ARRL Technician Practice Exam

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Prepare for the ARRL Technician Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

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What is a common reason operators experience multi-path distortion in communications?

Using incorrect bandwidth
Reflection of signals
Poorly aligned antennas
Interference from other stations

The correct answer is: Reflection of signals

Multi-path distortion occurs when signals travel along multiple paths before reaching the receiver, which can lead to varying arrival times and phase shifts. This phenomenon is particularly common in urban environments with many buildings and reflective surfaces. The reflection of signals off these surfaces can cause them to take longer to arrive compared to direct signals, resulting in constructive or destructive interference. This can degrade the quality of the received signal, causing issues like fading and distortion. While factors such as incorrect bandwidth, poorly aligned antennas, and interference can affect communication quality, they do not specifically describe the mechanism behind multi-path distortion. Hence, the reflection of signals is recognized as a primary factor contributing to this distortion phenomenon.