T2 Operating Procedures

B. Plus or minus 600 kHz

On 2 meters, a repeater conventionally listens on an input frequency 600 kHz above or below the output frequency it transmits on. In the ARRL band plan, for example, outputs from 146.61 to 146.97 MHz pair with inputs 600 kHz lower (146.01 to 146.37 MHz), and outputs from 147.00 to 147.39 MHz pair with inputs 600 kHz higher. These offsets are voluntary band plan conventions coordinated locally, not FCC rules.

• A. Plus or minus 5 MHz is the common repeater offset on the 70 centimeter band, not on 2 meters.
• C. A 500 kHz split appears in the 6 meter band plan (for example, outputs at 52.5 MHz pair with inputs at 52.0 MHz), not on 2 meters.
• D. 1 MHz is not the standard 2 meter split; 2 meter repeater inputs and outputs in the band plan are 600 kHz apart.

A. 146.520 MHz

146.520 MHz is the national FM simplex calling frequency on 2 meters in the ARRL band plan. Stations make contact there and then move to another simplex frequency so the calling channel stays open. This is a voluntary band plan convention; FCC rules do not assign calling frequencies.

• B. 145.000 MHz lies in the 144.90 to 145.10 MHz segment the band plan sets aside for weak-signal and FM simplex use, but it is not the national calling frequency.
• C. 432.100 MHz is the 70 centimeter calling frequency for weak-signal work such as SSB and CW, not a 2 meter FM frequency.
• D. 446.000 MHz is the national FM simplex frequency on the 70 centimeter band, not on 2 meters.

A. Plus or minus 5 MHz

On the 70 centimeter band, repeater input and output frequencies are commonly 5 MHz apart; a repeater transmitting on 442.100 MHz, for example, might listen on 447.100 MHz. Whether the input is above or below the output depends on the local coordinator's plan. Like other offsets, this is a voluntary convention, not an FCC rule.

• B. Plus or minus 600 kHz is the common repeater offset on the 2 meter band, not on 70 centimeters.
• C. A 500 kHz split is used in the 6 meter band plan, not on 70 centimeters.
• D. 1 MHz is not the standard 70 centimeter offset; repeater pairs there are commonly 5 MHz apart.

B. Say the station's call sign, then identify with your call sign

To call a specific station on a repeater, say that station's call sign and then identify with your own, for example “W1AW, this is K1ABC.” The other station hears its own call sign first, and your call sign makes clear who is calling.

• A. “Break, break” is conventionally reserved for interrupting with urgent or emergency traffic, so it is not used for a routine call.
• C. CQ is a call to any station, so it is the wrong procedure when you already know whom you want; long CQ calls are also uncommon on repeaters.
• D. There is no need to wait for the station to call CQ; you can call it directly whenever the repeater is free.

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

When answering a CQ, give the calling station's call sign first and then your own, such as “K1ABC, this is W1XYZ.” The calling station recognizes its own call sign and learns who is answering.

• A. CQ means a call to any station; you are answering one specific station, so sending CQ would be confusing.
• B. Giving your call sign first reverses the customary order; the station that called CQ listens for its own call sign first.
• D. A signal report follows once contact is established; opening with one leaves out the other station's call sign.

D. Repeat “CQ” a few times, followed by “this is,” and your call sign, then pause to listen; repeat as necessary

To seek a contact on phone away from a repeater, call “CQ” a few times, say “this is” and your call sign, then pause and listen for a reply; repeat as needed. CQ means a call to any station, so anyone who hears it may answer.

• A. Giving your call sign followed by “listening” is the custom on repeaters; on an open simplex or HF frequency a single short call is easy to miss, and CQ is the expected call.
• B. QTC is a Q signal about formal messages (traffic) a station has to send, not a general call for contacts.
• C. An unmodulated carrier carries no information and only causes interference; stations call by voice, not with a 10 second carrier.

A. The difference between a repeater’s transmit and receive frequencies

A repeater receives on one frequency (its input) and retransmits on another (its output). The repeater offset is the difference between those two frequencies, such as 600 kHz on 2 meters, and your radio must transmit on the input while listening on the output.

• B. A repeater does not add a time delay to prevent interference; it retransmits on a different frequency at the same time it receives.
• C. The squelch tail and any hang time after a transmission are timing behaviors of the repeater, unrelated to the offset.
• D. Repeater offset is a frequency difference, not a fee; a club may ask users for dues, but that has nothing to do with the term.

D. Calling any station

CQ is a general call meaning “calling any station.” Anyone who hears it may answer, which is why operators use CQ to start a new contact on an open frequency.

• A. CQ is not short for “Contest QSO”; contest operators send “CQ contest” or “CQ test,” but CQ alone is a general call.
• B. CQ has nothing to do with audio quality; it is a general call for any station.
• C. Inviting only the called station to transmit is the meaning of the CW prosign KN, the opposite of the open invitation CQ makes.

B. The station’s call sign followed by the word “listening”

On a repeater, the custom is to give your call sign followed by the word “listening” (for example, “K1ABC listening”). Anyone who wants to talk can then call you, without the long CQ calls used on HF.

• A. Long CQ calls are not customary on repeaters, and the repeater's call sign is not needed to announce that you are listening.
• C. Giving the repeater's call sign before yours is not how operators announce that they are monitoring; the repeater identifies itself automatically.
• D. QSY means changing frequency, so it announces that you are leaving, not that you are listening.

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

FCC rules (47 CFR 97.301 and 97.305) set which frequencies and emission types each license class may use. A band plan goes further: it is a voluntary agreement, published nationally by the ARRL and adapted by local coordinators, that divides each band into segments for activities such as CW, SSB, FM simplex, repeaters and satellites so incompatible modes avoid interfering with each other.

• B. A list of operating schedules tells when stations or nets meet, not how a band is divided among modes and activities.
• C. A list of net frequencies is a net directory; a band plan covers every activity in a band, not only nets.
• D. A single club's chart of local frequency use is not a band plan; band plans are developed for the whole amateur community, nationally by the ARRL and regionally by frequency coordinators.

C. Simplex

Simplex means transmitting and receiving on the same frequency, so stations talk directly to each other and take turns. Repeater operation, by contrast, uses separate input and output frequencies.

• A. Full duplex means transmitting and receiving at the same time, normally on two different frequencies, as on a telephone call.
• B. Diplex refers to combining or separating two frequency bands on one path, as a diplexer does for 2 meter and 70 centimeter signals on one feed line; it is not same-frequency operation.
• D. Multiplex means sending several signals or channels over one link at once; it does not describe a station using one frequency for both directions.

C. To listen on a repeater’s input frequency

The reverse function swaps your transceiver's transmit and receive frequencies, so you listen on the repeater's input frequency. If you can hear the other station directly there, you are within simplex range and can move off the repeater.

• A. Power output is set with the power control; the reverse function changes frequencies, not power.
• B. Reverse does not raise power output; it swaps the transmit and receive frequencies.
• D. Listening on the repeater's output is normal repeater operation; reverse moves your receiver to the input.

D. CTCSS

CTCSS (Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System) sends a low-frequency tone, from 67.0 to 254.1 Hz in the standard set, along with the voice audio. A receiver or repeater set to that tone opens its squelch only when the tone is present, which keeps out other signals on the same frequency.

• A. Carrier squelch opens on any signal strong enough to cross the squelch threshold, with no tone required.
• B. A tone burst is a short audible tone sent at the start of a transmission to access some repeaters, not a continuous sub-audible tone.
• C. DTMF (touch tone) sends pairs of audible tones from a keypad for control and signaling, not a continuous sub-audible tone.

A. A network of repeaters in which signals received by one repeater are transmitted by all the repeaters in the network

In a linked repeater network, repeaters are connected (by radio links or the internet) so a signal received by any one of them is retransmitted by all of them. This extends coverage across a wide area.

• B. A single repeater with several receivers is a voting receiver system, which improves one repeater's coverage but does not link separate repeaters.
• C. Sharing a control operator does not connect repeaters; each can still operate on its own.
• D. APRS is a packet system for sharing positions and short messages, not a method of linking voice repeaters.

D. All these choices are correct

To use a repeater you must transmit on its input frequency and send any access signal it requires. A wrong offset, a wrong CTCSS tone or a wrong DCS code each keeps the repeater from responding even though you can hear its output, so all three are possible causes.

• A. An improper offset puts your signal on the wrong input frequency, so the repeater never hears you; this is true, but it is only one of the possible causes.
• B. If the repeater requires a CTCSS tone and you send the wrong one, its receiver stays muted; this is true, but it is only one of the possible causes.
• C. DCS (Digital-Coded Squelch) works like CTCSS but with a digital code, and the wrong code also blocks access; this is true, but it is only one of the possible causes.

C. You are talking too loudly

In FM, louder audio produces greater frequency deviation. Talking too loudly, or too close to the microphone, overdeviates the signal on voice peaks and pushes it beyond the receiver's or repeater's passband, so the audio distorts or drops out on those peaks.

• A. An inverted offset makes you transmit on the wrong frequency, so the repeater does not hear you at all; it does not cause dropouts only on loud peaks.
• B. Deviation that is too low makes your audio sound weak and quiet; it does not make it cut out on peaks.
• D. Higher transmit power makes your signal stronger at the receiver; it does not change deviation or cause audio dropouts.

A. DTMF

DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) is the touch-tone system: each keypad button sends two audio tones at once, one from a low group and one from a high group. Repeaters use DTMF sequences for control functions such as turning links on or off.

• B. CTCSS sends a single continuous sub-audible tone, not two simultaneous tones.
• C. GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) is a separate licensed radio service under Part 95, not a signaling method.
• D. D-STAR is a digital voice and data protocol, not a two-tone signaling scheme.

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

On DMR and similar digital systems, each talkgroup is identified by a number. You join a talkgroup by programming its ID into your radio (in the code plug) and selecting it; your transmissions then carry that ID, and you hear traffic sent to that talkgroup.

• A. A frequency coordinator recommends frequencies for repeaters; it has no role in joining a talkgroup.
• B. No registration with the repeater's control operator is needed to use a talkgroup; you select it in your own radio's programming.
• D. DTMF tones are audio signaling used with analog control; DMR talkgroups are selected by a digital ID, not a tone.

A. The stations should negotiate continued use of the frequency

Under 47 CFR 97.101(b), station licensees and control operators must cooperate in selecting transmitting channels, and no frequency is assigned for the exclusive use of any station. When two stations interfere with each other, they should work it out between them, for example by agreeing that one of them moves.

• B. Neither station is required to move; the rule calls for cooperation, and that may well mean only one station changes frequency.
• C. Part 97 gives no station preemptive rights; 47 CFR 97.101(b) says no frequency is assigned for exclusive use. Being there first is a courtesy consideration, not a legal right.
• D. Sub-audible tones only control which receivers unmute; both signals still occupy the same frequency and still interfere.

A. So stations within range of each other can communicate without tying up a repeater

Band plans set aside simplex channels so stations close enough to hear each other directly can talk without occupying a repeater. That leaves the repeater free for stations that need its wider coverage.

• B. Simplex channels are not reserved for contests; they serve any direct, local contact.
• C. VHF FM simplex is mainly for local, line-of-sight contacts; long-distance (DX) VHF work takes place in the weak-signal SSB and CW segments.
• D. Accessing a repeater always requires transmitting on its input frequency; simplex channels have no repeater and offer no way around the offset.

A. QRM

QRM means interference from other stations, that is, man-made interference. Sent as a question, “QRM?” asks whether you are being interfered with.

• B. QRN means natural noise or static, such as lightning crashes, not interference from other stations.
• C. QTH refers to a station's location, not to interference.
• D. QSB refers to fading signals, not interference from other stations.

B. QSY

QSY means changing frequency, as in “Let's QSY to 146.55.” Operators use it to move a conversation off a calling frequency or a busy channel.

• A. QRU means “I have nothing for you” (or, as a question, “Have you anything for me?”), not a frequency change.
• C. QSL means “I acknowledge receipt”; it also names the cards stations exchange to confirm contacts.
• D. QRZ means “Who is calling me?”, not a frequency change.

A. An access code which must be programmed into a DMR transmitter to access a specific repeater

A DMR color code is a number from 0 to 15 assigned to a repeater, similar in purpose to a CTCSS tone on analog FM. Your radio must transmit the same color code the repeater uses, or the repeater ignores your signal.

• B. The color code does not set the repeater offset; frequencies are programmed separately in the code plug.
• C. DMR radios use a standard voice codec; the color code does not identify the codec.
• D. The color code is not a health or status report; it is an access code your radio must match.

B. Mute the receiver audio when a signal is not present

Squelch silences the receiver's audio when no signal is present, so you do not hear constant background noise. When a signal stronger than the squelch threshold arrives, the audio opens.

• A. Key clicks are reduced by shaping the rise and fall of the CW keying waveform, not by squelch.
• C. Parasitic oscillations in an amplifier are suppressed by parasitic suppressors and proper amplifier design, not by a receiver's squelch.
• D. Impulse noise from sources such as ignition systems is reduced with a noise blanker, not squelch.

B. An identifier used by DMR to organize radio traffic so that those who want to hear the group aren’t bothered by other radio traffic

On DMR, a talkgroup is an identifier attached to transmissions so traffic is organized by group. Your radio plays audio only for the talkgroups it is set to receive, so you hear the group you want without the other traffic on the same system.

• A. A group that shares email on a topic is a mailing list, not a DMR talkgroup.
• C. The members of a special-interest net are a group of people; a talkgroup is a digital identifier used to route DMR traffic.
• D. A talkgroup does not alert members to someone's frequency; it separates traffic on a digital system by identifier.

D. FCC rules always apply

Part 97 governs every transmission by an amateur station. Under 47 CFR 97.103(a), the station licensee is responsible for proper operation in accordance with the FCC Rules, and working with an emergency organization does not change that; even the emergency provisions, such as 47 CFR 97.403, are part of Part 97.

• A. RACES operates under Part 97 itself (47 CFR 97.407), so RACES operation is still amateur operation subject to FCC rules.
• B. FEMA rules do not replace Part 97; an amateur station supporting FEMA is still governed by FCC rules.
• C. ARES is an ARRL volunteer program, not a separate set of rules, and its members operate under Part 97.

Pool citation: 97.103(a)

C. Call the net to order and direct communications between stations checking in

The Net Control Station runs the net on the air: it calls the net to order, takes check-ins and directs which stations transmit and when. This keeps an orderly flow of traffic on a shared frequency.

• A. The regular meeting time and frequency are set in advance by the net's organizers or manager, not chosen by net control on the air.
• B. Each control operator is responsible for operating within the privileges of their own license (47 CFR 97.105(b)); net control does not verify licenses.
• D. Only calling the net to order and directing communications is a typical net control duty, so not every choice is correct.

C. Spell the words using a standard phonetic alphabet

Spelling unusual words with a standard phonetic alphabet, such as the ITU alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie), keeps similar-sounding letters from being confused. Message handlers spell names, call signs and uncommon words this way.

• A. Repeating words in Morse code is not standard voice traffic practice and requires both stations to copy CW; phonetic spelling solves the problem by voice alone.
• B. QSR is not the standard way to confirm unusual words; voice traffic handlers spell such words phonetically.
• D. Only phonetic spelling is the standard technique, so not every choice is correct.

D. An FCC Part 97 amateur radio service for civil defense communications during national emergencies

RACES, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, is defined in 47 CFR 97.3(a)(38) as a radio service using amateur stations for civil defense communications during periods of local, regional or national civil emergencies. 47 CFR 97.407 governs it, including the requirement for certification by a civil defense organization.

• A. RACES uses only FCC-licensed amateur stations on amateur frequencies; citizens band is a separate service under Part 95 and is not part of RACES.
• B. RACES is a US civil defense service under Part 97, not an international experimentation society.
• C. A short contest is called a sprint; RACES has nothing to do with contesting despite its name.

A. Formal messages exchanged by net stations

In net operation, “traffic” means formal messages, such as radiograms, that stations pass from one to another. Traffic nets exist to relay these messages toward their destinations.

• B. The number of stations checking in and out is the net's check-in count, not its traffic.
• C. Mobile or portable operation describes where a station operates, not the messages it handles.
• D. A count of net activations records how often the net met; it is not traffic.

A. A group of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service

ARES, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, is sponsored by the ARRL. Licensed amateurs voluntarily register their qualifications and equipment with their local ARES leadership so they can be called on for public service and emergency communications.

• B. ARES membership has no connection to military service; the military-affiliated amateur program is MARS (Military Auxiliary Radio System).
• C. ARES members are already licensed; ARES is not a licensing course.
• D. ARES does not certify operators for RACES; RACES certification comes from a civil defense organization (47 CFR 97.407(a)).

C. Unless you are reporting an emergency, transmit only when directed by the net control station

In a directed net, the Net Control Station decides who transmits and when. Unless you are reporting an emergency, wait to be called on, which keeps the frequency orderly.

• A. Check-ins normally give a call sign, and often a name and location when asked; reading your full mailing address from the FCC database is not standard practice.
• B. Recording the time of each of your own transmissions is not a standard net practice.
• D. Only transmitting when directed by net control is standard practice, so not every choice is correct.

A. Winlink

Winlink is a radio email system. Each user's address is based on their call sign (for example, K1ABC@winlink.org), and messages are relayed between radio stations and the internet.

• B. FT8 is a weak-signal digital mode for brief contacts that exchange call signs, locations and signal reports, not email.
• C. PSK31 is a keyboard-to-keyboard text mode for live conversation; it does not relay email.
• D. AMTOR is an older HF teleprinter mode with error correction; it does not provide call-sign-based email addressing.

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

Normally, 47 CFR 97.105(b) limits a station to the privileges of the control operator's license class. 47 CFR 97.403 makes an exception: no rule prevents an amateur station from using any means of radio communication at its disposal to provide essential communication for the immediate safety of human life and immediate protection of property when normal communication systems are not available.

• A. Part 97 does allow it in one case: 47 CFR 97.403 permits any means of radio communication for the immediate safety of life and protection of property.
• B. A FEMA plan does not expand amateur privileges; the exception comes from 47 CFR 97.403 and depends on an immediate threat to life or property.
• C. RACES stations use the frequencies and emissions authorized to the control operator (47 CFR 97.407(b)); RACES participation does not grant extra privileges.

D. Information needed to track the message

The preamble is the first part of a formal message (radiogram) and holds the information needed to track it: message number, precedence, any handling instructions, station of origin, check (word count), place of origin, time filed and date.

• A. Email addresses are not part of the preamble; the preamble identifies the message by number and station of origin.
• B. The recipient's address goes in the address section, which follows the preamble.
• C. The addressee's telephone number belongs in the address section, not the preamble.

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

In a radiogram preamble, the check is the number of words or word equivalents in the message text. The receiving station counts the words it copied and compares the total with the check to catch missing or extra words.

• B. The originating station's call sign is a separate preamble field, the station of origin.
• C. The preamble does not list relay stations; the check is a word count.
• D. The check is a number written in the preamble, not a box marking the message as received or relayed.

B. RACES

Under 47 CFR 97.407(a), a station may transmit in RACES only if a civil defense organization certifies it as registered with that organization, and its control operator must be certified as enrolled. The other programs listed are sponsored by other organizations and do not require civil defense certification.

• A. ARES is an ARRL program; amateurs register with local ARES leadership, not with a civil defense agency.
• C. MARS (Military Auxiliary Radio System) is sponsored by the Department of Defense, not certified by a civil defense agency.
• D. SKYWARN is the National Weather Service's storm spotter program; it trains volunteers but is not a civil defense certification.