Question 6A376

A positive shift in carrier amplitude during modulation indicates non-linear operation or instability within the transmitter. * **A) Parasitic oscillations, excessive audio drive**: Parasitic oscillations are unwanted self-oscillations in the RF stages, which add their energy to the desired signal, effectively increasing the carrier amplitude. Excessive audio drive pushes the modulator or RF amplifier into non-linearity, causing distortion and often increasing the peak or average carrier amplitude due to clipping and generation of spurious signals. * **B) Incorrect tuning of final amplifier**: An improperly tuned amplifier operates inefficiently and non-linearly. This can cause the amplifier's gain to vary unpredictably during modulation, leading to a distorted output where the carrier amplitude shifts positively. * **C) Insufficient RF excitation, incorrect neutralization**: Insufficient RF drive can cause an amplifier to operate in a non-linear region, leading to distortion. Incorrect neutralization means the amplifier is not stable, making it prone to self-oscillation (parasitic oscillations), which adds unwanted power and increases the carrier amplitude. All these conditions contribute to a distorted output signal where the carrier amplitude can exhibit an unintended positive shift during modulation.