Institute for telecommunication sciences resources radio propagation software radio propagation software. The descriptions of the terms quite basic in order to keep them understandable, so. In our atmosphere, ionization or the charging of particles oc curs in the region that lies roughly between 25 and 250 miles above the earth. Propagation is the intervening process whereby the informationbearingwave,orsignal,isconveyedfromonelocationtoanother. You may not use this maplist in your own web pages. Describe your experience with the hf propagation prediction software and tell us why you give it the rating you did required.
If automatic refresh doesnt work for you then look here. A k index less than 3 is usually a good indicator of quiet conditions on 80 and 40m. Ionospheric propagation is the main mode of radio propagation used in the mf and hf portions of the radio spectrum. The k index is measured on a scale of 0 to 9, where 0 is the quietest and 9 is the most disturbed. To see the collection of prior postings to the list, visit the propagation archives. Ace hf is propagation forecasting and modeling for amateur radio as well as for shortwave radio listening and general hf operation. This presentation examines hf propagation hf region spans 3 to 30 mhz. The resource is currently listed in in a single category. The importance of offgreat circle propagation extends beyond radiolocation to. Understanding radio wave propagation can mean the difference between making and missing a contact to a particular part of the world. Hf propagation prediction method question itur 2233 19781982199019921994199519992001 the itu radiocommunication assembly, considering a that tests against itur data bank d1 show that the method of annex 1 of this recommendation has comparable accuracy to the other more complex methods. Radio wave propagation is something that has intrigued me from the very first time i made a radio contact. View the news files that detail the changes made for each version of the software. Propagation indices k index a local index of geomagnetic activity computed every three hours at a variety of points on earth.
K index ap index the best hf propagation occurs when k is less than 5. Also contains solar and radio propagation information applicable to ham radio including solar conditions, space conditions, online propagation tool, online sn to sfisfi to sn conversion tool, online auroraauroral activity to latitude conversion tool, and online kindex to signal noise conversion tool. The institute for telecommunication sciences its is the research and engineering laboratory of the national telecommunications and information administration ntia, an agency of the u. Free solarterrestrial data displayed on your web page or site, updated every 3hours. The only mf amateur band, 160m, will not be discussed, nor. Solar weather, sunspot activity, geomagnetic, aurora, ionospheric reports via. This enables us to write maxwells equations in integral form as follows. High frequency hf radio provides aircraft with an effective means of communication over long distance oceanic and transpolar routes. Since dec 1992 the following hf propagation models for windows pcs are available here. Acehf system simulation and visualization software, v2.
High frequency hf propagation models 230 mhz irregular terrain model itm longleyrice 20 mhz 20 ghz if77 wave propagation model gierhartjohnson airground millimeterwave propagation. More detailed discussions and the underlying mathematics of radio propagation physics can be found in the references listed under additional resources. The science and study of radio wave reflection, refraction. Review of propagation prediction programs voacapbased. There are several kind of measurements but there are a few that are especially interesting to amateur radio operators. After answering questions at the 2009 and 2010 newark hamfests it dawned on me that these features could be bundled together into a single pdf, so giving the reader a good grounding in lf and hf propagation.
K index is a measure of the state of the geomagnetic field. In 1998, bob brown wrote a syllabus about hf propagation for his students that will become this tutorial in which bob introduces us in the fascinating world of hf propagation. Hf propagation prediction programs and how to use them. Incommunications, propagation is the link between the transmitter and the receiver, while for sensors, propagation occurs between the transmitter and the target to be sensed and between the target and the receiver. The downloads made available through links on this page contain software developed by ntia. Acehf stands for animated communications effectiveness for hf radio propagation, a coverage display technique originally developed for u. Ace hf system simulation and visualization software, v2. Space weather impacts radio communication in a number of ways. In addition, global data communication has recently been made possible using strategically located hf data link hfdl ground stations. Demystifying hf radio propagation and modeling check out the ace hf propagation software the latest is version 2. About an introduction to hf propagation the resource is currently listed in in a single category.
The main category is propagation tools that is about propagation prediction software for ham radio. Hfwin32 windows all operating systems 32bit versions of icepac voacap rec533 now 6may15 using installmate. Cd now available 792009 signaltonoise predictions using voacap written by george lane under contract from rockwell collins george lane was instrumental in the development of ioncap while working 17 years for the us army, and steered the development of voacap while working years for the voice of america. Hfwin32 windows all operating systems 32bit versions of icepac voacap rec533. You can subscribe to the list, or change your existing subscription, in the sections below. It is the ions that give their name to the ionosphere, but it is the much lighter and more freely moving electrons which are important in terms of high frequency hf. Uk technical feature g0kya the solar wind indicator at. Gilbert mipre, g4ucj this article is designed to be an introduction to the terms and basic mechanics of propagation methods that are to be found on the hf and vhf bands. Usable hf frequencies page refreshed every 20 minutes use the indicated color red, yellow, green, blue, white, etc. Ionospheric characteristics the ionosphere derives its name from the term ion, which is a free electron or other charged particle. Institute for telecommunication sciences resources radio propagation software high frequency windows 32bit hf propagation models. Generally, the greater the number of electrons, the higher the frequencies that can be used.
Please leave messages relating to high frequency skip openings and alerts only. The main category is the beginners guides to radio wave propagation that is about guide to radio wave propagation, studies, guides and documentation. These links explore several sites, and software, that can be used to help predict how a hf signal will propagate. Other useful information would include your experience with similar products, infomation on a product that you would purchase instead of this one, and so on. Understanding hf vhfuhfshf propagation relative to guided wave, ground wave, direct wave, ionosphere, troposphere, aurora, meteor scatter, and earthmoonearth eme or moon bounce paul l herrman n0nbh 11 july 2010.
Send formated dx spots indicating clearly both locators and the type or propagation. Time of day time of year band in use solar flux em radiation geomagnetic conditions solar particulate output the path itself over land. Current sunspot cycle activity, space weather, solar storm. Berkeley introduction i i have to agree there is a lot of information out there on the internet. A solar wind speed of about 380kms and the bz field neutral. A comprehensive propagation resource compiled by tomas hood, editor of the propagation columns of cq, cq vhf, popular communications, and monitoring times magazines. First, we depend on ionization of the upper atmosphere. Any white bubble indicates no suitable frequency or high absorption. Aann iinnttrroodduuccttiioonn ttoo hhff pprrooppaaggaattiioonn by sean d. From the point of view working group 2 of the cost 296 action, interest lies with effects associated with propagation via the ionosphere of signals within the hf band. The home of the online hf propagation prediction tool, proppy, providing ondemand pointtopoint and area predictions using the itus iturhfprop application in accordance with itur p.
The current archive is only available to the list members. Hf propagation app for windows resource detail the. Amateur com munications of up to 50 miles are typically possible via ground wave. The ionosphere and hf propagation qst magazine december 2010 generally you have two types of propagation problems. Hf radio communications noaa nws space weather prediction. The rest of information is useless and it doesnt interest anybody. This site is dedicated to voacap voice of america coverage analysis program for hf propagation prediction and ionospheric communications analysis, an improved and corrected version of ioncap, retaining all of the theory as put forth by john lloyd, george haydon, donald lucas and larry teters in the 19751985 timeframe with modifications which were suggestedapproved by george.
Understand how to use those numbers to your advantage. Groundwave propagation occurs, for example, when you contact another station across town on an hf band. Pdf since 2003, our group has been investigating the performance of different transmission techniques for lowpower. Richard and sue buckner teamed with joe ahlgren author of geoclock and steve biro to create a dynamic system simulation and visualization software package which uses the voacap propagation prediction engine to create animated maps and charts to help all users of hf radio choose the best times and frequencies for communications. Use this input to add your email or web link along with a message.
An introduction to hf propagation resource detail the. Understanding hfvhfuhfshf propagation relative to guided wave, ground wave, direct wave, ionosphere, troposphere, aurora, meteor scatter, and earthmoonearth eme or moon bounce paul l herrman n0nbh 11 july 2010. Acehfs advantage is that the effects of the days passage may be easily understood. At this point the k index was 1 and falling, the a index was 3 and the solar flux 66. About hf propagation app for windows the resource is currently listed in in a single category.
For hf 2 30 mhz the sun dictates the communication process ionization layers. High frequency and vhf radio propagation data, solar and geomagnetic realtime and historic data, sunspot activity reports, as well as forecasts. Welcome to the propagation email reflector an optinsubscription email mailing list, freeofcharge. We expect solar cycle 24 to kick off at any time but, at the time of writing, the solar flux was sitting stubbornly in the 65 70 zone, with no visible sunspots. So, the range of frequencies from 30 to 300 mhz also 300 mhz and above, which are placed under the very high frequency vhf category are mainly used for lineofsight communication. There is no need you click the refresh button of your browser. Its performs basic research in radio science that provides the technical foundation for ntias policy development and spectrum management activities.
It is at that time that i asked him the permission to publish his syllabus on this site. Summary advanced users of high frequency hf radio communications have long used systems known as chirpsounders 1 to obtain realtime information about the ionospheric propagation conditions of different communication channels between a transmitter. Lf propagation a topic he is very well placed to explain. Closest to the earth and least ionized and is responsible for short hop hf communication. While listening or planning to work a dx station, the radio amateur would like to know what are the current propagation conditions, know if the propagation is open toward a specific location at a specific time, or at what time the band will be open for a specific. If you are planning on a dxpedition, consider adding an interactive propagation map to your web site see example. In my first years on hf, i quickly found out that understanding propagation and being able to forecast propagation, would give me a substantial advantage. This link is listed in our web site directory since thursday sep 23 2010, and till today an introduction to hf propagation has been.
The key to getting the most from amateur radio on the hf bands is to understand the concept of propagation. At frequencies in the 1 to 30 mega hertz range known as high frequency or hf radio, the changes in ionospheric density and structure modify the transmission path and even block transmission of hf radio signals completely. Pdf a softwaredefined radio ionospheric chirpsounder. Ntia does not make any warranty of any kind, express, implied or. Oblique sounding and hf communication techniques for very. The following hf propagation models for windows pcs are available here. Use your call sign or name, location, and frequency when leaving information. Hf propagation prediction programs and how to use them steve nichols g0kya. This is a discussion group primarily focused on the science of getting a radio signal from one location to another. For propagation topics above 30 mhz, please see our dxing above 30 mhz article.
The radio frequencies above 30 mhz has the tendency to penetrate the ionosphere making them unsuitable for long distance propagation. Exe will detect and remove the w32zotob worm and its variants completely from your system. An introduction to hf propagation steve foy n4foy paul white n4wgl upper pinellas amateur radio club tech program series. This link is listed in our web site directory since monday apr 8 20, and till today hf propagation app for windows has been followed for a total of 1529 times.
Ntia does not make any warranty of any kind, express, implied or statutory, including, without limitation, the. Let me put out a few remarks that might help your understanding of propagation. A propagation logger is an interactive webpage for dx reports. Its hf propagation software free download its hf propagation. These newer installations may not work on windows systems older than 2000. Understanding lf and hf propagation pdf steve nichols of. The sun, being the largest engine in our solar system, has a great effect on propagation as its exhaust interacts with our earths magnetic field. This includes the 80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meter bands. Download the understanding lf and hf propagation pdf 1mb. Tarma no longer would support new windows versions.
Its hf propagation, free its hf propagation software downloads. High levels of solar flux is generally good news for hf propagation in general, the higher the flux number, the better conditions will be for the higher hf bands and even 6m. I will appreciate links to this web page, but you are not allowed to show the maplist in your site. My features consisted of a monthbymonth look at each hf band in turn, showing the reader the propagation modes behind each. Pdf a comprehensive sounding of the ionospheric hf radio link.
Jul 24, 2015 this site is dedicated to voacap voice of america coverage analysis program for hf propagation prediction and ionospheric communications analysis, an improved and corrected version of ioncap, retaining all of the theory as put forth by john lloyd, george haydon, donald lucas and larry teters in the 19751985 timeframe with modifications which were suggestedapproved by george lane, donald. The ace method shows a sequential series of coverage maps. Pdf the propagation characteristics of radio signals are important parameters to consider when designing and operating radio systems. Now you can also receive customized propagation warnings by email you can help generate this page. The basic concepts behind hf propagation using the ionosphere are easy to understand, and a study of it is not only fascinating, but also very useful for anyone involved in hf radio communications in any way. At vhfuhfshf, almost every structure acts like an antenna since its physical size is close to the signals wavelength. Hf propagation prediction is a statistical science. Hf propagation can be fickle at times, and often downright spooky.
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