Ham Radio General Class Practice Test

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Boost your ham radio knowledge with our engaging questions and detailed explanations. Prepare effectively with our diverse study resources. Ready to ace the General Class exam?

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What are the basic components of virtually all sine wave oscillators?

An amplifier and a divider
A frequency multiplier and a mixer
A circulator and a filter operating in a feed-forward loop
A filter and an amplifier operating in a feedback loop

The correct answer is: A filter and an amplifier operating in a feedback loop

The basic components of virtually all sine wave oscillators are a filter and an amplifier operating in a feedback loop. This configuration is essential for generating a stable sine wave signal. In this setup, the filter is used to define the frequency of the oscillation. It allows specific frequencies to pass while attenuating others, thus shaping the output waveform into a sine wave. The amplifier then boosts the signal generated by the filter to ensure it has sufficient strength for further processing or transmission. The feedback loop is crucial, as it takes a portion of the output signal and feeds it back into the input of the amplifier. This feedback is necessary to maintain oscillation. When the conditions are right, the system stabilizes at a particular frequency, allowing it to sustain continuous oscillations. This method of using a filter and an amplifier in a feedback loop is a fundamental principle in designing oscillators, making it a hallmark of sine wave generation in various applications, including radio communication and signal processing.