Here is a sampling of some questions on a ham test:
Which of the following is a requirement for administering a Technician Class operator examination?
A. At least two VEC accredited General Class or higher VEs must be present
B. At least three VEC accredited General Class or higher VEs must be present
C. At least three VEs of Technician Class or higher must be present
D. At least two General Class or higher VEs must be present, but only one need be VEC accredited
Gee I was thinking about going out and giving ham radio tests....good thing I had to learn about this before getting a license. I would have been too stupid to look it up before giving other people tests.
What is one disadvantage of an incandescent indicator compared to an LED?
A. High power consumption
B. Long life
C. High speed
D. Low power consumption
Because its super important to know about light bulbs these days. If I asked this question to most normal people they would get it right. Why is it on the test for a fairly advanced ham radio license?
What is the purpose of a gamma match used with Yagi antennas?
A. To increase the front to back ratio
B. To match the relatively low feed-point impedance to 50 ohms
C. To increase the main lobe gain
D. To match the relatively high feed-point impedance to 50 ohms
Just in case the light bulb question was too easy here's a tougher one!
Which of the following are objectives of the Amateur Auxiliary?
A. To conduct efficient and orderly amateur licensing examinations
B. To coordinate repeaters for efficient and orderly spectrum usage
C. To provide emergency and public safety communications
D. To encourage amateur self regulation and compliance with the rules
Why do I care about this? Because hams have their very own police force to gather evidence for the FCC! Statists!
There is little reason to know half the stuff being asked on these tests. A newbie is likely going to be buying manufactured equipment and does not care about the electronics, they just want to get online. Where people have interest they will learn all about that area of interest.
Good news is that the first General exam I took had a disproportionate number of tough questions. As I run thru the flashcards the questions are not that bad other than the obscure "Amateur Auxiliary" crap.
Well, do you want to operate PSK on HF or not? Study for the General Class exam and earn your license. This isn't like spending $50 on a fishing license. Can they make it any easier to get a ham license these days or what? No Morse code test, no drawing diagrams, easier technical exams -- what more do you want?