One major reason for this is that the d layer, which absorbs hf signals, disappears rapidly on the sunset side of the grey line, and it has not yet built upon the sunrise side. Rockwell collins propman software provides you with quick and comprehensive hf analysis capability for frequency management, allocation and usage. The suns activity creates the hf propagation conditions and also propagation disturbances. Hf propagation over long distances is by skywave propagation, the reflection and refraction of radio waves between earths surface and the ionosphere. Make sure you have dx atlas installed, then press the dx atlas button on the settings tab. Voacap voice of america coverage analysis program is free professional highfrequency hf propagation prediction software from ntiaits, originally developed for voice of america voa. Since my return from ea6 the propagation seems to have improved substantially with terrific openings on 20m, and 40m late at night here at baildon moor u. The international amateur radio union iaru has adapted the north california dx foundation beacons system as the defacto structured network of hf radio cw beacons for propagation assessment for use by radio amateurs for monitoring radio propagation prospects on the hf radio dx bands. It was fun but windy and very cold despite the lovely sunset, typically the kind of wx which limited the satellite ham fun to just the single outdoor session.
The propagation forecast information above will only tell you in general if your band may be open and wont be specific to any particular country or part of the world. N2a calculates predicted coverage and availability for an hf radio network. Understanding radio wave propagation can mean the difference between making and missing a contact to a particular part of the world. To increase the effectiveness and make it a bit easier to use, i would suggest that operators should employ one of the many different software programs that do the calculations and mapping to beacon stations. Hf beacons operated by amateur radio operators all over the earth transmit a cw signal varing power levels in all directions.
The software is open source, and the data collected are available to the public through this site. Propagation prediction programs and forecasts radio society of. Radio propagation radio propagation is the study of how radio waves travel from a transmitter site to a receiver site through the atmosphere. Vdsl interference reporting radio society of great. This link is listed in our web site directory since sunday jun 29 2003, and till today online hf propagation prediction has been followed for a total of 344 times.
Institute for telecommunication sciences resources radio propagation software high frequency high frequency propagation models. This includes the 80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meter bands. We, as radio amateurs can only learn to use it or work around it. Online hf propagation prediction resource detail the. The characteristics of a propagating rf signal largely depends on the radio frequency, geographic terrain, foliage, buildings, and varying weather conditions. I am also chairman of the rsgbs propagation studies committee and produce the weekly hf propagation report for gb2rs. This software by roger coude ve2dbe predicts the performance of vhf and uhf radio systems. This same phenomena can present in dense cities as an urban forest area. To retrieve your new key, visit the following website to check for your replacement key. Currently it works on linux and windows 32 bit vista tested. The wspr software is designed for probing potential radio propagation paths using lowpower beaconlike transmissions. This beacon system is a well thought out and nicely implemented beacon network with a set of. Demystifying hf radio propagation and modeling check out the acehf propagation software the latest is version 2.
About online hf propagation prediction the resource is currently listed in in a single category. One major reason for this is that the d layer, which absorbs hf signals, disappears rapidly on the sunset side of the grey line, and it has not yet built upon. Voacap voice of america coverage analysis program is free professional highfrequency hf propagation prediction software from ntia. The current release version of ham radio deluxe is v6. Radio propagation prediction software an overview, article, tutorial about the basics of radio propagation prediction software for use on the hf bands for predicting broadcast coverage, as well as the possibility of establishing two way radio communications, maritime mobile radio communications, and for many more applications. This presentation examines hf propagation hf region spans 3 to 30 mhz. This is where i publish a lot of my features and thoughts on hf propagation, antennas and other ham radio topics. Propagation maps created with hamcap and based on the predicted smooth sunspot number for the month. Ham radio operators and shortwave listeners can optimize long distance communications to various areas of the. As a form of electromagnetic radiation, like light waves, radio waves are affected by the phenomena of reflection, refraction, diffraction, absorption, polarization, and scattering. This workinprogress guide should get you well started with the software. High frequency hf propagation models 230 mhz irregular terrain model itm longleyrice 20 mhz 20 ghz if77 wave propagation model gierhartjohnson airground millimeterwave propagation model mpm 1 ghz 1 thz terrain data and extraction routines. Acehf professional propagation software for hf radio operators. Here are some details regarding the next, and probably last, phase of my 43 foot dx engineering vertical installation.
As communications reach 1600 km at daytime and 12000 km or more at night, this band is considered as open 24 hours a day. This presentation of how the sun affects us was presented at the dayton hamvention by paul harden, na5n in 2005 and is well worth reading. Dxprop dxprop is a radiowave propagation forecast freeware for ham radio operators, permits to predict propagation on 12 frequencies. Radio propagation along the grey line is very efficient. Irregular terrain model itm longleyrice 20 mhz 20 ghz if77. A comprehensive propagation resource compiled by tomas hood, editor of the propagation columns of cq, cq vhf, popular communications, and monitoring times magazines. Arrl, the national association for amateur radio 225 main street newington, ct, 061111400 usa tel. Once all the settings are looked after running wsjtx. This image is of a contestia 4250 signal from rw3as on 20m. Icom ic 7300 marks an important inflection point for the big three amateur radio manufacturers. It is also band the least affected by variations of the solar cycle. Ham radio deluxe software the radio amateurs best asset.
Our software features land mobile vhf, uhf 800mhz, microwave, etc. Pages businesses medianews company radio station remote ham radio videos 20m this afternoon. Ham radio deluxe software radio amateurs best asset. The downloads made available through links on this page contain software developed by ntia. The list below provides links to propagation prediction programs and. High frequency and vhf radio propagation data, solar and geomagnetic realtime and historic data, sunspot activity reports, as well as forecasts. Irregular terrain model itm longleyrice 20 mhz 20 ghz. Integrated software for logging, rig control, digital modes, satellite.
Also note that any software listed here is downloaded at the readers own risk. Uses openstreetmap tiles or public sattelite imagery as background. The grey line is a band around the earth that separates the daylight from darkness. Propman 2000 propagation resource manager collins aerospace. I was able to find some spare time this afternoon and in true ham radio spirit i hauled out the mfj mag loop set it up on the balcony and gave ft8 a go on 20m. The area prediction data will be superimposed on the dx atlas map, and you will be able to magnify and scroll the map, and view it. You can read the guidance outlined 1page371kb pdf in the radcom article, or use the lelantos software provided below. The main category is propagation bullettins and charts that is about propagation forecast. Propagation of rf signals american radio relay league. The ionosphere is a consequence of radiation from the sun ionizing earths atmosphere, so it changes significantly with time of day and sunspot activity although time of day is just one of many variables, here is a simplified model of the.
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 pointtopoint circuit. Comparison of radio propagation modeling software fasma. A portal that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the internet. Hf propagation prediction is a statistical science. Radio propagation lee jennings amateur radio zl2al. Rf propagation is the transmission of radio signals from a transmitter to a receiver. Institute for telecommunication sciences resources radio propagation software radio propagation software. Efhw elecraft endfed eznec field day golden packet hexbeam jpole kenwood kj4faj kx3 kx4o measurement mobile nec nmo nvis packet pl259 qrp simulation steppir uhf vertical dipole verticals vhf. Usable hf frequencies page refreshed every 20 minutes use the indicated color red, yellow, green, blue, white, etc.
We also have advanced consultancy software for the prediction of digital hf and vhf. Amateur radio antenna patterns cap electronic prediction tool propagation zones radio world zones zoom. Understanding the effects of varying conditions on radio. This free online vhf uhf propagation tool can help you because it. It is better if each radio amateur uses their own words, highlighting their experiences and the effect of interference on them. Hf propagation numbers and hf beacon tracking programs. Review of propagation prediction programs voacapbased. Wspr pronounced whisper stands for weak signal propagation reporter. This software is even used by the military and other clients around the world. Qradiopredict is an experimental software for vhfuhf propagation prediction and radio coverage analysis. Ntia does not make any warranty of any kind, express, implied or statutory, including, without limitation, the implied.
It enables your radio transceiver to transmit beacon signals, and to receive beacon signals from similarlyequipped stations in the same amateur band. It wasnt within a few hundred khz in usb, so i checked lsb and am without being able to find it clearly, but within a minute it became clear on usb. Radio propagation is the behavior of radio waves as they travel, or are propagated, from one point to another, or into various parts of the atmosphere. Acehf is propagation forecasting and modeling for amateur radio as well as for shortwave radio listening and general hf operation. Current sunspot cycle activity, space weather, solar storm. I write for a number of radio magazines, including the rsgbs radcom and arrls qst. In my quest to gain my first qso, i was calling cq on 14,203u tonight for 20odd minutes when my frequency got splattered 20. Solar weather, sunspot activity, geomagnetic, aurora, ionospheric reports via. Radio mobile rf propagation simulation software radio. The only mf amateur band, 160m, will not be discussed, nor. Online programs a selection of propagation programs for groundwave, hf and vhf. Any white bubble indicates no suitable frequency or high absorption. Welcome to the weak signal propagation reporter network. Understanding hf propagation conditions and predictions are important for your contest strategy to maximize the points.
Hf beacons operated by amateur radio operators all over the earth transmit a cw. Wspr is a piece of software that enables you to participate in a worldwide network of low power propagation beacons. Radio signals are affected by terrain elevation between the sites, and obstructions, including trees, buildings, etc. The maximum usable frequency muf is the highest frequency that, with a probability of 50% of the time, can be used for radio communication between two points at a specified distance but not necessary in all directions via refraction by the ionosphere. Acehf propagation prediction software ace hf pro, ace hf mobile are radio frequency rf propagation analysis tools designed for military applications. Propview propview uses the included ioncap propagation prediction engine to forecast the minimum and maximum useable frequencies between two locations over a specified 24 hour period.
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