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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/ham-duty-cycle-definition

What is duty cycle during the RF exposure averaging time?

It is the percentage of time the transmitter is transmitting.

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  1. The range between low and high power
  2. The percentage of time transmitting ✔
  3. The percentage of time receiving

Why: Duty cycle compares transmit-on time with the total averaging time. A station transmitting for one minute in a ten-minute interval has a 10 percent duty cycle.

Huh, didn't know that: Duty cycle is a time fraction, not a power ratio.

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The transmitter's duty cycle was punctual down to the percent.
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References

Answer: The percentage of time transmitting. Duty cycle compares transmit-on time with the total averaging time. A station transmitting for one minute in a ten-minute interval has a 10 percent duty cycle.

  1. NCVEC 2026-2030 Technician Question Pool www.ncvec.org/downloads/2026-2030%20Technician%20Pool%20and%20Syllabus%20Public%20Release%20Feb%2019%202026.pdf
    C. The percentage of time that a transmitter is transmitting
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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