Ham Radio General Class Practice Test 2026 – Complete Exam Prep

Operators suppress the carrier and one of the sidebands during SSB (Single Sideband) operations to improve the efficiency and bandwidth of the transmission. SSB modulation is a refinement of amplitude modulation (AM) that eliminates the unnecessary transmission of redundant signals. By suppressing the carrier, operators reduce the amount of power required for transmission, enabling more efficient use of bandwidth and allowing for clearer communication over long distances.

Additionally, suppressing one of the sidebands also helps to minimize interference and allows for better utilization of the frequency spectrum. This results in a narrower bandwidth, which is particularly beneficial in crowded frequency bands where multiple signals might otherwise overlap. The remaining sideband carries the actual information (voice or data), resulting in a more effective use of the radio waves for communication.

This process is pivotal in amateur radio communications, especially considering that it allows operators to communicate effectively while adhering to regulatory and technical limitations regarding frequency usage.