Lesson 9: Amateur Radio Practices
Station setup and operating controls bring together the equipment, power and antennas from the earlier lessons.
What you will learn
- T4A Station setup: connecting a microphone, RF power meter, a power source, a computer, digital equipment, an SWR meter; RF grounding; Mobile radio installation
- T4B Operating controls: frequency tuning, use of filters, squelch function, AGC, memory channels, noise blanker, microphone gain, receiver incremental tuning (RIT), bandwidth selection, scanning function; Digital transceiver configuration; DMR code plugs and talk groups
1. Read
- Choosing your first radio: Handheld, mobile or baseHelps with T4A
- Choosing your first radio: Power supplies and batteriesHelps with T4A
- Digital modes: Connecting a computer to a radioHelps with T4A
- Electrical and antenna safety: Grounding and bondingHelps with T4A
- Choosing your first radio: Programming the radioHelps with T4B
- Programming a radio: What a memory channel storesHelps with T4B
- Programming a radio: Squelch and scanningHelps with T4B
- Programming a radio: Digital voice radiosHelps with T4B
- All 23 T4 questions with their answers and explanationsEvery group, with the rule or source behind each answer
2. Explore
- DC power wiring
See how much voltage a long, thin power cable loses while the radio transmits. More current or a thinner wire means a larger drop.
3. Practice
Practice one group at a time. A group is ready when you have answered every one of its questions and learned at least 80 percent of them; a question counts as learned when your last three answers to it were correct. To review quickly, go through this lesson’s questions as flashcards.
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