Element 4 Extra Class Question Pool - This Pool Takes Effect July 1, 2002
 
 
 ·The current Extra Pool will now be valid until June 30, 2008. 
*
* The questions contained within this pool must be used in all Extra class 
examinations beginning July 1, 2002, and is intended to be used up through June 
30, 2008.
 
* The correct answer position A,B,C,D appears in parenthesis following each 
question number [eg, in E1A01 (B), position B contains the correct answer text].
 
 
 
Question Pool 
                      ELEMENT 4 - EXTRA CLASS 
as released by the Question Pool Committee 
                       of the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators 
                   November 30, 2001
 
 
 
SUBELEMENT E1 -- COMMISSION'S RULES [7 Exam Questions -- 7 Groups]
 
E1A Operating standards: frequency privileges for Extra class amateurs; emission 
standards; message forwarding; frequency sharing between ITU Regions; FCC 
modification of station license; 30-meter band sharing; stations aboard ships or 
aircraft; telemetry; telecommand of an amateur station; authorized telecommand 
transmissions
 
E1B Station restrictions: restrictions on station locations; restricted 
operation; teacher as control operator; station antenna structures; definition 
and operation of remote control and automatic control; control link
 
E1C Reciprocal operating: reciprocal operating authority; purpose of reciprocal 
agreement rules; alien control operator privileges; identification 
(Note: This includes CEPT and IARP)
 
E1D Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES): definition; purpose; station 
registration; station license required; control operator requirements; control 
operator privileges; frequencies available; limitations on use of RACES 
frequencies; points of communication for RACES operation; permissible 
communications
 
E1E Amateur Satellite Service: definition; purpose; station license required for 
space station; frequencies available; telecommand operation: definition; 
eligibility; telecommand station (definition); space telecommand station; 
special provisions; telemetry: definition; special provisions; space station: 
definition; eligibility; special provisions; authorized frequencies (space 
station); notification requirements; earth operation: definition; eligibility; 
authorized frequencies (Earth station)
 
E1F Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs): definition; VEC qualifications; VEC 
agreement; scheduling examinations; coordinating VEs; reimbursement for 
expenses; accrediting VEs; question pools; Volunteer Examiners (VEs): 
definition; requirements; accreditation; reimbursement for expenses; VE conduct; 
preparing an examination; examination elements; definition of code and written 
elements; preparation responsibility; examination requirements; examination 
credit; examination procedure; examination administration; temporary operating 
authority
 
E1G Certification of external RF power amplifiers and external RF power 
amplifier kits; Line A; National Radio Quiet Zone; business communications; 
definition and operation of spread spectrum; auxiliary station operation
 
 
 
SUBELEMENT E2 -- OPERATING PROCEDURES [5 Exam Questions - 5 Groups]
 
 
E2A  Amateur Satellites: orbital mechanics; frequencies available for satellite 
operation; satellite hardware; satellite operations
 
E2B  Television: fast scan television (FSTV) standards; slow scan television 
(SSTV) standards; facsimile (fax) communications
 
E2C  Contest and DX operating; spread-spectrum transmissions; automatic HF 
forwarding; selecting your operating frequency
 
E2D  Operating VHF / UHF digital modes: packet clusters; digital bulletin 
boards; Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS)
 
E2E  Operating HF digital modes
 
 
 
SUBELEMENT E3 -- RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION [3 Exam Questions - 3 Groups]
 
 
E3A  Earth-Moon-Earth (EME or moonbounce) communications; meteor scatter
 
E3B  Transequatorial; long path; gray line
 
E3C  Auroral propagation; selective fading; radio-path horizon; take-off angle 
over flat or sloping terrain; earth effects on propagation
 
 
SUBELEMENT E4 -- AMATEUR RADIO PRACTICES  [5 Exam Questions -- 5 Groups]
 
E4A Test equipment: spectrum analyzers (interpreting spectrum analyzer displays; 
transmitter output spectrum), logic probes (indications of high and low states 
in digital circuits; indications of pulse conditions in digital circuits)
 
E4B Frequency measurement devices (i.e., frequency counter, oscilloscope 
Lissajous figures, dip meter); meter performance limitations; oscilloscope 
performance limitations; frequency counter performance limitations
 
E4C Receiver performance characteristics (i.e., phase noise, desensitization, 
capture effect, intercept point, noise floor, dynamic range {blocking and IMD}, 
image rejection, MDS, signal-to-noise-ratio); intermodulation and cross-
modulation interference
 
E4D Noise suppression: vehicular system noise; electronic motor noise; static; 
line noise
 
E4E Component mounting techniques (i.e., surface, dead bug (raised), circuit 
board; direction finding: techniques and equipment; fox hunting
 
 
 
SUBELEMENT E5 -- ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES [9 Exam Questions -- 9 Groups]
 
E5A  Characteristics of resonant circuits: Series resonance (capacitor and 
inductor to resonate at a specific frequency); Parallel resonance (capacitor and 
inductor to resonate at a specific frequency); half-power bandwidth
 
E5B Exponential charge/discharge curves (time constants): definition; time 
constants in RL and RC circuits
 
E5C Impedance diagrams: Basic principles of Smith charts; impedance of RLC 
networks at specified frequencies; PC based impedance analysis (including Smith 
Charts)
 
E5D Phase angle between voltage and current; impedances and phase angles of 
series and parallel circuits;
 
E5E Algebraic operations using complex numbers: rectangular coordinates (real 
and imaginary parts); polar coordinates (magnitude and angle)
 
E5F Skin effect; electrostatic and electromagnetic fields
 
E5G Circuit Q; reactive power; power factor
 
E5H Effective radiated power; system gains and losses
 
E5I  Photoconductive principles and effects
 
 
SUBELEMENT E6 -- CIRCUIT COMPONENTS [5 Exam Questions -- 5 Groups]
 
E6A Semiconductor material: Germanium, Silicon, P-type, N-type; Transistor 
types: NPN, PNP, junction, power; field-effect transistors (FETs): enhancement 
mode; depletion mode; MOS; CMOS; N-channel; P-channel
 
E6B  Diodes: Zener, tunnel, varactor, hot-carrier, junction, point contact, PIN 
and light emitting; operational amplifiers (inverting amplifiers, noninverting 
amplifiers, voltage gain, frequency response, FET amplifier circuits, single-
stage amplifier applications); phase-locked loops
 
E6C TTL digital integrated circuits; CMOS digital integrated circuits; gates
 
E6D  Vidicon and cathode-ray tube devices; charge-coupled devices (CCDs); liquid 
crystal displays (LCDs); toroids: permeability, core material, selecting, 
winding
 
E6E Quartz crystal (frequency determining properties as used in oscillators and 
filters); monolithic amplifiers (MMICs)
 
 
SUBELEMENT E7 -- PRACTICAL CIRCUITS [7 Exam Questions -- 7 Groups]
 
E7A  Digital logic circuits: Flip flops; Astable and monostable  multivibrators; 
Gates (AND, NAND, OR, NOR); Positive and negative logic
 
E7B Amplifier circuits: Class A, Class AB, Class B, Class C, amplifier operating 
efficiency (i.e., DC input versus PEP), transmitter final amplifiers; amplifier 
circuits: tube, bipolar transistor, FET
 
E7C Impedance-matching networks: Pi, L, Pi-L; filter circuits: constant K, M-
derived, band-stop, notch, crystal lattice, pi-section, T-section, L-section, 
Butterworth, Chebyshev, elliptical; filter applications (audio, IF, digital 
signal processing {DSP})
 
E7D  Oscillators: types, applications, stability; voltage-regulator circuits: 
discrete, integrated and switched mode
 
E7E Modulators: reactance, phase, balanced; detectors; mixer stages; frequency 
synthesizers
 
E7F Digital frequency divider circuits; frequency marker generators; frequency 
counters
 
E7G Active audio filters: characteristics; basic circuit design; preselector 
applications
 
 
SUBELEMENT E8 - SIGNALS AND EMISSIONS [4 Exam Questions -- 4 Groups]
 
E8A  AC waveforms: sine wave, square wave, sawtooth wave; AC measurements: peak, 
peak-to-peak and root-mean-square (RMS) value, peak-envelope-power (PEP) 
relative to average
 
E8B FCC emission designators versus emission types; modulation symbols and 
transmission characteristics; modulation methods; modulation index; deviation 
ratio; pulse modulation: width; position
 
E8C  Digital signals: including CW; digital signal information rate vs 
bandwidth; spread-spectrum communications
 
E8D Peak amplitude (positive and negative); peak-to-peak values: measurements; 
Electromagnetic radiation; wave polarization; signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio
 
 
SUBELEMENT E9 -- ANTENNAS [5 Exam Questions -- 5 Groups]
 
E9A  Isotropic radiators: definition; used as a standard for comparison; 
radiation pattern; basic antenna parameters: radiation resistance and reactance 
(including wire dipole, folded dipole), gain, beamwidth, efficiency
 
E9B  Free-space antenna patterns: E and H plane patterns (i.e., azimuth and 
elevation in free-space); gain as a function of pattern; antenna design 
(computer modeling of antennas)
 
E9C Phased vertical antennas; radiation patterns; beverage antennas; rhombic 
antennas: resonant; terminated; radiation pattern; antenna patterns: elevation 
above real ground, ground effects as related to polarization, take-off angles as 
a function of height above ground
 
E9D Space and satellite communications antennas: gain; beamwidth; tracking; 
losses in real antennas and matching: resistivity losses, losses in resonating 
elements (loading coils, matching networks, etc.  {i.e., mobile, trap}); SWR 
bandwidth; efficiency
 
E9E Matching antennas to feed lines; characteristics of open and shorted feed 
lines: 1/8 wavelength; 1/4 wavelength; 1/2 wavelength; feed lines: coax versus 
open-wire; velocity factor; electrical length; transformation characteristics of 
line terminated in impedance not equal to characteristic impedance; use of 
antenna analyzers
 
 

 

 

Now that you've studied all the subelements, you should be taking practice tests and findind a test session to go and take your exam at.   Best of luck  !!1