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Slow-Speed (CW) Tests: Im a believer

Posted: 16 Jan 2022 08:22 PM PST https://www.kb6nu.com/slow-speed-cw-tests-im-a-believer/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email


The CWops have this thing they call the CW Test, or CWT. CWTs are held
every Wednesday/Thursday, and include four, one-hour sessions at times that favor different geographic areas. Theyre not exactly contests, and some
CWops think of them as practice sessions for the real contests, but people
post their scores to 3830scores.com and brag about them on the CWops
mailing list, so theyre more than just practice sessions.

Not being a contester, I’m not a big fan of CWTs. I’ve participated in maybe a half dozen over the years.
So, when the K1USN Radio Club started a slow-speed version of the CWT,
called the Slow Speed Test, or SST, about a year ago, I thought to myself, “Oh, great. There’s another hour that 40m is going to be unusable.” When 0000Z rolled around tonight, however, I was sitting in front the radio, and since I had nothing better to do, I thought I’d give it a try. Don’t knock it until you try it, and all that.
First, I had to futz around with N1MM and my Arduino-based WinKeyer clone.
I don’t know why, but if I don’t use N1MM for a time, the program fails to find the keyer. I have to either reboot the computer, power-cycle the
keyer, or both. After I got that working, I configured N1MM to run the
contest. Finally, I found a frequency to run on. Over the last 40 minutes
of the SST, I made about one QSO per minute.
Although I hate to admit it, it was kind of fun. First off, I ran into some people that I know. Second, I got to help some people. You could tell some
of the folks were struggling, but that was OK. I figured it was my job to
help them.
Afterwards, I got this email from one of the struggling operators:

Thank you so much, tonight was my first CW contact ever. I could tell you
could tell and slowed right down to the same pace I was using. You were so patient. I appreciate it. I was so nervous I couldn’t even remember how to respond.
Thanks mate. Have a great one.

Needless to say, my QSL card to commemorate this hams first CW QSO will be
in the mail tomorrow. Helping hams make their first CW QSOs and getting
more comfortable at the key is worth the time and effort. So, I’m now a believer. And, you’ll probably hear my call in next week’s SST.

The post Slow-Speed (CW) Tests: Im a believer appeared first on KB6NUs Ham Radio Blog.


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2022 No Nonsense Technician Class License Study Guide: Electronic
components and circuits

Posted: 15 Jan 2022 07:54 AM PST https://www.kb6nu.com/2022-no-nonsense-technician-class-license-study-guide-electronic-components-and-circuits/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email


Heres the second chapter from the 2022 version of my No Nonsense Technician Class License Study Guide.
Resistors
Resistors are components that, as the name implies, oppose the flow of
current. We use them to control how much current flows in a circuit. The
higher the resistance, the lower the current.
Most resistors have a fixed value, specified in ohms, but some are designed
to be variable. That is, you can change the resistance of the resistor by turning a shaft or sliding a control back and forth. Variable resistors,
also called potentiometers, are often used to allow users to adjust the way
a device operates.

T6A01

What electrical component opposes the flow of current in a DC circuit?

A. Inductor

B. Resistor

C. Inverter

D. Transformer

T6A02

What type of component is often used as an adjustable volume control?

A. Fixed resistor

B. Power resistor

C. Potentiometer

D. Transformer

T6A03

What electrical parameter is controlled by a potentiometer?

A. Inductance

B. Resistance

C. Capacitance

D. Field strength
Capacitors
Another common electrical component is the capacitor. The most basic type
of capacitor consists of two metal plates separated by an insulator, called
a dielectric. When you put a DC voltage across a capacitor, an electric
current flows into the capacitor until the voltage across the capacitor
equals the DC voltage. This puts a positive charge on one plate and a
negative charge on the other, thereby creating an electric field between
the two plates.

T6A05

What type of electrical component consists of conductive surfaces separated
by an insulator?

A. Resistor

B. Potentiometer

C. Oscillator

D. Capacitor

T6A04

What electrical component stores energy in an electric field?

A. Varistor

B. Capacitor

C. Inductor

D. Diode
The capacitor stores energy in that electric field. The ability to store
energy in an electric field is called capacitance, and the unit of
capacitance is called the farad.

T5C01

What describes the ability to store energy in an electric field?

A. Inductance

B. Resistance

C. Tolerance

D. Capacitance

T5C02

What is the unit of capacitance?

A. The farad

B. The ohm

C. The volt

D. The henry
Inductors
The third most common type of electrical component in amateur radio
equipment is the inductor. Inductors are usually small coils of wire, and
when a current flows through that coil of wire, a magnetic field is set up around the coil.

T6A07

What electrical component is typically constructed as a coil of wire?

A. Switch

B. Capacitor

C. Diode

D. Inductor

T6A06

What type of electrical component stores energy in a magnetic field?

A. Varistor

B. Capacitor

C. Inductor

D. Diode
The inductor stores energy in the magnetic field. The ability to do this is called inductance, and the unit of inductance is the henry.

T5C03

What describes the ability to store energy in a magnetic field?

A. Admittance

B. Capacitance

C. Resistance

D. Inductance

T5C04

What is the unit of inductance?

A. The coulomb

B. The farad

C. The henry

D. The ohm
Batteries
As amateur radio operators, we often use batteries to power our radio equipment. Some types of batteries are rechargeable, while others are not.

T6A11

Which of the following battery chemistries is not rechargeable?

A. Nickel-cadmium

B. Carbon-zinc

C. Lead-acid

D. Lithium-ion

T6A10

Which of the following battery chemistries is rechargeable?

A. Nickel-metal hydride

B. Lithium-ion

C. Lead-acid

D. All these choices are correct
Diodes
Diodes are the most basic semiconductor component. They have only two electrodes, called the anode and cathode, and conduct current only when it
is forward biased. That is to say, diodes only conduct current when the
voltage on the anode is positive with respect to the cathode. When the
diode is reverse biased, i.e., when the voltage on the anode is negative
with respect to the cathode, the diode will not conduct current. To
identify the cathode, it is often marked with a stripe.

T6B02

What electronic component allows current to flow in only one direction?

A. Resistor

B. Fuse

C. Diode

D. Driven element

T6B09

What are the names for the electrodes of a diode?

A. Plus and minus

B. Source and drain

C. Anode and cathode

D. Gate and base

T6B06

How is the cathode lead of a semiconductor diode often marked on the
package?

A. With the word cathode

B. With a stripe

C. With the letter C

D. With the letter K
When a diode is forward-biased, and a current flows through a diode, there
is a voltage drop across the diode called the forward voltage drop. The
value of the forward voltage drop is lower in some diodes than in others.
For example, the forward voltage of a germanium diode is about 0.3 V, while
the forward voltage drop in a silicon diode is about 0.7 V.

T6B01

Which is true about forward voltage drop in a diode?

A. It is lower in some diode types than in others

B. It is proportional to peak inverse voltage

C. It indicates that the diode is defective

D. It has no impact on the voltage delivered to the load
Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are a particular type of diode. When LEDs
are forward-biased, that is to say when DC current flows through them in
the forward direction, they emit visible light, making them useful as indicators and as part of digital readouts.

T6B07

What causes a light-emitting diode (LED) to emit light?

A. Forward DC current

B. Reverse DC current

C. Capacitively-coupled RF signal

D. Inductively-coupled RF signal

T6D07

Which of the following is commonly used as a visual indicator?

A. LED

B. FET

C. Zener diode

D. Bipolar transistor
Transistors
Transistors are semiconductor components designed to control the current
flow through them. They have three leads and one of those leads is used as
the control pin. A current, in the case of the bipolar junction transistor,
or a voltage, in the case of the field effect transistor, on the control
pin controls the current flow between the two other pins.
In some circuits, the transistor is used as a switch, and the control
signal simply switches the current on and off. In other circuits, the transistor is used as an amplifier. When used as an amplifier, the current through the transistor is proportional to the input current or voltage. The ratio of output current to input current is called the gain of the
transistor.

T6B03

Which of these components can be used as an electronic switch?

A. Varistor

B. Potentiometer

C. Transistor

D. Thermistor

T6B11

What is the term that describes a devices ability to amplify a signal?

A. Gain

B. Forward resistance

C. Forward voltage drop

D. On resistance

T6B10

Which of the following can provide power gain?

A. Transformer

B. Transistor

C. Reactor

D. Resistor
Bipolar junction transistors are transistors that consist of three regions
of semiconductor material. These regions are either P-type, which means
that it has a positive net charge, or N-type, which means it has a net
negative charge. Each region has an electrode, making the transistor a
device with three leads. The names of these three electrodes are emitter,
base and collector.
There are two types of bipolar junction transistors: PNP or NPN. A PNP transistor has two P layers, with an N layer sandwiched between them. An
NPN transistor has two N layers, with a P layer sandwiched between them.

T6B04

Which of the following components can consist of three regions of
semiconductor material?

A. Alternator

B. Transistor

C. Triode

D. Pentagrid converter

T6B12

What are the names of the electrodes of a bipolar junction transistor?

A. Signal, bias, power

B. Emitter, base, collector

C. Input, output, supply

D. Pole one, pole two, output
Another type of transistor often found in amateur radio equipment is the field-effect transistor, or FET. To control the flow of current through the field effect transistor, you use a voltage signal on the control pin. This voltage sets up an electric field inside the transistor, hence the name
field effect transistor. FETs, like NPN and PNP transistors have three electrodes. These electrodes are called the gate, drain, and source.

T6B08

What does the abbreviation FET stand for?

A. Frequency Emission Transmitter

B. Fast Electron Transistor

C. Free Electron Transmitter

D. Field Effect Transistor

T6B05

What type of transistor has a gate, drain, and source?

A. Varistor

B. Field-effect

C. Tesla-effect

D. Bipolar junction
Circuit diagrams, schematic symbols, component functions
When describing circuits on paper, we draw diagrams called schematic
diagrams that show the components used in a circuit and how those
components are connected together. Using schematic diagrams lets us
describe how a circuit works and lets us reproduce a circuit more easily.
The circuit components are represented by symbols that readily identify the type of component and its value or part number.

T6C01

What is the name of an electrical wiring diagram that uses standard
component symbols?

A. Bill of materials

B. Connector pinout

C. Schematic

D. Flow chart

T6C12

Which of the following is accurately represented in electrical schematics?

A. Wire lengths

B. Physical appearance of components

C. Component connections

D. All these choices are correct

Figure T-1 is a schematic diagram of a simple transistor circuit. In this circuit, the transistor is used as a switch that turns on a lamp when a positive voltage is applied to the input.

T6C02

What is component 1 in figure T-1?

A. Resistor

B. Transistor

C. Battery

D. Connector

T6C03

What is component 2 in figure T-1?

A. Resistor

B. Transistor

C. Indicator lamp

D. Connector

T6D10

What is the function of component 2 in figure T-1?

A. Give off light when current flows through it

B. Supply electrical energy

C. Control the flow of current

D. Convert electrical energy into radio waves

T6C04

What is component 3 in figure T-1?

A. Resistor

B. Transistor

C. Lamp

D. Ground symbol

T6C05

What is component 4 in figure T-1?

A. Resistor

B. Transistor

C. Ground symbol

D. Battery
This battery supplies the current that lights the lamp.
The circuit shown in Figure T2 is a simple power supply. Component 2 is a
fuse.


T6A12

What type of switch is represented by component 3 in figure T-2?

A. Single-pole single-throw

B. Single-pole double-throw

C. Double-pole single-throw

D. Double-pole double-throw
It turns the power supply on and off.

T6C09

What is component 4 in figure T-2?

A. Variable inductor

B. Double-pole switch

C. Potentiometer

D. Transformer

T6D06

What component changes 120 V AC power to a lower AC voltage for other uses?

A. Variable capacitor

B. Transformer

C. Transistor

D. Diode
Component 5 in Figure T2 is a rectifier diode. Rectifier diodes are
designed to handle the higher currents found in power supply circuits.

T6D01

Which of the following devices or circuits changes an alternating current
into a varying direct current signal?

A. Transformer

B. Rectifier

C. Amplifier

D. Reflector

T6C06

What is component 6 in figure T-2?

A. Resistor

B. Capacitor

C. Regulator IC

D. Transistor
Sometimes, this is called a filter capacitor, and its function is to filter
out remnants of the 60 Hz AC that are part of the varying direct current signal.

T6C07

What is component 8 in figure T-2?

A. Resistor

B. Inductor

C. Regulator IC

D. Light emitting diode
The LED is a pilot light, serving to alert a user when the power supply is
on.

T6C08

What is component 9 in figure T-2?

A. Variable capacitor

B. Variable inductor

C. Variable resistor

D. Variable transformer
Its purpose is to limit the output current of the supply.

The circuit shown in Figure T3 is a type of antenna tuner.

T6C10

What is component 3 in figure T-3?

A. Connector

B. Meter

C. Variable capacitor

D. Variable inductor

T6C11

What is component 4 in figure T-3?

A. Antenna

B. Transmitter

C. Dummy load

D. Ground
Resonant, or tuned, circuits
When a circuit has both inductors and capacitors, we sometimes call it a resonant, or tuned circuit. The reason for this is that these circuits have
a resonant frequency. When a capacitor and inductor are connected in
series, the circuit has a very low impedance at the resonant frequency.
When the capacitor and inductor are connected in parallel, the circuit has
a very high impedance at the resonant frequency

T6D11

Which of the following is a resonant or tuned circuit?

A. An inductor and a capacitor in series or parallel

B. A linear voltage regulator

C. A resistor circuit used for reducing standing wave ratio

D. A circuit designed to provide high-fidelity audio

T6D08

Which of the following is combined with an inductor to make a resonant
circuit?

A. Resistor

B. Zener diode

C. Potentiometer

D. Capacitor
Other components
There are many different types of components in modern radio equipment.
Below, we will describe the types of components you will need to know about
to pass the Technician Class license examination.
Switches are used to open and close circuits or to switch an input or
output between two or more circuits. A single-pole, dual-throw, or SPDT,
switch connects a single circuit between two other circuits.

T6A08

What is the function of an SPDT switch?

A. A single circuit is opened or closed

B. Two circuits are opened or closed

C. A single circuit is switched between one of two other circuits

D. Two circuits are each switched between one of two other circuits
Normally, switches are manually-controlled, such as the light switch in
your home. Relays, however, are controlled electrically. Applying a voltage
to the input of a relay causes its output to switch.

T6D02

What is a relay?

A. An electrically-controlled switch

B. A current controlled amplifier

C. An inverting amplifier

D. A pass transistor
Meters are devices used to indicate many different values. Meters can
indicate the output voltage of a power supply, the output power of a transmitter, and many other values.

T6D04

Which of the following displays an electrical quantity as a numeric value?

A. Potentiometer

B. Transistor

C. Meter

D. Relay
To make electronic circuits smaller, component manufacturers make devices
that have many electronic components on a single piece of silicon. We call these integrated circuits. Integrated circuits, such as microprocessors,
may have million of transistors inside them.

T6D09

What is the name of a device that combines several semiconductors and other components into one package?

A. Transducer

B. Multi-pole relay

C. Integrated circuit

D. Transformer
Integrated circuits may perform either analog or digital functions. One
type of analog integrated circuit that is very common is the voltage
regulator.

T6D05

What type of circuit controls the amount of voltage from a power supply?

A. Regulator

B. Oscillator

C. Filter

D. Phase inverter
Power supplies generally have one or more fuses. An output fuse, for
example, will prevent a device connected to the power supply from drawing
so much current from the supply that it damages the supply. We call this situation a current overload. The output fuse protects the power supply
from damage by breaking the connection between the power supply and the
device being powered when the current rises above a certain value.

T6A09

What electrical component is used to protect other circuit components from current overloads?

A. Fuse

B. Thyratron

C. Varactor

D. All these choices are correct
When connecting electronic assemblies together, we often use cables with
one or more conductors. Some of those conductors may have a shield around
them that is connected to ground.

T6D03

Which of the following is a reason to use shielded wire?

A. To decrease the resistance of DC power connections

B. To increase the current carrying capability of the wire

C. To prevent coupling of unwanted signals to or from the wire

D. To couple the wire to other signals

The post 2022 No Nonsense Technician Class License Study Guide: Electronic components and circuits appeared first on KB6NUs Ham Radio Blog.

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