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 Previous: The K7RA Solar Update |  Next: Dropping in on Field Day |
REVISED Jun 29, 2009 06:02 ET
H. Ward Silver, N0AX
ARRL Contributing Editor
n0ax@arrl.org
June 27, 2009
Models, parts, designators, references -- they're all part of the radio game. The more you tinker and swap and change, the more of these little bits of "radio DNA" get lodged in your gray matter -- and there's nothing you can do about it. Resistance is futile! So load up on wireless weirdness and have fun with a whole catalog of conundra.
1) Which of these tubes was nearly ubiquitous in the output stage of amateur transceivers during the 1970s?
a. 807
b. 811
c. 6146
d. 4-1000
2) What standards organization is responsible for assigning semiconductor part numbers that begin with 1N, 2N, 3N, 4N and so on?
a. ANSI
b. JAN
c. JEDEC
d. ITU
3) Match the model number prefix with the manufacturer.
a. FT f. Drake
b. SB g. Heathkit
c. TS h. Yaesu
d. DJ i. Kenwood
e. TR k. Alinco
4) BBROYGBVGW -- what the heck is that?
a. The acronym of the latest new digital mode.
b. The first letter of all ARRL Divisions.
c. The initials of the inventors of the ASCII code.
d. The resistor value color code.
5) What is a UG-176?
a. a BNC cable plug
b. an adapter for using RG-59 cable in PL-259 connectors
c. the designator for military-grade electrical tape
d. a type of waveguide
6) What are the two types of USB connectors?
a. Type A and B
b. DB-25P and DB-25S
c. PAL and SECAM
d. There is only one type of USB connector.
7) If a miniature tube number begins with "12," what is it likely to mean?
a. It's a triode.
b. It's a tetrode.
c. It has a 12 V filament.
d. It's rated at 12 W of plate dissipation.
8) Which of the following is not a digital mode?
a. OOP
b. MFSK
c. PSK
d. Olivia
9) What is a J-38?
a. A straight key.
b. The 30-amp Anderson Powerpole series.
c. A ¼-inch phone jack.
d. VHF antenna.
10) What type of component is rated in Ah (ampere-hours)?
a. fuses
b. surge suppressors
c. choke baluns
d. batteries
11) Which of these is a measure of antenna gain?
a. dBc
b. dBd
c. dBm
d. dBV
12) What type of component is identified by its "mix"?
a. microphone
b. ferrite bead or core
c. solder
d. printed-circuit board
13) Which of these coaxial cables can handle the most power?
a. RG-8
b. RG-58
c. RG-62
d. RG-174
14) What is a "Cantenna"?
a. A beer-can vertical.
b. A homemade WiFi antenna.
c. A dummy load.
d. A portable antenna that folds up into a can.
15) Pan, round, flat and hex are all types of what?
a. antenna mounts
b. screw ups
c. screw heads
d. screw drivers
Bonus: What tube is just as likely to be found in a guitar amplifier as in the final amplifier stage of a homebrew CW transmitter?
Answers
1) c -- A pair of 6146 tubes provided 100 W or more on all HF bands.
2) c -- The Joint Electron Device Engineering Council is a standards organization for the semiconductor industry.
3) a-h, b-g, c-i, d-k, e-f
4) d -- black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, gray, white
5) b -- The UG-175 and -176 center the thinner coaxial cables in the body of the PL-259.
6) a
7) c -- The leading numbers of receiving-type tubes indicate approximate filament voltage.
8) a -- OOP is an acronym meaning "object-oriented programming."
9) a -- Many amateurs got their start "pounding brass" on one of these.
10) d -- Ah is a measure of energy capacity.
11) b -- dBd means "decibels with respect to a dipole."
12) b -- a ferrite's mix specifies its magnetic properties.
13) a
14) c -- Heath manufactured these oil-filled paint-can dummy loads.
15) c
Bonus: The 6L6 -- usually a 6L6GT -- beam power pentode continues its amazing product life producing music and is occasionally heard on the airwaves, too.
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