W4CA

Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club

T-2

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Subelement T2

Operating Procedures.

 

FCC rules always apply to the operation of an amateur station. Plus or minus 600 kHz is the most common repeater frequency offset in the 2 meter band. Plus or minus 5 MHz is a common repeater frequency offset in the 70 cm band. Simplex communication is the term used to describe an amateur station that is transmitting and receiving on the same frequency. 446.000 MHz is the national calling frequency for FM simplex operations in the 70 cm band. 146.52 MHz is the national calling frequency for FM simplex operations in the 2 meter band. A voluntary guideline for using different modes or activities within an amateur band is called a band plan, beyond the privileges established by the FCC

 

Calling any station is the meaning of the procedural signal “CQ”. When choosing an operating frequency for calling CQ, make sure you are in your assigned band, Listen, Listen, Listen to be sure that no one else is using the frequency then ask if the frequency is in use. Respond to a station calling CQ by transmitting the other station’s call sign followed by your call sign. Your call sign is often transmitted in place of “CQ” to indicate that you are listening on a repeater. Use of a phonetic alphabet is encouraged by the FCC when identifying your station when using phone. To insure that voice message traffic containing proper names and unusual words are copied correctly by the receiving station, it should be spelled out using a standard phonetic alphabet.

Say the station’s call sign then identify with your call sign is an appropriate way to call another station on a repeater. When the stations can communicate directly without using a repeater you should consider communicating via simplex rather than a repeater. When two stations transmitting on the same frequency interfere with each other, common courtesy should prevail, but no one has absolute right to an amateur frequency. An amateur operator making on-air transmissions to test equipment or antennas must properly identify the transmitting station. Station identification is required at least every ten minutes during the test transmission and at the end of the test. CTCSS is the term used to describe the use of a sub-audible tone transmitted with normal voice audio to open the squelch of a receiver. Carrier squelch mutes of receiver audio controlled solely by the presence or absence of an RF signal. The repeater receiver may require an audio tone burst, a CTCSS tone or a DCS tone sequence for access. The amplitude of the modulating signal determines the amount of deviation of an FM (as opposed to PM) signal. The signal occupies more bandwidth when the deviation of an FM transmitter is increased. If Microphone gain is too high, causing over-deviation will cause your FM signal to interfere with stations on nearby frequencies. Under normal, non-distress circumstances not exceeding the maximum power permitted on a given band use the minimum power necessary to carry out the desired communication.

 

Connect the battery in parallel with a vehicle’s battery and run the engine is one way to recharge a 12-volt lead-acid station battery if the commercial power is out.

 

Use of SSB phone in amateur bands above 50 MHz is permitted in at least some portion of all the bands. QRM is a Q signal indicates that you are receiving interference from other stations. QSY is a Q signal indicates that you are changing frequency

 

RACES and ARES both provide communications during emergencies. Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) is a radio service using amateur frequencies, using amateur stations or using amateur operators certified by a civil defense organization as being enrolled in that organization for emergency management or civil defense communications. Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) are licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service. Remain on frequency without transmitting until asked to do so by the net control station is an accepted practice for an amateur operator who has checked into an emergency traffic net. Passing messages exactly as received is a characteristic of good emergency traffic handling. Begin your transmission by saying “Priority” or “Emergency” followed by your call sign is an accepted practice to get the immediate attention of a net control station when reporting an emergency. Amateur station control operators are permitted to operate outside the frequency privileges of their license class in situations involving the immediate safety of human life or protection of property. The information needed to track the message as it passes through the amateur radio traffic handling system is the preamble. The check is a count of the number of words or word equivalents in the text portion of a formal traffic message

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SUBELEMENT T2

Operating Procedures

[3 Exam Questions – 3 Groups]

Which of the following is a common repeater frequency offset in the 2 meter band?

  1. Plus or minus 600 kHz

What is the national calling frequency for FM simplex operations in the 2 meter band?

146.520 MHz

What is a common repeater frequency offset in the 70 cm band?

  1. Plus or minus 5 Mhz

What is an appropriate way to call another station on a repeater if you know the other station’s call sign?

  1. Say the station’s call sign, then identify with your call sign

How should you respond to a station calling CQ?

  1. Transmit the other station’s call sign followed by your call sign

Which of the following is required when making on-the-air test transmissions?

  1. Identify the transmitting station

What is meant by “repeater offset?”

  1. The difference between a repeater’s transmit frequency and its receive frequency

What is the meaning of the procedural signal “CQ”?

  1. Calling any station

What brief statement indicates that you are listening on a repeater and looking for a contact?

  1. Your call sign

What is a band plan, beyond the privileges established by the FCC?

  1. A voluntary guideline for using different modes or activities within an amateur band

What kind of communication is taking place when an amateur station is transmitting and receiving on the same frequency?

  1. Simplex

Which of the following is a guideline when choosing an operating frequency for calling CQ?

  1. Listen first to be sure that no one else is using the frequency, ask if the frequency is in use and make sure you are in your assigned band.

What is the most common use of the “reverse split” function of a VHF/UHF transceiver?

  1. Listen on a repeater’s input frequency

What term describes the use of a sub-audible tone transmitted along with normal voice audio to open the squelch of a receiver?

  1. CTCSS

If a station is not strong enough to keep a repeater’s receiver squelch open, which of the following might allow you to receive the station’s signal?

  1. Listen on the repeater input frequency

Which of the following could be the reason you are unable to access a repeater whose output you can hear?

  1. Improper transceiver offset, the repeater may require a proper CTCSS tone from your transceiver or the repeater may require a proper DCS tone from your transceiver

What might be the problem if a repeater user says your transmissions are breaking up on voice peaks?
C. You are talking too loudly

What type of tones are used to control repeaters linked by the Internet Relay Linking Project (IRLP) protocol?

  1. DTMF

How can you join a digital repeater’s “talk group”?

  1. Program your radio with the group’s ID or code

Which of the following applies when two stations transmitting on the same frequency interfere with each other?

  1. Common courtesy should prevail, but no one has absolute right to an amateur frequency

What is a “talk group” on a DMR digital repeater?

  1. A way for groups of users to share a channel at different times without being heard by other users on the channel

Which Q signal indicates that you are receiving interference from other stations?

  1. QRM

Which Q signal indicates that you are changing frequency?

  1. QSY

Why are simplex channels designated in the VHF/UHF band plans?

  1. So that stations within mutual communications range can communicate without tying up a repeater

Where may SSB phone be used in amateur bands above 50 MHz?

  1. In at least some portion of all these bands

Which of the following describes a linked repeater network?

  1. A network of repeaters where signals received by one repeater are repeated by all the repeaters

When do the FCC rules NOT apply to the operation of an amateur station?

  1. Never, FCC rules always apply

What is meant by the term “NCS” used in net operation?

  1. Net Control Station

What should be done when using voice modes to ensure that voice messages containing unusual words are received correctly?

  1. Spell the words using a standard phonetic alphabet

What do RACES and ARES have in common?

  1. Both organizations may provide communications during emergencies

What does the term “traffic” refer to in net operation?

  1. Formal messages exchanged by net stations

Which of the following is an accepted practice to get the immediate attention of a net control station when reporting an emergency?

  1. Begin your transmission by saying “Priority” or “Emergency” followed by your call sign

Which of the following is an accepted practice for an amateur operator who has checked into a net?

  1. Remain on frequency without transmitting until asked to do so by the net control station

Which of the following is a characteristic of good traffic handling?

  1. Passing messages exactly as received

Are amateur station control operators ever permitted to operate outside the frequency privileges of their license class?

  1. Yes, but only if necessary in situations involving the immediate safety of human life or protection of property

What information is contained in the preamble of a formal traffic message?

  1. The information needed to track the message

What is meant by the term “check,” in reference to a formal traffic message?

  1. The number of words or word equivalents in the text portion of the message

What is the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)?

  1. Licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service

 

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