Basic Qualification · B-003 Station assembly, practice and safety · B-003-005-006
In an SSB/CW receiver, what is the purpose of the intermediate frequency (IF) amplifier?
- A Boost the signal as required for the mixer
- B Increase the level of the recovered modulation
- C Provide sufficient gain to activate the limiter circuit
- D Provide most of the receiver gain
Correct answer: D — Provide most of the receiver gain. From the official ISED question bank, verified word for word.
Why
The intermediate frequency amplifier is the workhorse of the receiver, designed to provide the vast majority of the signal amplification needed to make weak transmissions audible. The full explanation — and one for every question — is in Pro.
Practise this section
Building a station safely: power supplies, grounding, RF exposure, lightning, feedline routing, and what a transmitter, receiver and transceiver actually do.