HOW DOES MY SIGNAL

GET FROM HERE TO THERE?

By Forest Cummings, W5LQU

And Dave Russell, W2DMR
THE ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE
GENERATION OF AN EM WAVE
Current flow
E field

H field

Antenna
DISTANCE SQUARED
MODES OF TRANSMISSION
Line of sight

Ground Wave – low frequencies

Reflections – most important for HF

Special Cases – scatter, ducting

IONOSPHERIC LAYERS
Are created by the UV and X-ray
radiation from the sun.

The D layer (50mi) is an absorption

layer affecting frequencies from 1.8
MHz to 7 MHz.

The E layer (70mi) is a sporadic layer

with some very interesting effects.

The F layers are the most Important for

HF bands long range communication.
IONOSPHERE
ELECTRON DENSITIES
Variations in the ionosphere electron
densities occur for several reasons:

Day and night

Summer and Winter

The 11 year solar sunspot cycle

Solar storms
IONOSPHERIC REFRACTION
IONOSHERIC SKIP ZONES
MAXIMUM USEABLE FREQ
The maximum useable frequency is the highest
frequency that can be refracted by the ionospheric
layer

This is commonly called the MUF

Frequencies higher than the MUF will penetrate the
Ionosphere and will escape into space

It is best to choose a frequency just below the MUF

PROPAGATION CHART
Propagation Charts are made
for certain paths and specific
dates and time periods.

They show the variations of

the MUF during a 24 hour period
AZIMUTHAL MAP
If you have a directional antenna it
is not intuitive to really know exactly
which direction to point it to reach the
desired target area.

This Azimuthal Map shows directions

to the world from Dallas, Texas.
SUNSPOT CYCLES Maunder minimum
AD 1645 - 1715

This chart is from the January 2005 QST

SUNSPOT CYCLE 23
GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY
TROPOSPHERIC SCATTER
DUCTING
PROPOGATION CHART
RECEIVER NOISE
The last link in the communications path is the receiver and
conditions at the receiver location. Noise at the receive site
is the primary limitation.

+40 dB
20 dB/octave

20 dB/decade
Man Made
Galactic
290 K
Thermal 10 MHz 20 MHz 200 MHz

NOISE LEVELS VS FREQUENCY

MF (300Hz – 3MHz)
160 meters (1.8 – 2.0 MHz)
High D layer absorption
Good ground wave coverage – up to 90 miles
High manmade and atmospheric noise
Worldwide night time coverage – F2 layer

HF (3 – 30 MHz)
80 meters (3.5 – 4.0 MHz)
Similar to 160m
D layer absorption not quite as bad as 160m
Some E layer skip in the daytime
High manmade and atmospheric noise
Pretty good ground wave coverage – 40 miles
Worldwide night time coverage – F2 layer
HF (3 – 30 MHz) 1
40 Meters (7.0 – 7.3 MHz)
Mild D layer absorption
Noise levels lower
Defined daytime skip zone
Short skip on E and F layers
Worldwide night time coverage even at Solar minimum – F2 layer

30 meters (10.1 – 10.15 MHz) CW only

D layer not significant
Generally open 24 hours for F2 layer coverage
Good throughout the Solar cycle
HF (3 – 30 MHZ) 2
20 meters (14.0 – 14.35MHz)
Primary long haul DX band
F2 layer propagation during the day
May stay open all night at Solar maximum
Low atmospheric noise and some E layer short skip
Most popular but crowded Band

17 meters (18.068 – 18.168 MHz)

Very similar to 20 meters
Solar effects more pronounced
Mostly daytime and early evening
Not usually as crowded as 20 meters
HF (3 – 30 MHZ) 3
15 meters (21.0 – 21.45 MHz)
Primary DX band at Solar maximum
Sensitive to changing Solar activity
Basically daytime, but early night at Solar maximum
Only some sporadic E at Solar minimum

12 meters (24.89 – 24.99 MHz)

Open only during moderate to high Solar activity
Some sporadic E in late spring and summer
HF (3 – 30 MHZ) 4 / VHF
10 meters (28.0 – 29.6 MHz)
Extreme variations in propagation modes
Very efficient F2 propagation at Solar maximum with low power
Single and multiple hop propagation
Open sunrise to few hours past sunset
No propagation at Solar minimum except sporadic E, aurora, meteor scatter

6 meters (50.0 – 54.0 MHz) “The Magic Band” really VHF (30 – 300MHz)
World wide daylight DX at Solar maximum
Sporadic E is most common and popular mode
Regular tropospheric scatter
Auroral propagation in afternoons when Solar magnetic activity
Ducting is rare
VHF (30 – 300MHZ)
2 meters (144 – 148 MHz)
No F propagation
Line of sight dependent on antenna height
Some sporadic E similar to 6 meters
Tropospheric scatter and ducting up to 500 miles
Auroral and meteor scatter

135 cm (222 – 225 MHz)

Nearly as good as 2 meters
Sporadic E is rare
UHF (300 3000 MHZ)
70 cm (420 – 450 MHz)
Line of sight dependent on height of antennas
No sporadic E, but some Auroral scatter
Tropospheric scatter and ducting is good

33 cm (902 – 928 MHz) and higher

No ionospheric modes of propagation
Line of sight dependent on height of antenna
High gain antennas
Auroral and Tropospheric scatter
Very sensitive to changes in weather
IN CONCLUSION

LISTEN A LOT
Get acquainted with the bands, and the variation in propagation conditions
due to weather, day/night, seasonal, and Solar activity. But, above all;

ENJOY HAM RADIO

AND
HAVE FUN !