General exam question G4B03
Subelement G4, AMATEUR RADIO PRACTICES· Group G4B
Which of the following is the best instrument to use for checking the keying waveform of a CW transmitter?
- A.An oscilloscope (correct answer)
- B.A field strength meter
- C.A sidetone monitor
- D.A wavemeter
WhyAn oscilloscope is the best instrument for checking the keying waveform of a CW transmitter. Checking a CW keying waveform means looking at how cleanly the RF turns on and off over time, exactly what an oscilloscope is built to display, so it's the right tool, answer A. A field strength meter and wavemeter only indicate relative signal presence or frequency, not waveform shape, and a sidetone monitor just lets the operator hear their own sending, none of them show the keying envelope's shape.
Published 2026-08-28 · Last updated 2026-08-28 · Question text is verbatim from the 2023-2027 NCVEC Element 3 pool (public domain); the explanation above is original writing, see our methodology.
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