Extra exam question E2A11
Subelement E2, OPERATING PROCEDURES· Group E2A
What type of antenna can be used to minimize the effects of spin modulation and Faraday rotation?
- A.A linearly polarized antenna
- B.A circularly polarized antenna (correct answer)
- C.An isotropic antenna
- D.A log-periodic dipole array
WhyA circularly polarized antenna minimizes the fading caused by spin modulation and Faraday rotation on a satellite signal. A circularly polarized antenna keeps receiving a satellite signal at consistent strength even as the signal's polarization rotates due to the satellite's spin or as it passes through the ionosphere (Faraday rotation), since a circularly polarized antenna doesn't have a single fixed polarization plane to fall out of alignment with, answer B. A linearly polarized or log-periodic antenna, both of which do have a fixed polarization axis, will fade in and out as the incoming polarization rotates past their orientation, and a true isotropic antenna is a theoretical reference, not a real, buildable design.
Published 2026-08-28 · Last updated 2026-08-28 · Question text is verbatim from the 2024-2028 NCVEC Element 4 pool (public domain); the explanation above is original writing, see our methodology.
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