SMRC Ham Radio Pop Quiz - v2.0

Section 1: Ham Radio History and Culture

1. What does “73” mean in ham radio parlance?
   • A. Station closing down for the day
   • B. Best regards or best wishes
   • C. Thank you for the contact
   • D. Signal strength report
2. What international organization coordinates amateur radio frequency allocations worldwide?
   • A. FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
   • B. ITU (International Telecommunication Union)
   • C. ARRL (American Radio Relay League)
   • D. IARU (International Amateur Radio Union)
3. What was the primary role of amateur radio operators during World War II?
   • A. They continued normal operations
   • B. All amateur operations were suspended
   • C. They were recruited for military communications training
   • D. They only operated on VHF frequencies
4. What does “OM” stand for in ham radio terminology?
   • A. Original Message
   • B. Old Man (term of respect for any male operator)
   • C. Outgoing Morse
   • D. Operating Manual

Section 2: Ham Radio Culture and Fun Facts

1. What is a “fox hunt” in amateur radio?
   • A. A wildlife tracking experiment
   • B. A direction-finding competition to locate a hidden transmitter
   • C. A contest to work the most rare stations
   • D. An antenna building competition
2. Which ham radio band is often called “the gentlemen’s band”?
   • A. 160 meters
   • B. 80 meters
   • C. 40 meters
   • D. 20 meters
3. What does “QRP” operation refer to?
   • A. Quick Response Protocol
   • B. Low power operation (typically 5 watts or less)
   • C. Emergency communications
   • D. Digital mode operations
4. What is Field Day in amateur radio?
   • A. A 24-hour emergency preparedness exercise and contest
   • B. An outdoor antenna testing event
   • C. A spring cleanup of radio equipment
   • D. A celebration of the first ham radio contact

Section 3: Advanced Technical Trivia

1. What does SWR stand for?
   • A. Signal Wave Ratio
   • B. Standing Wave Ratio
   • C. Strength Wave Reading
   • D. System Wattage Rating
2. Which propagation mode allows signals to travel beyond the horizon on VHF/UHF bands?
   • A. Ground wave
   • B. Skywave
   • C. Tropospheric ducting
   • D. Direct wave
3. What is the primary advantage of using SSB (Single Sideband) over AM?
   • A. Easier to tune
   • B. More efficient use of power and bandwidth
   • C. Better sound quality
   • D. Works better in poor conditions
4. What does a “linear amplifier” do in a ham radio station?
   • A. Converts AC to DC power
   • B. Increases transmitter output power
   • C. Reduces harmonic distortion
   • D. Filters out unwanted signals

Section 4: DXing and Contesting

1. What does “DX” stand for?
   • A. Direct Transmission
   • B. Distance or long-distance communication
   • C. Dual Cross-band
   • D. Digital Exchange
2. What is a “grid square” used for in amateur radio?
   • A. Antenna placement planning
   • B. A location reference system (Maidenhead Locator System)
   • C. Power output calculation
   • D. Frequency coordination
3. What does “QSL” mean?
   • A. Question Sending Location
   • B. Acknowledgment of receipt or confirmation of contact
   • C. Quick Signal Loss
   • D. Qualified Station License
4. In contesting, what does “multiplier” typically refer to?
   • A. Power amplification factor
   • B. Number of operators at a station
   • C. Geographic entities (states, countries, zones) that increase your score
   • D. The number of bands you operate on