Basic Qualification · B-007 Radio wave propagation · B-007-003-010
The skip distance of a sky wave will be greatest when the:
- A signal given out is strongest
- B angle between the ground and the emitted radiation is smallest
- C polarization is vertical
- D ionosphere is most densely ionized
Correct answer: B — angle between the ground and the emitted radiation is smallest. From the official ISED question bank, verified word for word.
Why
When you aim a sky wave at a very low angle, nearly parallel to the ground, the radio signal travels a long distance before hitting the ionosphere and bouncing back down. The full explanation — and one for every question — is in Pro.
Practise this section
How signals travel: the ionosphere and its layers, skip, ground wave, sporadic E, and which bands work when.