    • Emission type
    • Location
    • Message traffic handled
  • Hams had to notify the FCC Engineer-in-Charge if they intended to operate mobile longer than 48 hours.
  • If an applicant failed an exam, they had to wait 30 days to re-take the exam.
  • The book cost 50 cents, and included the FCC Part 97 rules and regulations.
The other manual
I bought
Some rules have obviously changed. 

What struck me even more was that many of the questions from the Novice/General/Extra questions were pretty tough. Even with my electronics education and background, it was amazing how intricate many of the questions were. Unlike today's question pools, the 1965 pool did not include multiple choice answers with the wrong answers included, but the exams were multiple choice. It also wanted the reader to draw out certain circuits.

So here are some sample questions in the Novice, General, and Extra class exam pool. See how many you can answer. I'll post the correct answers in 24 hours:

Novice:
  1. Question #9: What method of frequency control is required to be used in the transmitter of a station licensed to the holder of a Novice Class License?
  2. Question #13: What is the maximum permissible percentage of modulation of an amateur radiotelephone station?
  3. Question #17: What is the relationship between a fundamental frequency and its second harmonic; its third harmonic, etc.?
  4. Question #23: How is the actual power input to the tube or tubes supplying energy to the antenna of an amateur transmitter determined?
  5. Question #27: What is meant by a "parasitic" oscillation?
General:
  1. Question #1: Name the basic units of:
    • electrical resistance
    • inductance
    • capacitance
    • current
    • electromotive force or potential difference
    • power
    • energy
    • quantity
    • magneto-motive force
    • frequency
     
  2. Question #10: What is the principal reason for using a filter in a plate power-supply system?
  3. Question #19: What undesirable effects may result from operation of an unneutralized triode r.f. amplifier in a transmitter?
  4. Question #69: What is meant by a "doubler" stage?
  5. Question #71: What is the reciprocal of resistance?
  6. Question #106: What precaution should be taken to protect filter capacitors connected in series?
Extra:
  1. Question #4: What factors determine the core losses in a transformer?
  2. Question #7: In a Class-C r.f. amplifier, what ratio of load impedance to dynamic plate impedance will give the greatest plate efficiency?
  3. Question #12: During 100 percent sinusoidal amplitude modulation, what percentage of the average output power is in the sidebands?
  4. Question #25: What are synchronizing pulses as used in television transmitters and receivers?
  5. Question #34: What determines the operating frequency of a magnetron oscillator?
  6. Question #46: If the conductors in a 2-wire r.f. transmission line are replaced by larger conductors, how is the surge impedance affected, assuming no change in the center-to-center spacing of the conductor?
  7. Question #63: What is the purpose of the mosaic plate in a television camera? To what item of photographic equipment is it similar in function?
  8. Question #92: What are the "Baudot" and "Seven Unit" codes? How are they used?
  9. Question #120: What is the meaning of the term "frequency swing" in reference to frequency-modulation transmitters?
  10. Question #136: What is the ohms per volt of a voltmeter constructed of a 0-1 d.c. milliammeter and a suitable resistor which makes the full-scale reading of the meter 500 volts?
  11. Question #181: What is meant by low-level modulation?
  12. Question #204: State where antenna impedance is usually measured.
  13. Question #219: Define a "back-wave" and explain what causes it.

Friday, May 25, 2012

The return of the vacuum tube


Peer inside an antique radio and you'll find what look like small light bulbs. They're actually vacuum tubes—the predecessors of the silicon transistor. Vacuum tubes went the way of the dinosaurs in the 1960s, but researchers have now brought them back to life, creating a nano-sized version that's faster and hardier than the transistor. It's even able to survive the harsh radiation of outer space.
Continue reading the article here.