GeneralG2A06
Which of the following is an advantage of using single sideband, as compared to other analog voice modes on the HF amateur bands?
D
Answer
Operating procedures and practices
Type
A
Very high-fidelity voice modulation
B
Less subject to interference from atmospheric static crashes
C
Ease of tuning on receive and immunity to impulse noise
D
Less bandwidth used and greater power efficiency
Answer Notes
The greatest advantages of single sideband (SSB) are its narrow bandwidth and its high power efficiency. Because SSB eliminates the carrier and one sideband, an SSB transmission takes up roughly 2.4 to 3 kHz of spectrum, which is about half the space of a traditional AM signal and significantly less than FM.
Furthermore, all of the transmitter's power is concentrated into the single sideband that actually carries the audio information. No power is wasted continuously transmitting a steady carrier wave or a duplicate sideband.
The distractors describe traits of other modes. For instance, high-fidelity audio and immunity to impulse noise are classic advantages of Frequency Modulation (FM), which is why FM is used for local repeater traffic but is too wide and power-hungry for general HF use.
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Which mode of voice communication is most commonly used on the HF amateur bands?
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Which of the following statements is true of single sideband (SSB)?