General exam question G8C15
Subelement G8, SIGNALS AND EMISSIONS· Group G8C
What does an FT8 signal report of +3 mean?
- A.The signal is 3 times the noise level of an equivalent SSB signal
- B.The signal is S3 (weak signals)
- C.The signal-to-noise ratio is equivalent to +3dB in a 2.5 kHz bandwidth (correct answer)
- D.The signal is 3 dB over S9
WhyAn FT8 signal report of +3 means the signal-to-noise ratio is equivalent to +3 dB in a 2.5 kHz bandwidth. FT8's reported number is a signal-to-noise ratio measured in decibels, referenced to a standard 2.5 kHz bandwidth, so a report of +3 means the decoded signal-to-noise ratio in that reference bandwidth is about +3 dB, answer C. It isn't a raw multiple of the noise level, isn't an S-meter reading, and isn't expressed relative to S9 the way analog signal reports are, so A, B, and D are wrong.
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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