General exam question G4E06
Subelement G4, AMATEUR RADIO PRACTICES· Group G4E
What is one disadvantage of using a shortened mobile antenna as opposed to a full-size antenna?
- A.Short antennas are more likely to cause distortion of transmitted signals
- B.Q of the antenna will be very low
- C.Operating bandwidth may be very limited (correct answer)
- D.Harmonic radiation may increase
WhyA shortened mobile antenna's operating bandwidth may be very limited compared to a full-size antenna. Shortening a mobile antenna concentrates its already-limited radiation resistance into a narrower usable range around resonance, so its operating bandwidth tends to be very limited compared to a full-size antenna, answer C. A short antenna doesn't inherently distort transmitted signals, its Q is typically high rather than low, and shortening doesn't increase harmonic radiation, so A, B, and D mischaracterize the tradeoff.
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.
Related questions
- G4E01What is the purpose of a capacitance hat on a mobile antenna?
- G4E02What is the purpose of a corona ball on an HF mobile antenna?
- G4E03Which of the following direct, fused power connections would be the best for a 100-watt HF mobile installation?
- G4E04Why should DC power for a 100-watt HF transceiver not be supplied by a vehicle’s auxiliary power socket?
- G4E05Which of the following most limits an HF mobile installation?