Amateur Extra

Your progress

Topics

1. E1 Commission Rules

   6 exam questions, one from each group. Study this topic

   • E1A Frequency privileges; signal frequency range; automatic message forwarding; stations aboard ships or aircraft; power restriction on 630- and 2200-meter bands
   • E1B Station restrictions and special operations: restrictions on station location; general operating restrictions; spurious emissions; antenna structure restrictions; RACES operations
   • E1C Automatic and remote control; band-specific regulations; operating in and communicating with foreign countries; spurious emission standards; HF modulation index limit; band-specific rules
   • E1D Amateur Space and Earth stations; telemetry and telecommand rules; identification of balloon transmissions; one-way communications
   • E1E Volunteer examiner program: definitions; qualifications; preparation and administration of exams; reimbursement; accreditation; question pools; documentation requirements
   • E1F Miscellaneous rules: external RF power amplifiers; prohibited communications; spread spectrum; auxiliary stations; Canadian amateurs operating in the US; special temporary authority

2. E2 Operating Procedures

   5 exam questions, one from each group. Study this topic

   • E2A Amateur radio in space: amateur satellites; orbital mechanics; frequencies and modes; satellite hardware; satellite operations
   • E2B Television practices: fast-scan television standards and techniques; slow scan television standards and techniques
   • E2C Contest and DX operating; remote operation techniques; log data format; contact confirmation; RF network systems
   • E2D Operating methods: digital modes and procedures for VHF and UHF; APRS; EME procedures; meteor scatter procedures
   • E2E Operating methods: digital modes and procedures for HF

3. E3 Radio Wave Propagation

   3 exam questions, one from each group. Study this topic

   • E3A Electromagnetic Waves and Specialized Propagation: Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) communications; meteor scatter; microwave tropospheric and scatter propagation; auroral propagation; daily variation of ionospheric propagation; circular polarization
   • E3B Transequatorial propagation; long-path propagation; ordinary and extraordinary waves; chordal hop; sporadic-E mechanisms; ground-wave propagation
   • E3C Propagation prediction and reporting: radio horizon; effects of space-weather phenomena

4. E4 Amateur Practices

   5 exam questions, one from each group. Study this topic

   • E4A Test equipment: analog and digital instruments; spectrum analyzers; antenna analyzers; oscilloscopes; RF measurements
   • E4B Measurement technique and limitations: instrument accuracy and performance limitations; probes; techniques to minimize errors; measurement of Q; instrument calibration; S parameters; vector network analyzers; RF signals
   • E4C Receiver performance: phase noise, noise floor, image rejection, minimum detectable signal (MDS), increasing signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range, noise figure, reciprocal mixing; selectivity; SDR non-linearity; use of attenuators at low frequencies
   • E4D Receiver performance characteristics: dynamic range; intermodulation and cross-modulation interference; third-order intercept; desensitization; preselector; sensitivity; link margin
   • E4E Noise and interference: external RF interference; electrical and computer noise; line noise; DSP filtering and noise reduction; common-mode current; surge protectors; single point ground panel

5. E5 Electrical Principles

   4 exam questions, one from each group. Study this topic

   • E5A Resonance and Q: characteristics of resonant circuits; series and parallel resonance; definitions and effects of Q; half-power bandwidth
   • E5B Time constants and phase relationships: RL and RC time constants; phase angle in reactive circuits and components; admittance and susceptance
   • E5C Coordinate systems and phasors in electronics: rectangular coordinates; polar coordinates; phasors; logarithmic axes
   • E5D RF effects in components and circuits: skin effect; real and reactive power; electrical length of conductors

6. E6 Circuit Components

   6 exam questions, one from each group. Study this topic

   • E6A Semiconductor materials and devices: semiconductor materials; bipolar junction transistors; operation and types of field-effect transistors
   • E6B Diodes
   • E6C Digital ICs: families of digital ICs; gates; programmable logic devices
   • E6D Inductors and piezoelectricity: permeability, core material and configuration; transformers; piezoelectric devices
   • E6E Semiconductor materials and packages for RF use
   • E6F Electro-optical technology: photoconductivity; photovoltaic devices; optical sensors and encoders; optically isolated switching

7. E7 Practical Circuits

   8 exam questions, one from each group. Study this topic

   • E7A Digital circuits: digital circuit principles and logic circuits; classes of logic elements; positive and negative logic; frequency dividers; truth tables
   • E7B Amplifiers: class of operation; vacuum tube and solid-state circuits; distortion and intermodulation; spurious and parasitic suppression; switching-type amplifiers
   • E7C Filters and matching networks: types of networks; types of filters; filter applications; filter characteristics; impedance matching
   • E7D Power supplies and voltage regulators; solar array charge controllers
   • E7E Modulation and demodulation: reactance, phase, and balanced modulators; detectors; mixers
   • E7F Software defined radio fundamentals: digital signal processing (DSP) filtering, modulation, and demodulation; analog-digital conversion; digital filters
   • E7G Operational amplifiers: characteristics and applications
   • E7H Oscillators and signal sources: types of oscillators; synthesizers and phase-locked loops; direct digital synthesizers; stabilizing thermal drift; microphonics; high-accuracy oscillators

8. E8 Signals and Emissions

   4 exam questions, one from each group. Study this topic

   • E8A Fourier analysis; RMS measurements; average RF power and peak envelope power (PEP); analog/digital conversion
   • E8B Modulation and demodulation: modulation methods; modulation index and deviation ratio; frequency- and time-division multiplexing; orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)
   • E8C Digital signals: digital communication modes; information rate vs. bandwidth; error correction; constellation diagrams
   • E8D Keying defects and overmodulation of digital signals; digital codes; spread spectrum

9. E9 Antennas and Transmission Lines

   8 exam questions, one from each group. Study this topic

   • E9A Basic antenna parameters: radiation resistance, gain, beamwidth, efficiency; effective radiated power (ERP) and effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP)
   • E9B Antenna patterns and designs: azimuth and elevation patterns; gain as a function of pattern; antenna modeling
   • E9C Practical wire antennas; folded dipoles; phased arrays; effects of ground near antennas
   • E9D Yagi antennas; parabolic reflectors; feed point impedance and loading of electrically short antennas; antenna Q; RF grounding
   • E9E Impedance matching: matching antennas to feed lines; phasing lines; power dividers
   • E9F Transmission lines: characteristics of open and shorted feed lines; coax versus open wire; velocity factor; electrical length; coaxial cable dielectrics; microstrip
   • E9G The Smith chart
   • E9H Receiving antennas: radio direction finding (RDF) techniques; Beverage antennas; single- and multiple-turn loops

10. E0 Safety

    1 exam question, one from each group. Study this topic

    • E0A Safety: RF radiation hazards; hazardous materials; grounding