Which engineering control occurs when the emitter is prevented from transmitting a signal once the antenna has reached a point in rotation?

• A. Interlock
• B. DUMMY LOADS
• C. AZIMUTH BLANKING
• D. Kill Switch

Answer: (C)

Azimuth blanking is a control method used with rotating antennas where the transmitter is automatically turned off during a portion of the rotation. This keeps the system from emitting while the antenna is not pointing in the intended direction, preventing radiation in unwanted directions and reducing interference or false readings. The transmitter is silently re-enabled once the antenna has moved out of the blanked azimuth segment and is pointing toward the target area.

This differs from an interlock, which blocks transmission based on a safety condition, a kill switch, which manually stops transmission, and dummy loads, which absorb power but don’t prevent emission during rotation.