The list below provides links to propagation prediction programs and. Pages businesses medianews company radio station remote ham radio videos 20m this afternoon. 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. Radio propagation along the grey line is very efficient. Voacap voice of america coverage analysis program is free professional highfrequency hf propagation prediction software from ntia. Demystifying hf radio propagation and modeling check out the acehf propagation software the latest is version 2. 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. It is better if each radio amateur uses their own words, highlighting their experiences and the effect of interference on them. Currently it works on linux and windows 32 bit vista tested.
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. Acehf is propagation forecasting and modeling for amateur radio as well as for shortwave radio listening and general hf operation. Here are some details regarding the next, and probably last, phase of my 43 foot dx engineering vertical installation. The downloads made available through links on this page contain software developed by ntia. Dxprop dxprop is a radiowave propagation forecast freeware for ham radio operators, permits to predict propagation on 12 frequencies.
Make sure you have dx atlas installed, then press the dx atlas button on the settings tab. To retrieve your new key, visit the following website to check for your replacement key. Radio mobile rf propagation simulation software radio. The current release version of ham radio deluxe is v6. Wspr is a piece of software that enables you to participate in a worldwide network of low power propagation beacons. Acehf professional propagation software for hf radio operators. Arrl, the national association for amateur radio 225 main street newington, ct, 061111400 usa tel. We also have advanced consultancy software for the prediction of digital hf and vhf. Icom ic 7300 marks an important inflection point for the big three amateur radio manufacturers. Identify and measure the vdsl interference you are experiencing. 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. Propagation of rf signals american radio relay league. A comprehensive propagation resource compiled by tomas hood, editor of the propagation columns of cq, cq vhf, popular communications, and monitoring times magazines. As communications reach 1600 km at daytime and 12000 km or more at night, this band is considered as open 24 hours a day.
I write for a number of radio magazines, including the rsgbs radcom and arrls qst. 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. 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. Propman 2000 propagation resource manager collins aerospace. Ham radio deluxe software radio amateurs best asset. Welcome to the weak signal propagation reporter network. Institute for telecommunication sciences resources radio propagation software high frequency high frequency propagation models.
Irregular terrain model itm longleyrice 20 mhz 20 ghz if77. Uses openstreetmap tiles or public sattelite imagery as background. Propagation maps created with hamcap and based on the predicted smooth sunspot number for the month. Vdsl interference reporting radio society of great. The grey line is a band around the earth that separates the daylight from darkness. This beacon system is a well thought out and nicely implemented beacon network with a set of. Irregular terrain model itm longleyrice 20 mhz 20 ghz. Review of propagation prediction programs voacapbased. 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. This software by roger coude ve2dbe predicts the performance of vhf and uhf radio systems. Hf beacons operated by amateur radio operators all over the earth transmit a cw signal varing power levels in all directions.
Hf propagation numbers and hf beacon tracking programs. 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. Understanding the effects of varying conditions on radio. Hf propagation prediction is a statistical science. Usable hf frequencies page refreshed every 20 minutes use the indicated color red, yellow, green, blue, white, etc. 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. About online hf propagation prediction the resource is currently listed in in a single category. Hf beacons operated by amateur radio operators all over the earth transmit a cw.
To build the largest and most complete amateur radio community site on the internet. Ham radio operators and shortwave listeners can optimize long distance communications to various areas of the. Once all the settings are looked after running wsjtx. Rockwell collins propman software provides you with quick and comprehensive hf analysis capability for frequency management, allocation and usage. This software is even used by the military and other clients around the world. The only mf amateur band, 160m, will not be discussed, nor. Our software features land mobile vhf, uhf 800mhz, microwave, etc. It enables your radio transceiver to transmit beacon signals, and to receive beacon signals from similarlyequipped stations in the same amateur band. As a form of electromagnetic radiation, like light waves, radio waves are affected by the phenomena of reflection, refraction, diffraction, absorption, polarization, and scattering. 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. 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. Understanding radio wave propagation can mean the difference between making and missing a contact to a particular part of the world.
Radio signals are affected by terrain elevation between the sites, and obstructions, including trees, buildings, etc. 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. Voacap voice of america coverage analysis program is free professional highfrequency hf propagation prediction software from ntiaits, originally developed for voice of america voa. 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. This same phenomena can present in dense cities as an urban forest area. Ham radio deluxe software the radio amateurs best asset. You can read the guidance outlined 1page371kb pdf in the radcom article, or use the lelantos software provided below. 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. 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. This is where i publish a lot of my features and thoughts on hf propagation, antennas and other ham radio topics. 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. Amateur radio antenna patterns cap electronic prediction tool propagation zones radio world zones zoom.
Rf propagation is the transmission of radio signals from a transmitter to a receiver. This image is of a contestia 4250 signal from rw3as on 20m. 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. Hf propagation over long distances is by skywave propagation, the reflection and refraction of radio waves between earths surface and the ionosphere. Integrated software for logging, rig control, digital modes, satellite. Any white bubble indicates no suitable frequency or high absorption.
Solar weather, sunspot activity, geomagnetic, aurora, ionospheric reports via. Comparison of radio propagation modeling software fasma. 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. N2a calculates predicted coverage and availability for an hf radio network. The main category is propagation bullettins and charts that is about propagation forecast. What goes on in the sun affects our radio propagation around the earth. The wspr software is designed for probing potential radio propagation paths using lowpower beaconlike transmissions. Current sunspot cycle activity, space weather, solar storm. Acehf propagation prediction software ace hf pro, ace hf mobile are radio frequency rf propagation analysis tools designed for military applications.
Wspr pronounced whisper stands for weak signal propagation reporter. This includes the 80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meter bands. I am also chairman of the rsgbs propagation studies committee and produce the weekly hf propagation report for gb2rs. Propagation prediction programs and forecasts radio society of. This presentation examines hf propagation hf region spans 3 to 30 mhz. Qradiopredict is an experimental software for vhfuhf propagation prediction and radio coverage analysis. Also note that any software listed here is downloaded at the readers own risk. Institute for telecommunication sciences resources radio propagation software radio propagation software. Ntia does not make any warranty of any kind, express, implied or statutory, including, without limitation, the implied. The software is open source, and the data collected are available to the public through this site. The characteristics of a propagating rf signal largely depends on the radio frequency, geographic terrain, foliage, buildings, and varying weather conditions. Radio propagation radio propagation is the study of how radio waves travel from a transmitter site to a receiver site through the atmosphere.
This workinprogress guide should get you well started with the software. It is also band the least affected by variations of the solar cycle. Radio propagation lee jennings amateur radio zl2al. Online programs a selection of propagation programs for groundwave, hf and vhf. 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. 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 beginning of true softwaredefined rf processing from one end to the other. The suns activity creates the hf propagation conditions and also propagation disturbances. Online hf propagation prediction resource detail the.