ARRL Technician Practice Exam

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

Prepare for the ARRL Technician Exam. Study with multiple choice questions, hints, and explanations to boost your readiness and confidence. Ace your exam today!

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.

Which of the following describes combining speech with an RF carrier signal?

Demodulation
Modulation
Conversion
Synchronization

The correct answer is: Modulation

The correct answer is modulation, which refers to the process of varying a carrier signal in order to convey information. In the context of combining speech with an RF (radio frequency) carrier signal, modulation is used to encode the audio signal (the speech) onto the carrier wave. This process allows the transmission of audio signals over distances via radio waves. During modulation, various parameters of the carrier signal, such as amplitude, frequency, or phase, are altered in accordance with the speech signal. For instance, in amplitude modulation (AM), the amplitude of the carrier wave is varied based on the audio input. This enables the effective transmission of information over airwaves, allowing radios to receive and demodulate the signal back into understandable speech. Understanding the modulation process is a fundamental aspect of radio communication, as it ensures that the information can travel through the RF medium effectively and be recovered accurately by receivers.