Morse code abbreviations are at: Morse Code Abbreviations
Active -- A device or circuit that requires a supply voltage to operate.
AGC -- Automatic Gain Control
ARRL -- American Radio Relay League. The USA amateur radio society.
Amateur Radio -- The great following that allows international and local communication by transmitting and receiving radio signals.
Amateur satellites -- Satellites that service amateur stations.
Ampere (A) -- The unit of current measurement.
Atom -- An assembly of protons, electrons, and neutrons making up the smallest particle of an element.
Balun -- An abbreviation of--Balanced to unbalanced.
Bandpass -- A circuit that allows a single band of frequencies to pass but not allowing frequencies above and below the single band of frequencies to pass.
Bandwidth (BW) -- The frequency width of a circuit, usually measured between the half-power or -3 dB points.
Break-In -- The monthly magazine produced by The New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters Inc.
Bridge -- To place one component in parallel with another, or to electrically join components or conductors. Also a measuring instrument that compares values by ratios.
Callbook -- An annual NZART publication that lists all New Zealand and Pacific Island amateurs. The book also contains valuable reference information important to amateurs.
Chip (IC) -- A common term used to describe integrated circuits. Also used to describe devices that have special construction features.
Clamp -- To hold a voltage waveform at a predetermined level.
Converter -- A circuit used in receivers to convert one frequency to another by mixing it with a third frequency--also called a mixer. Also used for conversion of a DC voltage to a higher value.
Common -- Common point for radio circuits (same as ground, return, and earth).
Communication -- The exchange of information.
Core -- A magnetic material that is the centre piece of a transformer or inductor.
Damped or damping -- A progressive decrease in amplitude.
Decay -- The decrease in a quantity to a predetermined value usually measured in time units.
Decibel (dB) -- A logarithmic measurement of values that corresponds to the response of the ear. Decibels convert large values to understandable values.
Digital -- Signals that have two levels--on and off is an example.
Dip oscillator -- A meter that shows the frequency of a resonant circuit by a dip in its meter reading.
Discrete -- Not in an integrated circuit form.
Drift -- A gradual change from the desired effect.
Drive -- In transmitters it is the output signal from the previous stage to the input of the next stage.
Dummy load -- A device that is connected to the antenna output of a transmitter which can absorb the full RF output power of the transmitter.
Duplex -- Uses two frequencies for transmission and reception.
Duplexer -- Used as a combining device for amateur repeater antenna, so that the repeater's transmitter and receiver can use one common antenna.
DX -- Amateur radio expression for long distance.
Dynamic range -- The range over which a device can produce useful results.
Earth -- Common point for radio circuits (same as ground, return, and common).
Electrons -- The smallest part of any atom.
Electronics -- The technology of conduction of an electric current in a vacuum, gas, or semiconductor.
Examination -- A test for an Amateur Radio operators' certificate, thus allowing the operation of radio transmitting equipment.
Excitation -- Another name for drive.
Feedback -- Output signal fed back to the input to alter the input signal.
Ferromagnetic -- Iron magnetic material.
Finite -- Has an end.
Gate -- A circuit that allows signals to pass when permitted by another similar signal of an independent source.
Ground -- Common point for radio circuits (same as earth, return, and common).
Ground plane -- Used in antennas as an artificial earth surface.
Ground wave -- A wave that is propagated along the surface of the earth.
GURL -- General User Radio Licence.
Half-power point (-3 dB point) -- A point that is used to measure bandwidth. It is measured at the -3 dB power points or 0.707 of the voltage points.
HAMS -- Term used generally for Amateur Radio operators.
High current -- Usually when currents are over 1 ampere.
High fidelity (Hi-Fi) -- The range of audio frequencies from below 100 Hz to above 20 kHz.
High frequency (HF) -- The amateur bands between 3 MHz and 30 MHz.
High gain -- Usually obtained at greater cost than the normal or standard gain circuits or devices.
High power gain -- A device that has both a high voltage and a high current gain.
High grade -- Pure--similar to high purity.
High impedance -- Normally values over 1 M?.
High losses -- Heating of components or other abnormal effects occurs.
High permeability -- Magnetic core multiplying factors of over 10.
High power -- Values over 10 watts.
High purity -- Pure--similar to high grade
High Q -- Quality factor value of a tuned circuit over 100
High reactance -- Values greater than 100 k?.
High resistance -- Values over 1 M?
High stability -- Tolerances less than 1%.
High value -- Values over 1 M?.
High voltage -- Values over 100 V.
High-pass -- Passes all frequencies over a specified frequency.
IARU -- The International Amateur Radio Union (the world-wide union of amateur radio societies).
IC -- An abbreviation for integrated circuit.
Integrated circuit (IC) -- An electronic package that contains many electronic devices.
International Radio Regulations -- Regulations from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
ISM -- Industrial, Scientific, and Medical.
ITU -- the International Telecommunication Union (the source of the International Radio Regulations).
Leakage -- An unwanted current flow because of imperfect materials.
Licensing -- A requirement for Amateur Radio operators because of their ability to transmit RF signals world-wide.
Linear -- The output signal is the same wave-shape as the input signal but the output signal is greater in amplitude.
Load -- The device where an output, such as a transmitter's RF output power,or a power supplies' DC output power, is used for useful purposes.
Long distance (DX) -- Usually means overseas or can be out of line-of-sight range.
Long wire -- When the length of the antenna is greater than a half-wave length long.
Low frequency (LF) -- Frequencies less than 300 kHz.
Low impedance -- Less than 1 k?.
Low level -- Powers in the milliwatts and microwatts ranges. Also voltages and currents in the microvolt and microamp range.
Low-pass -- Passes all frequencies below a specified frequency.
Mean value -- An average value.
Microwaves -- Frequencies over 1 GHz.
Ministry of Economic Development, Radio Spectrum Management Group -- The New Zealand administration and radio licensing authority.
Mixer -- Has two input frequencies and two output frequencies. The output frequencies are the sum and the difference of the input frequencies.
Mode -- In radio, it refers to choice of phone (AM, SSB, FM etc.), Morse code (CW), Digital (PSK31 etc.)
Modulation -- Placing information on RF waves.
Morse code -- An on-off code developed by Samuel Morse in 1837.
Narrowband -- Less than 1 kHz bandwidth.
Network -- A group of components connected to form a circuit.
Noise bridge -- A radio frequency bridge using a radio frequency noise source to measure and indicate antenna resonance and impedance.
NZART (The New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters Incorporated) -- The group that looks after Amateur Radio interests in New Zealand.
Parameters -- The characteristics of a device.
Parasitics -- Unwanted signal.
Passive device -- A device or circuit that does not require a supply voltage to operate.
PEP (Peak envelope power) -- A measurement of transmitted power when using SSB modulation.
Permeability -- The ability of a magnetic material used as a core in an inductor, to increase the magnetic properties of an inductor compared with no core being present.
Phase locked loop (PLL) -- A combination of circuits used to generate variable stable RF signals--usually for the VFO in amateur receivers and transmitters.
Radio shack -- The place where the Amateur Radio operator operates!.
Repeater -- A transmitter and receiver arranged to receive and retransmit amateur signals.
Resonator -- Usually a coil or tuned circuit.
Return -- Common point for radio circuits (same as earth, ground, and common).
Ripple -- The unwanted component resulting from rectification of an AC wave.
Rise time -- The time taken for a current or voltage to rise to a predetermined value.
RMS (Root-mean-square) -- The equivalent heating value of an AC wave when compared to a DC value.
Saturation -- Occurs when any increase in input signal causes no increase in output signal.
Shunt -- Placed in parallel with the component or device (see Bridge).
Silicon chip (IC) -- A common term used to describe integrated circuits (see chip).
Solenoid -- A coil of wire wound on a cylindrical former.
Standing wave ratio (SWR) -- The ratio of the maximum power to the minimum power measured on a transmission line when the load at the end of the transmission line does not absorb all the power supplied by the transmitter.
Syllabus -- The guide to the contents of the Amateur Radio Examination.
Tank -- Usually the last tuned circuit in a radio transmitter.
Toroid -- A magnetic core that is formed into a loop.
Transceiver -- A piece of amateur equipment containing both the transmitter and receiver in one cabinet.
Transformer -- A device with two or more windings on a magnetic core.
Transmission line -- The line between the transmitting equipment and the antenna.
Transmitting equipment -- Equipment that is capable of generating and transmitting an RF signal.
Transverter -- Usually an external device to extend the frequency range of a receiver or transmitter.
Trap -- A tuned circuit that can be adjusted to remove unwanted frequencies.
Ultra high frequency (UHF) -- The range of frequencies between 300 MHz and 3000 MHz.
VCO (Voltage controlled oscillator) -- Part of a phased locked loop (PLL).
Very high frequency (VHF) -- The range of frequencies between 30 MHz and 300 MHz.
VSWR (Voltage standing wave ratio) -- The ratio of the maximum voltage to the minimum voltage measured on a transmission line when the load at the end of the transmission line does not absorb all the power supplied by the transmitter.
Wave -- The RF wave that radiates from an antenna.
Wavelength (l) -- The distance measured between two similar points on consecutive cycles of the RF wave radiated from an antenna.
Wideband -- Bandwidths greater than 3 kHz.
X -- The symbol used for reactance.
Yagi -- A beam antenna.
Z -- The symbol used for impedance.
Zener diode -- A voltage regulator diode.