Basic Qualification · B-002 Operating and procedures · B-002-006-008
Assume your receiver's S-meter is calibrated to a standard of 6 dB per S-unit per a recommendation by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). The S-meter on your receiver shows S8 when listening to a nearby transmitter. Approximately how much must the transmitter power be raised to increase the reading to S9?
- A 2 times
- B 4 times
- C 5 times
- D 3 times
Correct answer: B — 4 times. From the official ISED question bank, verified word for word.
Why
To move from S8 to S9 on a meter calibrated at 6 dB per unit, you must double the signal strength twice, which means increasing the transmitter power by a factor of four. The full explanation — and one for every question — is in Pro.
Practise this section
How to operate: calling, phonetics, Q-signals, repeaters, nets, emergency traffic, and the courtesies that keep a band usable.