BasicB-003-012-003
What is the term for the average power during one RF cycle, at the crest of the modulation envelope?
B
Answer
Basic radio theory
Type
A
Peak transmitter input power
B
Peak envelope power
C
RMS power
D
Average radio frequency power
Answer Notes
Peak Envelope Power (PEP) is the standard measurement used to define the power output of an amplitude modulated or Single Sideband (SSB) transmitter. Voice waveforms are highly variable, so power must be measured at the highest point of the voice peaks.
By definition, PEP is the average power supplied to the antenna transmission line by a transmitter during one radio frequency cycle at the crest, which is the absolute highest point of the modulation envelope.
Distractors like "RMS power" or "Average radio frequency power" are incorrect because they refer to continuous power measurements averaged over longer timeframes, which do not accurately capture the maximum instantaneous output limits reached during voice peaks.
Previous · B-003-012-002
What may happen if an SSB transmitter is operated with too much speech processing?
Next · B-003-012-004
What is the usual bandwidth of an amateur radio single-sideband signal?