AMPLITUDE MODULATION
%M = Em/Ec x 100%
1. What is heterodyning?
Ans. Mixing two frequencies across a nonlinear impedance.
2. What waveform is the basis of all complex waveforms?
Ans. The sine wave
3. What is the instantaneous amplitude of a sine wave?
Ans. The value at any given point on the sine wave
4. What term describes how much of a cycle has been completed?
Ans. Phase or phase angle.
5. Define the heterodyne principle.
Ans. Process of combining two signal frequencies in a nonlinear
device.
6. What is a nonlinear impedance?
Ans. An impedance in which the resulting current is not
proportional to the applied voltage.
7. What is spectrum analysis?
Ans. The display of electromagnetic energy that is arranged
according to wavelength or frequency.
8. What two conditions are necessary for heterodyning to take place?
Ans. At least two different frequencies applied to a nonlinear
impedance.
9. Name two methods of oscillator keying.
Ans. Plate keying and Cathode keying
10. State the method used to increase the speed of keying in a CW
transmitter.
Ans. Machine keying
11. Name a disadvantage of a single-stage CW transmitter.
Ans. Antenna to-ground capacitance can cause the oscillator
frequency to vary
12. What is the purpose of frequency-multiplier stages in a VHF
transmitter?
Ans. To raise the low frequency of a stable oscillator to the vhf
range.
13. What are the two major sections of a typical AM transmitter?
Ans. Rf and af units
14. When 100 kilohertz and 5 kilohertz are heterodyned, what
frequencies are present?
Ans. 100 kilohertz, 5 kilohertz, 95 kilohertz, and 105 kilohertz
15. What determines the bandwidth of an AM transmission?
Ans. The highest modulating frequency
16. What is percent of modulation?
Ans. The depth or degree of modulation
17. With a single modulating tone, what is the amplitude of
frequencies at 100-percent modulation?
Ans. One-half the amplitude of the carrier
18. What is the formula for percent of modulation?
Ans.
19. What is high-level modulation?
Ans. Modulation produced in the plate circuit of the last radio
stage of the system.
20. For what class of operation is the final rf power amplifier of a
plate-modulator circuit based?
Ans. Class C
21. The modulator is required to be what kind of a circuit stage in a
plate modulator?
Ans. Power amplifier
22. How much must the fpa plate current vary to produce 100-percent
modulation in a plate modulator?
Ans. Between 0 and nearly two times its unmodulated value
23. The collector-injection modulator is similar to what type of tube
modulator?
Ans. Plate modulator
24. When is a control-grid modulator used?
Ans. In cases when the use of a minimum of af modulator power
is desired.
25. What type of modulator is the cathode modulator (low- or high-
level)?
Ans. Low-level
26. What causes the change in collector current in an emitter-
injection modulator?
Ans. Gain is varied by changing the voltage on the emitter
ANGLE AND PULSE MODULATION
27. What are the two types of angle modulation?
Ans. Frequency and phase
28. Name the modulation system in which the frequency alternates
between two discrete values in response to the opening and closing
of a key?
Ans. Frequency-shift keying
29. What is the primary advantage of an FSK transmission system?
Ans. Resistance to noise interference
30. What characteristic of a carrier wave is varied in frequency
modulation?
Ans. Instantaneous frequency
31. How is the degree of modulation expressed in an FM system?
Ans. As the ratio of the frequency deviation to the maximum
frequency deviation allowable
32. What two values may be used to determine the bandwidth of an
FM wave?
Ans. The number of significant sidebands and the modulation
frequency.
33. How does the reactance-tube modulator impress intelligence onto
an RF carrier?
Ans. By changing the reactance of an oscillator circuit in
consonance with the modulating voltage.
34. What characteristic of a transistor is varied in a semiconductor-
reactance modulator?
Ans. Collector-to-emitter capacitance
35. What circuit section is required in the output of a multivibrator
modulator to eliminate unwanted output frequencies?
Ans. An LCR filter
36. What characteristic of a varactor is used in an FM modulator?
Ans. Capacitance
37. What type of modulation depends on the carrier-wave phase
shift?
Ans. Phase
38. What components may be used to build a basic phase
modulator?
Ans. A phase-shift network such a s a variable resistor and
capacitor in series
39. Phase-shift keying is similar to what other two types of
modulation?
Ans. CW and frequency-shift keying
40. Overmodulating an RF carrier in amplitude modulation produces
a waveform which is similar to what modulated waveform?
Ans. Pulse modulation
41. What is prt?
Ans. Pulse-repetition time
42. What is nonpulse time?
Ans. Rest time
43. What is average power in a pulsed system?
Ans. Peak power during a pulse averaged over pulse time plus
rest time
44. What action is necessary to impress intelligence on the pulse
train in pulse modulation?
Ans. Some characteristic of the pulses has to be varied
45. To insure the accuracy of a transmission, what is the minimum
number of times a modulation wave should be sampled in pulse
modulation?
Ans. 2.5 times the highest modulation frequency
46. What, if any, noise susceptibility advantage exists for pulse-
amplitude modulation over analog-amplitude modulation?
Ans. Both are susceptible to noise and interference
47. What characteristics of a pulse can be changed in pulse-time
modulation?
Ans. The time duration of the pulses or the time of occurrence of
the pulses
48. Which edges of the pulse can be modulated in pulse-duration
modulation?
Ans. Either, or both at the same time
49. What is the main disadvantage of pulse-position modulation?
Ans. It requires synchronization between the transmitter and
receiver.
50. If a modulating wave is sampled 10 times per cycle with a 5-
element binary code, how many bits of information are required to
transmit the signal?
Ans. 50
51. What is the primary advantage of pulse-modulation systems?
Ans. Low susceptibility to noise
DEMODULATION
52. What is the simplest form of CW detector?
Ans. A circuit that can detect the presence or absence of RF
energy
53. What principle is used to help distinguish between two CW
signals that are close in frequency?
Ans. Heterodyning
54. How does heterodyning distinguish between CW signals?
Ans. By giving a different beat frequency for each signal
55. What simple, one-transistor detector circuit uses the heterodyne
principle?
Ans. Regenerative detector
56. What three functions does the transistor in a regenerative
detector serve?
Ans. Oscillator, mixer, and detector
57. What does the simplest diode detector use to reproduce the
modulating frequency?
Ans. The modulation envelope
58. What is the function of the diode in a series-diode detector?
Ans. Rectifies the RF pulses in the received signal.
59. Which junction of the transistor in the common-emitter detector
detects the modulation envelope?
Ans. Emitter-base junction
60. How is the output signal developed in the common-emitter
detector?
Ans. By the collector current flow through R4
61. Which junction acts as the detector in a common-base detector?
Ans. Emitter-base junction
62. To what circuit arrangement is a common-base detector
equivalent?
Ans. A diode detector followed by a stage of audio amplification.
63. What is the simplest form of FM detector?
Ans. Slope detector
64. What type of tank circuit is used in the Foster-Seeley
discriminator?
Ans. A double-tuned tank circuit
65. What is the primary advantage of a ratio detector?
Ans. Suppresses amplitude noise without limiter stages.
66. What circuit functions does the tube in a gated-beam detector
serve?
Ans. Limits, detects, and amplifies.
67. What condition must exist on both the limiter and quadrature grids
for current to flow in a gated-beam detector?
Ans. Both grids must be positively biased
68. Name two advantages of the gated-beam detector.
Ans. Extreme simplicity, few components, and ease of
adjustment.
69. Where is the intelligence contained in a phase-modulated signal?
Ans. In the amount and rate of phase shift of the carrier wave.
85. Supposed a voice frequency of 400 Hz is transmitted on an AM
radio station operating on 590 kHz, the voice frequency 400 Hz is
NOT the ______ frequency.
Ans. modulated *
86. What will normal AM receiver detect from an unmodulated RF AC
wave?

70. How is a quadrature detector changed when used for phase Ans. nothing *
demodulation?
87. Splatter is the result of ________.
Ans. The quadrature grid signal is excited by a reference from
the transmitter. Ans. overmodulation *

71. In its simplest form, what functions must a radar detector be 88. What happens in standard AM transmission, no modulating signal
capable of performing? is being transmitted?

Ans. Detecting the presence of RF energy. Ans. there are no sidebands *

72. What characteristic of pulse does a peak detector sample? 89. B8E, form of modulation also known as ______.

Ans. Pulse amplitude or pulse duration Ans. Independent Sideband Transmission *

73. What is the time constant of the resistor and capacitor in a peak 90. Colloquial term describes additional side frequencies produced by
detector for PAM? overmodulation or distortion in AM.

Ans. At least 10 times the interpulse period Ans. splatter *

MODULATION/RECEIVERS/TRANSMITTERS 91. Shape trapezoidal pattern at 100% modulation.

74. The power output of a single-sideband transmitter is normally Ans. triangle

expressed as the _____ power.
92. What is the effect if the gain level being too high for signals
Ans. peak envelope * entering the modulator?

75. SSB modulation is classified as ______ Ans. distortion and splatter *

Ans. AM * 93. The RF signal produce; carrier frequency (fc) minus modulating
frequency (fm).
76. Used to suppress carrier in single sideband transmitters.
Ans. LSB *
Ans. balance modulator *
94. Mixer is also known as:
77. Carrier is said to be overmodulated if the positive peak rises to a
value _____ of the maximum unmodulated carrier. Ans. converter *

Ans. more than twice * 95. In filter design, the maximum SB suppression is:

78. Class of bias produce least harmonics Ans. 50 dB *

Ans. class A * 96. Transmitter power output in SSB operation is expressed in terms
of
79. Devices used to make modulated envelope visible.
Ans. PEP *
Ans. oscilloscope *
97. For SSB transmitter, the average power is typically _____ of the
80. What will be the result in balanced modulation if not perfectly peak envelope power, with the typical human speech.
balanced.
Ans. 1/4to 1/3 *
Ans. the carrier is transmitted *
98. Modulation system most noise resistant
81. Advantage of series modulation
Ans. FM *
Ans. generate high power *
99. Pre-emphasis provides extra noise immunity by
82. Filter attenuates signals, passes below and above that band.
Ans. converting phase modulation to FM *
Ans. band stop *
100. The three major types of demodulators:
83. To provide 2 or more voice currents with same carrier.
Ans. Foster-Seely, Quadrature, PLL *
Ans. ISM emission *
101. In a frequency synthesizer, smallest amount which output
84. To raise the power levels of AM signals, the class of amplifier frequency can be changed?
used is _____.
Ans. resolution *
Ans. class A *
102. Internal capacitance, causes feedback produces same effect
on
Ans. Miller effect * 121. In PLL demodulating an FM signal.

103. Small length of wire found in some RF equipment, connected Ans. VCOout = FMin *
only at one end and use as a capacitance to ground.
122. In PLL frequency modulator, fm
Ans. gimmick *
Ans. error signal *
104. Movement of signal from one frequency to another using mixer-
oscillator combination. 123. Find the modulation index if a 10 V carrier is amplitude-
modulated by three different frequencies with amplitudes of 1 V, 2 V,
Ans. frequency translation * and 3 V, respectively.

105. Feature of modulating tone, FM deviation is proportional Ans. 0.374

Ans. amplitude *

106. Modulating 2 waves of the same frequency, but with _____

phase difference is equivalent to modulating both amplitude and
phase of the same carrier.
124. Calculate the modulation index for a waveform with a maximum
Ans. 90 degrees *
voltage of 150 V and minimum voltage of 70 V.
107. Frequency of unmodulated carrier of an FM.
Ans. 0.364 or 36.4%
Ans. rest frequency *

108. What determines stations that will be selected by a tuner?

Ans. resonant frequency of tuner *

109. Periodic waveforms consist of add harmonics. 125. An AM broadcast transmitter has a carrier power output of 50
kW. What is the total power would be produced with 80%
Ans. square wave * modulation?

110. Major problem with VHF oscillator. Ans. 66 kW

Ans. poor frequency stability *

111. What happens to a spectrum of repetitive pulse as the pulse

width decrease?

Ans. more harmonics of the same phase *

126. An AM broadcast transmitter has a carrier power output of 50
112. Keyed AGC is AGC that kW. What is the power in one sideband with 80% modulation?

Ans. is used in TV receivers * Ans. 8 kW

113. Main disadvantage of single-tube transmitter.

Ans. frequency instability *

114. What is reduced by rounding off square wave emission.

127. An AM broadcast transmitter has a carrier power output of 50
Ans. bandwidth * kW. What is the total sideband power with 80% modulation?

115. Gained by operating oscillator on some subharmonic of Ans. 16 kW

frequency.

Ans. frequency stability *

116. Multiplexing, oldest and simplest.

Ans. space division multiplexing *

128. An AM broadcast transmitter radiates 66 kW power when 100%
modulated. If the carrier and one sideband is suppressed, how much
117. Device display signal state of many lines simultaneously.
power is save?
Ans. logic analyzer *
Ans. 55 kW
118. Most common IF carrier frequency.

Ans. 70 MHz *

119. Citizen Band (CB) Radio Service is a two-way voice

communication device, it uses frequency range from ______ MHz.

Ans. 26.965 to 27.405 * 129. A transmitter with 10 kW carrier power transmit 12 kW when
modulated with a single sine wave. When modulated with another
sinewave at 50% modulation, calculate the total transmitted power.
120. What determines the rate of frequency swing for an FM
broadcast transmitter?
Ans. 13.25 *
Ans. modulation frequency *

130. The rms antenna current of a transmitter is 10 A when
unmodulated, it increases by 2 A when modulated. Calculate the
modulation index.
Ans. 93.8% *
131. In SSBSC system, if the peak envelope power (PEP) is 10 W,
what will be the value of the maximum instantaneous peak power?
Ans. 20 W *
132. In SSBSC system, if the peak voltage is 25 volts and the load
resistance is 50 ohms, what will be the value of the peak envelope
power (PEP)?
Ans. 6.25 W *
133. A carrier wave with an RMS voltage of 20 V and a frequency =
1.5 MHz, is modulated by a sine wave with a frequency of 500 Hz
and amplitude of 10 VRMS. Determine the peak voltage of the carrier
and of the lower side frequency.
Ans. 28.3 V; 7.1 V *
134. An FM modulator has a modulator deviation constant of kf = 30
kHz/V and operates at a carrier frequency of 175 MHz. Find the
output frequency instantaneous value of the modulating signal equal
to -2V.
Ans. 174.94 MHz
135. An FM modulator has a modulator deviation constant of kf = 30
kHz/V and operates at a carrier frequency of 175 MHz is modulated
by a 3 V sine wave. Calculate the deviation.
Ans. 127.2 kHz
136. An FM broadcast transmitter operates at its maximum deviation
of 75 kHz. Find the modulation index for a sinusoidal modulation
signal with a frequency of 50 Hz.
Ans. 1500
137. A phase modulator has a phase modulator sensitivity of kp = 2
radians per volt. What RMS voltage of a sine wave would cause a
peak phase deviation of 60 degrees?
Ans. 0.37 V
138. An FM communications transmitter has a maximum frequency
deviation of 5 kHz and a range of modulating frequencies from 300
Hz to 3 kHz. What is the maximum phase shift that it produces?
Ans. 16.7 radians
139. An FM communications transmitter has a maximum frequency
deviation of 5 kHz and a range of modulating frequencies from 300
Hz to 3 kHz. What is the minimum phase shift that it produces?
Ans. 1.67 radians
140. A phase modulation system, has a modulation index mp = 1.5,
what is maximum phase shift?
Ans. 86 degrees *
141. A phase modulator has a sensitivity of kp = 3 radians per volt.
How much frequency deviation does it produces with a sine-wave
input of 2 V peak at a frequency of 1 kHz?
Ans. 6 kHz
142. An FM signal has a deviation of 3 kHz and a modulating
frequency of 1 kHz. Its total power is 5 W, developed across a 50-
ohm resistive load. The carrier frequency is 160 MHz. Using Carsons
rule, calculate the bandwidth of the signal.
Ans. 16 kHz
143. An FM signal has a modulation index, mf = 3 and a modulating
frequency of 2 kHz. Its total power is 5W, developed across a 50-ohm
resistive load. The carrier frequency is 160 MHz. Using Carsons rule,
calculate the bandwidth of the signal.
Ans. 16 kHz
144. An FM signal has a frequency deviation of 5 kHz and a Ans. Capture range = 4 MHz, Lock range = 8 MHz
modulating frequency of 1 kHz. The signal to noise ratio at the input
to the receiver detector is 20 dB. Calculate the approximate signal-to-
noise ratio at the detector output.

Ans. 34 dB

145. A crytal oscillator is accurate within 0.0005%. How far off

frequency could be at 27 MHz?

Ans. 135 Hz

146. A transmitter has a carrier power output of 10 W at an efficiency

of 70%. How much power must be supplied by the modulating
amplifier for 100% modulation?

Ans. 7.14 W

147. A transmitter operates from a 12 V supply, with a collector

current of 2 A. The modulation transformer has a turns ratio of 4:1.
What is the load impedance seen by the audio amplifier?

Ans. 96 ohms

148. A collector modulated class C amplifier has a carrier output

power Pc of 100 W and an efficiency of 70%. Calculate the supply
power and the transistor power dissipation with 100% modulation.

Ans. Ps = 214 W; Pd= 64 W

149. An AM transmitter is required to produce 10 W of carrier power

when operating from a 15 V supply. What is the required load
impedance as seen from the collector?

Ans. 11.25 ohms

150. A portable radio transmitter has to operate transmitter has to

operate at temperature from -5 to 35 degrees C. If its signal is derived
from a crystal oscillator with a temperature coefficient of +1 ppm per
degree Celsius and it transmits at exactly 146 MHz at 20 degrees C,
find the transmitting frequency at the upper temperature limit.

Ans. 146.00219 MHz

151. A phase-locked loop has a VCO with a free-running frequency of

12 MHz. As the frequency of the reference input is gradually raised
from zero, the loop locks at 10 MHz and comes out again at 16 MHz.
Find the capture range and lock range.