HamSCI Links

• HamSCI
• HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station
• HamSCI Get Involved
• TAPR TangerineSDR
• June 2020 Eclipse Festival of Frequency
• December 2020 Eclipse Festival Sign-Up

University Links

• The University of Scranton
• MIT Haystack Observatory
• Case Amateur Radio Club W8EDU

Ionosphere Links

• Carl K9LA's Propagation Page
• HamSCI Guide to K9LA Page
• Exploratorium Space Weather
• Windows to the Universe Space Weather
• Stanford SID Monitor Project
• spaceweather.com
• NOAA Space Weather Education Page

Alternate Language Options:
Spanish: Español
Portuguese: Portugués

Calling all stations: Join us for
The December 2020 Eclipse Festival of Frequency Measurement

Introduction

Contact information:

Kristina Collins: [email protected]

Research Questions

• How do the propagation paths of shortwave time standard stations vary over a calendar day?
• What properties of the ionosphere are we able to measure by observing the variation in these HF propagation paths?
• What effect will the eclipse have on these propagation paths?
• How do various measurement techniques for understanding the path variation compare?
• Is there volunteer interest in collecting data in the regions near totality for this eclipse?

Objectives

• Promote international goodwill by working with citizen scientists around the globe
• Measure Doppler shifts caused by space weather's effects on the ionosphere.
• Use a specified measurement protocol available to amateur radio operators and other citizen-scientists.

Times

• Practice Runs: 21 November 2020, 0000 – 2359 UTC, 5 December 2020, 0000 – 2359 UTC 
• Data recording starts: 9 December 2020, 0000 UTC
• Data recording ends: 16 December 2020,  2359 UTC

The Beacons

There are multiple time standard stations which can be heard in South America. The Brazilian station PPE (10 MHz) will be the primary beacon for this experiment. You may also pick up signals from the Venezuelan station YVTO (5 MHz), the Argentinian station LOL (10 MHz), WWV, WWVH and BPM. This experiment will use only the 10 MHz transmissions. If you can't get a good signal on 10 MHz, record another frequency and make sure the file is labeled appropriately. The recordings in this experiment are expected to show formations of the D-layer at stations' local sunrise and other daily events of the ionosphere, and the effects of the eclipse. Space weather varies day to day and some features may be prominent.  We'll see what we get!

Procedures

1) Sign up on the Interest List

Fill out the survey here to sign up for the email list. You will receive occasional updates and reminders. 

2) Prepare Your Receiver

Use your most stable receiver. If you have a GPSDO or other precision frequency standard, please use it. 

 

To tune your radio:

• Tune your radio (in AM mode) to the carrier signal.
• Set your receiver's mode to USB (upper sideband). For a 10 MHz carrier, tune to 9.999 MHz (9999.000 kHz - see image) and listen for the 1000 Hz tone. This is the main thing we'll be looking for when we analyze your data. 
• If you have an adjustable filter in your receiver, set it as close to 2.5 kHz as possible.

We will be advising most participants to use an 8kHz sampling rate in the section below. If your radio is relatively new (manufactured after the year 2000 or so) that should be just fine. If you're running an older radio, however, your filters may not have a sharp enough cutoff. (You can see this process in a video here.) To check the filter bandwidth on your receiver:

• Tune your radio (in AM mode) to the carrier signal.
• Set your receiver's mode to USB (upper sideband). For a 10 MHz carrier, tune to 9.999 MHz (9999.000 kHz - see image) and listen for the 1000 Hz tone. Tune down to 9.998 MHz and listen for the higher 2000 Hz tone. Finally, tune down to 9.997 MHz and see if you hear a 3000 Hz tone. If you don't hear a strong carrier signal, you're fine - stick with 8 kHz. If you do hear the tone, you may want to use a higher sampling frequency in Step 5 below. 22050 Hz is a pretty good bet. You can gauge the filesize for different settings here. 

3) Prepare Your Computer and Software

1) Connect your radio to your computer sound card. 

If you're controlling your radio via fldigi or flrig, you alreay know how to do this. Instructions will vary by radio. If you need a USB sound card, we recommend this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 

 

2) Download Audacity. 

Audacity is a well-established open-source program for audio recording. You can download it here: https://www.audacityteam.org/download/

If you're working in a language other than English, you can set it using Edit > Preferences > Interface Options. 

 

3) Set up Audacity metadata. 

Download this XML template and make a note of the directory it downloads to: EclipseTags.xml

Under Edit>Metadata, click "Load" and select the file, then edit it to fit your station.. (You can also add metadata manually using the list below.)

 

 

In Audacity, go to Edit > Metadata and fill in the following metadata fields: 

• Under Artist Name, put your callsign. (If you are a shortwave listener and not a ham, please use your name or SWL callsign.)
• Under Album Title, put "December 2020 Eclipse."
• Under Year, 2020.
• Under Genre, put your radio model. 

Add and fill in the following metadata fields. 

• Email Address
• Rig
• Antenna
• Sound Card
• Frequency
• AGC (on or off)
• Latitude (please use decimals, not minutes and seconds!)
• Longitude 
• Elevation (m)
• Time zone (Format example: UTC-05:00)
• Grid Square
• Country

IMPORTANT: If you have multiple radios collecting data simultaneously under a single callsign, add a hyphen and station number for each station wherever you would otherwise use the callsign. For example, if station W8EDU is running data collection simultaneously on a Flex radio and an Icom radio, they should label one as W8EDU-1 and the other as W8EDU-2, include a comment in the metadata for each station explaining that the operator ran multiple stations, and make sure that the metadata is correct and complete. This will make it much easier to sort through the data from the experiment during the analysis phase. 

Hit "Save" and save the XML file, then hit "Set Default." 

Check the box that says "Don't show this when exporting audio," then hit "OK." 

 

 

4) Set recording preferences.

Open the Recording tab under the Preferences menu (Edit > Preferences > Recording). Uncheck "Play other tracks while recording" and check "Record on a new track" and "Detect dropouts." 

Under "Name newly recorded tracks," type your callsign, then a single underscore, then the letter corresponding to your time zone on this list: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_military_time_zones]

For example, the station W8EDU is in Eastern Standard Time (UTC - 05:00), which corresponds to the letter R, so the correct custom track name is "W8EDU_R_". (If you're in a fractional timezone, use the letter J.) 

 

Make sure the boxes for "System Date" and "System Time" are also checked. When you're done, the window should look like this: 

 

Under "Quality," set "Default Sample Format" to 16 bits. Set "Default Sample Rate" to 8000 Hz (unless your receiver requires a higher rate, as described in Step 2 above).  

 

Go to "Devices" in the Preferences menu and make sure you are recording from your radio, as opposed to your computer's microphone or another source. 

 

When done, click OK.

 

5) Set recording settings and make a test recording.

Set your recording to Mono (1 channel) on the pulldown menu in the middle of the top toolbar.

 

Make sure your project rate is set to 8000 Hz from the pulldown menu in the bottom left corner of the screen.

 

Set your audio input to the sound card connected to your radio. The device names will vary. You may have to experiment to make sure the source you're recording from is the correct one.

 

Hit the record ⬤ button; you should see the first track start recording, with the correct track name and timestamp. If the track name is not correct, try rebooting your computer and recording again.

Hit stop ⏹️, then record ⬤ again. This time, you should see a second track appear. The name on each track will correspond to its start time. 

 

Note the "Disk space remaining for recording" at the bottom of your screen. One week of recording is 168 hours, so you may need to pause and restart data collection during the experiment. The estimate also may not be entirely accurate. Check Audacity's documentation on recording length here. 

 

6) Save the project.

Make sure to stop ⏹️ the recording before you continue.

Save the project (File > Save). This will let the computer hang on to your settings. You may see a window asking if you want to save the project even though it has no tracks in it: click OK. 

 

7) Check to make sure your WAV files save correctly.

Create a directory to save your files to according to the following convention: "<Callsign>_Eclipse_Dec2020". For example: W8EDU_Eclipse_Dec2020. (If you're running simultaneous data collection on multiple radios, use the hyphenated identifier described in Step 3.)

 

Go to File > Export > Export Multiple. Select the directory that you want to save your files to. Under "Name Files", make sure the option "Using Label/Track Name" is selected.

 

Click "Export." You should get a dialogue box confirming that each track has been saved to its own WAV file. (Note: If your files are too large to export, see the FAQ below.)

When these are done, you can delete your test tracks by clicking the X in the upper left hand corner of the track. 

 

When you open the directory, you should see the artist and album metadata. Confirm that your filenames are in the correct format: "W8EDU_R__2020-10-23_22-36-18.wav"., for example. 

 

You should record your data on a drive that has at least 10 GB of free space. If you are running Windows, navigate to your data directory and activate compression:  Properties -> General -> Advanced  -> Compress contents to save disk space. (See screen shot below).

 

 

8) Optional: Calibrate Audio Output for the .WAV File Record

We're interested in collecting amplitude data where possible; you can read more about it here. If your radio has an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit that can be disabled, and a separate RF gain control, you can also collect amplitude data. It's not enough to just turn the AGC off, though; you have to set the RF gain to an appropriate level.  Otherwise the audio level will be nearly a constant level regardless of the signal strength, and the data may be compromised. Once the AGC is turned OFF the receiver’s RF gain control must be set so that the audio  level gives measurable amplitudes that never go full scale, clip, or limit. This will require preliminary testing to be sure the maximum signal strength does not overdrive the sound card input. If your radio does not fit these requirements, skip to Step 9 below. 

 

Here is a method to set up the receiver:

• With AGC enabled, set up the radio to produce the 1000 Hz tone in USB mode by tuning the radio 1 kHz below the carrier frequency (e.g., 9.999 MHz for a 10 MHz carrier).
• Set the receiver volume control for a comfortable listening level using the radio’s normal speaker or headphones. It should be loud enough to be above the no-signal receiver noise but not so lout that it causes distortion.
• Set the recording level in Audacity to get approximately 1/4-1/2 full scale recording level, or at the level that leaves about 6 dB to 10 dB of headroom below full scale.
• Turn the receiver AGC OFF.
• Use the RF gain control to set the audio output to the same level as with the AGC ON.
• Make a day-long recording and examine the record. If the levels reached full scale at any time during the recording, reduce the RF gain control and try again. The idea is to have enough RF gain get measurable signal levels even during the weakest part of the day but not so much that the amplitude at the strongest part of the day hits or flattops at full scale. 
• Once the RF gain is set it must not be changed while recording eclipse data.
• When submitting your data survey below, make sure to confirm that you performed this procedure. 

9) All set!

Now you should be all set to collect data! If you need to restart data collection at any time, hit the stop recording button and repeat Step 7 above. 

Once you're all set, your setup should look something like this:

3) Collect the data

The data collection runs from 9 to 16 December. There will also be two practice runs: November 15th and December 5th. During this time, leave your radio running, check it periodically and make sure your computer is not shut down by an automatic update. 
We strongly recommend recording a few days' worth of test data before the experiment begins in order to ensure that you don't run into computer problems. After completion but before uploading, select the file/directory to  be uploaded, right click on it, and select Send to compressed (zipped) folder.  This is what you should upload.

If you would like to include documentation of your station, notes on observations, photos of the experiment or eclipse, etc., please include these in the zipped folder with your data. Unless you note otherwise, we may use your photos, with attribution, in future HamSCI materials. 

 

4) Fill out data collection survey and upload data via Box.

Fill out the data collection survey here. (This is only necessary for the main data run, not the practice runs.)

Upload your at this link: https://cwru.app.box.com/f/d707e6414087462399f3601a2a4e0ca0

You can upload as many files as necessary, but each individual file should not be larger than 15 GB. Compressing your files may help reduce your upload speed. Note that wav files will usually only shrink to about 80% of their original size. You should NOT use mp3 or wma compression, because these formats can compromise amplitude and frequency characteristics.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What will this data be used for?

A: This data will be analyzed by members of the HamSCI organization. The data and results will be made public, as we did for the orignal Festival of Frequency Measurement.

 

Q: I'm not inside the path of totality. Can I still participate?
A: Absolutely. Gathering data from widely scattered stations lets us examine ionospheric fluctuations on a range of scales. We're aiming to get stations on every continent. 

Wherever you are, however, the best approach is to get one or two friends with stations nearby to participate, to confirm that the fluctuations in your data are geophysical in nature.

 

Q: I missed the practice run. Can I still participate?
A: Yes! Get in touch via email if you have questions.

 

Q: Can I join in late?
A: Yes! Get in touch via email if you have questions.

 

Q: If I'm having trouble getting data collection to work, can you help me?
A: Yes. Email [email protected] and we will help you get your radio set up.

 

Q: Can I use a program other than Audacity to make my measurements?
A: Yes, but we cannot provide assistance for other programs. We also like Spectrum Lab, though.

 

Q: Why did you stop using fldigi?
A: We've used fldigi's Frequency Analysis mode in past experiments, but we've decided to collect raw data for this one because it will let us collect sideband as well as carrier information. 

 

Q: How can I check the metadata on my WAV files?

A: Most metadata tools won't show the nonstandard fields that we added, but you can use mediainfo if you want to see them. It has a nice command line interface, too. 

 

Q: Why do you want to collect an entire week of data? Doesn't the eclipse only last for a few hours?
A: We need to collect control data, ideally from a day with ionospheric conditions that are as similar as possible to the conditions on the day of the eclipse. Collecting a full week of data gives us a few options for that comparison. It also gives us a good look at daily fluctuations. 

 

Q: Can you still use my data if I can't record for the entire period?
A: More data is always better, but if you need to take your radio back for part of the event (e.g., to run a traffic net) or experience a data interruption, then we're still interested in your data. Just be sure to stop recording before retuning your radio, tune back to 9.999 MHz before you start it up again when you're ready to resume collecting data, and leave us a note when you submit it.

 

Q: Will you accept other forms of data?
A: Yes, although we can't guarantee we'll be able to use it. 

 

Q: I can collect data for the experiment, but my Internet connection is so slow there's no way I'll be able to upload it to you. Can I submit it another way?
A: Yes! Email me at [email protected] and I'll mail you a thumb drive. 

 

Q: Audacity says my recording is too large to export as a WAV file. Why is this happening, and what can I do?
A: WAV files are limited to 4 GB because the filesize is indicated in the header by a 32-bit unsigned int. Audacity will give you another chance to export. Select "Other uncompressed files," then under "Header," select "WAV(NIST/Sphere)." This will use a different header format, but your data should be the same, and can be uploaded as long as it is less than 32 GB. 

 

Q: I'm able to set up a station to collect data long-term. Would you be interested in that?
A: Yes! Email [email protected] to discuss further.

 

Q: Will I receive a QSL card?
A: Of course! Eclipse Festival certificates will be mailed to all participants at the conclusion of the analysis.

 

 

Media Mentions

https://www.ce3aa.cl/el-festival-eclipse-de-medicion-de-frecuencia-de-diciembre-2020/ 

https://cqnewsroom.blogspot.com/2020/11/volunteers-needed-for-propagation.html

https://www.arnewsline.org/news/2020/11/19/amateur-radio-newsline-report-2247-for-friday-november-20th-2020

https://www.spreaker.com/user/hamtalklive/episode-237-q-a-with-rob-sherwood-nc0b-a

http://www.arrl.org/contest-update-issues?issue=2020-11-25

https://youtu.be/YX-vTKt1LGk?t=1626

https://www.iaru-r2.org/en/opportunity-to-participate-in-eclipse-propagation-experiment/

https://hackaday.com/2020/11/30/gathering-eclipse-data-via-ham-radio/

Lunchtime Livestream for December 2 - Ham Radio Livestream - YouTube

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Matt KE8NZR for Spanish translation and Noilson Caio - Darkwaves group for Portuguese translation. 

 

 

This page is an archive of updates pertaining to the June 2020 Eclipse Festival. 

________________________________________________________________________________

0000 18 June UTC: 48h before start

  

  

Llamado a todas las radioaficionados en el hemisferio oriental. Nos unimos para

 El Festival Eclipse de Medición de Frecuencia de Junio 2020

20 de Junio 2020 a 22 de Junio 2359 UTC

Introducción

Los cambios en la densidad de electrones ionosférico causado por el clima espacial  y los cambios diurnos del sol pueden causar desplazamientos Doppler en los trayectos de propagación HF. Por ejemplo, vea la figura 7 en Boitman Et al.,1999. El primer intento a medir eses desplazamientos Doppler de HamSCI fue durante el eclipse solar total en Agosto 2017. Planeamos medidas cuidadosas durante el eclipse total de 2024. Como parte del centenario de WWV, 50 radioaficionados recogido datos sobre los desplazamientos Doppler para Festival de Medición de Frecuencia, demostrando el valor de la recolección voluntaria de datos. Este Junio, solicitamos que todas las  radioaficionados, radioescuchas de onda corta, y otras que pueden medir las frecuencias HF con precisión ayúdanos a recoger datos de la frecuencia para el eclipse anular en el 21 de Junio.

Información del contacto:

Kristina Collins: [email protected]

Preguntas de Investigación

• ¿Cómo varían los caminos de propagación de los estaciones de tiempo de onda corta estándar durante un día completo de calendario?

• ¿Qué propiedades del ionosfera podemos medir observando los cambios en los caminos de propagación HF?

• ¿Que efecto va a tener el eclipse anular en estos caminos de propagación?

• ¿Cómo se comparan técnicas de medir diferentes para comprender los caminos de propagación?

• ¿Hay interesa voluntario a recoger datos cerca al camino de la totalidad de este eclipse?  

Objetivos

• Promover la buena voluntad internacional trabajando con científicos amateur desde el mundo

• Medir los desplazamientos Doppler causado por el clima espacial en la ionosfera

• Utilizar un protocolo de medida specifico disponible a las radioaficionados y otros científicos amateur

Horas de Operación 

• Día de control: 14 de Junio 2020, 0000-2359 UTC

• Recopilación de datos empeza al 20 de Junio 2020, 0000 UTC

• Recopilación de datos termina al 22 de Junio 2020, 2359 UTC

Las Radiobalizas

La radiobaliza será BPM, la estación de servicio de tiempo en la Academia China de Ciencias, marcada con el punto azul en el mapa de arriba. BPM transmite en 2.5, 5, 10, y 15 MHz. Para este experimento, solo usaremos las transmisiones de 10 MHz. Sí quiere participar pero no puede grabar 10 MHz, use la frecuencia que puedes grabar y etiqueta su archivo apropiadamente. Las grabaciones en este experimento muestren formaciones de la capa D al amanecer local de las estaciones y otros eventos diarios de la ionosfera y los efectos del eclipse. El clima espacial varía día a día y algunas características pueden ser prominentes. ¡Vamos a ver lo que obtenemos!

Procedimientos

1) Inscribirse en la lista de intereses

Complete la encuesta aquí para inscribirse.

2) Prepara su radio, computadora y software (fldigi)

Utiliza tu receptor más estable. Sí tiene un GPSDO o otro estándar de frecuencia de precisión, usarlo. Usa una buena tarjeta de sonido (la que está dentro de su receptor si está equipada). Le solicitamos específicamente que utilice el paquete de software de código abierto fldigi-4.1.12 o posterior.   Su modo de "análisis de frecuencia" genera archivos diarios de desviaciones de frecuencia, llamados automáticamente "análisis_(fecha).csv". Estará en el directorio /fldigi / temp/, o .fldigi / temp/, o algún equivalente. Usted debe utilizar una versión reciente de fldigi, o sus datos serán sobrescritos.

• Descarga fldigi , instálalo, verifica que esté funcionando correctamente. 

• Para cambiar la idioma, va a “Configure” >>”Config Dialog”  luego, en el lado izquierdo de la ventana emergente, haga clic en”UI” >> “General” y cambiar el idioma en el menú “UI Language” y haga clic en “Save”. Reinicie el programa para que los cambios surtan efecto

• Busque el módulo "Freq Analysis" en el menú desplegable "modos".

• Sintonice su radio (en modo AM) a BPM en 10 MHz

• Establezca el modo de su receptor en USB (banda lateral superior). Para BPM de 10 MHz, sintonice a 9.999 MHz y escuche el tono de 1000 Hz.

• En fldigi, asegúrese de que la frecuencia sintonizada en la esquina superior izquierda sea la misma que la frecuencia de su radio. Para cambiarlo, haga clic en la mitad superior de un dígito para aumentarlo o en la mitad inferior para disminuirlo.

• Busque la línea de 1000 Hz en la cascada de fldigi. Haga clic en el cursor allí o use el cuadro de frecuencia de desplazamiento en la parte inferior de la ventana de fldigi. Debe establecer el número en el cuadro en la parte inferior de la ventana exactamente a 1000.

• En fldigi, seleccione el menú "Modos" y seleccione el modo "Freq Analysis"

• Busque "escribir archivo CSV" en la línea inferior de fldigi, hacia la izquierda.

• Si ve múltiples operadores, se necesita información Doppler más detallada. Vaya a Archivo> Audio> Capturar RX para grabar su señal de audio. Guarde su archivo con la marca de tiempo UNIX actual y su indicativo o nombre, p. "1592282573 - W8EDU.wav". La grabación continua durante 3 días dará como resultado un archivo de 4,5 GB, por lo que es posible que desee pausar y reiniciar este proceso ocasionalmente para asegurarse de que su computadora no se quede sin espacio y se bloquee. Para reiniciar el proceso, desactive la casilla en Archivo> Audio> Capturar RX y luego vuelva a marcarlo. Se le pedirá que guarde un nuevo archivo; recuerde usar la marca de tiempo actual para que podamos realizar un seguimiento.

• Ahora, deja a fldigi solo. 

• Al final de su período de grabación, cierre fldigi. El archivo "analysis.csv" debe estar en su directorio / fldigi / temp /.

• Pruebe todo esto antes del día del evento.

3) Recolectar los datos

• Comience el Paso 1 anterior al comienzo de su período de recopilación de datos. Habrá una día de práctica en el 14 de junio y la recopilación de datos principal ocurrirá al 20 de junio, 0000 UTC a 2359 UTC el 22 de junio.

• Durante este tiempo, deje su radio sola y asegúrese de que su computadora no esté apegada por una actualización automática. 

• Al final del período de recopilación de datos, debe tener tres archivos “*.csv”, uno para cada día de recopilación de datos..

3) Subir sus datos al formulario de Google

Subir sus datos al formulario de Google aquí: https://forms.gle/W6grP4cVpGgY2eVD7

Este formulario se utiliza para los datos práctica y los datos finales. Por favor, no edite los archivos.  

Preguntas Frecuentes

P: ¿Para qué se utilizarán estos datos?

R: Esta información será analizada por miembros de la organización HamSCI. Los datos y resultados se harán públicos, como lo hicimos para el Festival original de Medición de Frecuencia .

P: No estoy en el camino de la totalidad. ¿Todavía puedo participar?

R: Por supuesto, sí. Si está muy lejo del camino de la totalidad, no podemos garantizar que podemos usar sus datos, pero siempre es bueno practicar y es posible que nos interese trabajar con usted en el futuro.

P: Me perdí la día de control en el 14 de junio. ¿Todavía puedo participar?

R:¡Por supuesto, sí! Contactarnos en el enlace de arriba.

P: Si tengo problemas para que fldigi trabaje, ¿me pueden ayudar?

R: Sí, Envíenos un correo electrónico a [email protected] y podemos assistir a configurar su radio.

P:¿Puedo usar una programa otra como fldigi para hacer mediciones Doppler?

R: Sí, pero no podemos asistir con programas que no son fldigi.

P: ¿Puedo grabar otra estación estándar de tiempo que no sea BPM?

R: Sí, aunque no podemos prometer que podemos usar sus datos. Puede encontrar una lista de estaciones estándar de tiempo internacionales aquí.

P: ¿Puedes usar mis datos si no puedo grabar para el periodo completo?

R: Más datos es mejor que menos, pero si necesita usar su radio durante el el evento para dos o tres horas, todavía tenemos interesa entre sus datos. Solo asegúrate de salir del modo de análisis de frecuencia antes de utilizando su radio, y sintoniza su radio a 9,999 MHz antes de continuar recolectando más datos y deje una nota cuando lo sube.

P: ¿Vas a aceptar datos de I/Q?

R: Sí.

P: Puedo establecer un estación para recoger datos a largo plazo. ¿Estaría interesado en eso?

R: ¡Por supuesto, Sí! Envíenos un correo electrónico a [email protected] para discutir con más detalle.

P: ¿Voy a recibir una tarjeta QSL?

R: ¡Por Supuesto! El festival del Eclipse va a mandar tarjetas a todas las personas que participan cuando el experimento termina.

[email protected]， 凯斯西储大学业余无线电社团W8EDU

（注：如果中文提问的话也可以发送到这个邮件我们会有专人回复）

我们所想要研究的问题

• 短波标准时电台在一个日历日内的传播路径如何变化？
• 这些高频传播路径的变化可以让我们来测量电离层的哪些性质？
• 日食对这些高频信号的传播路径有什么影响？
• 不同的测量路径变化的方法会带来什么不同的结果？
• 是否能够采集到日全食下的短波传输路径变化？

我们的目标

• 与全球无线电爱好者和科研人员合作，增进国际交流合作
• 测量太空天气对电离层影响所引起的多普勒频移
• 使用一个业余无线电操作员和其他科研人员可同时使用的特定测量协议。

测量时间

• 参照日：2020年6月14日， 0000-2359 UTC
• 科研数据日：
  采集开始：2020年6月20日0000UTC
  采集结束：2020年6月22日2359UTC

注：数据收集时间可以有所变化，但我们需要能够覆盖日食开始到结束的数据集

这次数据采集我们将采用中科院的短波时间电台BPM。BPM电台在上面的地图用蓝点标出。BPM将会在2.5， 5，10兆赫兹上广播。我们此次试验仅采用10兆赫兹数据。如果您想参与，但无法记录10兆赫的信号，请使用任何您可以使用的频率，在提交数据集的时候请注明你所采用的频率。这组数据预计将能够明显的显示观测站当地的日出时电离层的D层的形成，其他日常电离层变化，以及日食对于电离层的影响。太空气象变化多端，有些特征可能很突出。我们希望与您一起通过测量能发现未知的奥秘！

数据采集步骤

1) 数据采集报名

如您有兴趣报名请发送邮件至  [email protected] 并在邮件标题注明“<台号+省份城市>+APAC June 2020 Eclipse Data Station Registration”。如果您愿意，你可以在邮件中用中文/英文介绍一下您的电台，我们很乐意看到不同的无线电电台配置！

2) 准备您的电台，电脑，和fldigi软件

3) 采集数据的一些建议

• 如果您愿意参与协助我们采集数据，我们建议您参加我们6月14日数据基准线采集，并发现和解决一切可能有的问题
• 在这个数据采集过程中，请确保您的无线电不会关机，电脑不会关机，windows更新已被禁止（防止电脑自动重启）
• 在数据采集结束的时候，您应该能够看到3个不同的.csv文件，每个文件代表了一天的数据

3) 上传你的数据！

W8EDU凯斯西储大学无线电社团

Last edit: 30 May 2020

Ionosonde Development Resources

• University of Twente SDR Chirp Ionosonde Page
• Separation of O/X Polarization Modes on Oblique Ionospheric Soundings (Harris et al., 2017)
• Works by Juha Vierinen
  • Google Scholar Page
  • Github Page
  • GNU Chirp Sounder Page
  • Oblique Ionograms Between Sodankyla and Longyearbyen (Including link to Version 1.25 of GNU Chirp Sounder code)
• Works by Tom McDermott N5EG
  • TAPR DCC 2015 Sounder Presentation
  • TAPR DCC 2015 Sounder Paper

Introduction

Contact information:

Kristina Collins: [email protected]

Research Questions

• How do the propagation paths of shortwave time standard stations vary over a calendar day?
• What properties of the ionosphere are we able to measure by observing the variation in these HF propagation paths?
• What effect will the annular eclipse have on these propagation paths?
• How do various measurement techniques for understanding the path variation compare?
• Is there volunteer interest in collecting data in the regions near totality for this eclipse?

Objectives

• Promote international goodwill by working with citizen scientists around the globe
• Measure Doppler shifts caused by space weather's effects on the ionosphere.
• Use a specified measurement protocol available to amateur radio operators and other citizen-scientists.

Times

• Control Day: 14 June 2020, 0000 – 2359 UTC 
• Data recording starts: 20 June 2020, 0000 UTC
• Data recording ends: 22 June 2020,  2359 UTC

The Beacons

The beacon station will be BPM, the time service station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, marked by the blue dot in the map above. BPM broadcasts on 2.5, 5, 10, and 15 MHz.  This experiment will use only the 10 MHz transmissions. If you want to participate and cannot record the 10 MHz signal, use whichever frequency you can and make sure the file is labeled appropriately. The recordings in this experiment are expected to show formations of the D-layer at stations' local sunrise and other daily events of the ionosphere, and the effects of the eclipse.  Space weather varies day to day and some features may be prominent.  We'll see what we get!

Procedures

1) Sign up on the Interest List

Fill out the survey here to sign up.

2) Prepare Your Receiver, Computer, and Software (fldigi)

• Download fldigi, install it, verify that it's working correctly.  Find the "frequency analysis" module in the "op mode" pulldown menu.
• Tune your radio (in AM mode) to BPM on 10 MHz, and determine which you can easily measure.
• Set your receiver's mode to USB (upper sideband). For 10 MHz BPM, tune to 9.999 MHz (9999.000 kHz - see image) and listen for the 1000 Hz tone.
• In fldigi, make sure that the tuned frequency in the upper left-hand corner is the same as your radio's frequency. To change it, click on the top half of a digit to increase it or the bottom half to decrease it.
• Look for the 1000 Hz line on fldigi's waterfall.  Click the cursor there or use the offset frequency box at the bottom of fldigi's screen. You must set the number in the box at the bottom of the screen to exactly 1000. (If fldigi doesn't take this input properly, try starting the recording and then setting to 1000.)
• In fldigi, select the "Op Mode" menu and select "Freq Analysis" mode.
• Look for "writing CSV file" on the lower line of fldigi, toward the left. If you have a clean signal and see only one carrier, you can stop here. 

•  If you see multiple carriers, more detailed Doppler information is needed. Go to File>Audio>RX Capture to record your audio signal. Save your file with the current UNIX timestamp and your callsign or name, e.g. "1592282573 - W8EDU.wav".  Recording continuously for 3 days will result in a 4.5 GB file, so you may want to pause and restart this process occasionally in order to make sure your computer doesn't run out of space and crash. To restart the process, uncheck the box under File>Audio>RX Capture and then check it again. You will be prompted to save a new file - remember to use the current timestamp so that we can keep track! 
   
• Now, leave fldigi alone. 
• At the end of your recording period, close fldigi. The file "analysis.csv" should be in your /fldigi/temp/ directory. Alternatively, they may be under "/fldigi.files/analysis". In MacOS, they are in the hidden directory ~/.fldigi/analysis - to find them, you must unhide the files using CMD + SHIFT + . in Finder. 
• Try all this before the day of the event.

3) Collect the data

• Begin Step 1 above at the beginning of your data collection period. There will be a test day on June 14th, and the main data collection will run from 0000 UTC on June 20 to 2359 UTC on June 22.
• During this time, leave your radio alone and make sure your computer is not shut down by an automatic update.
• At the end of the data collection period, you should have three analysis-*.csv files, one for each day of data recording. Please rename these files by adding your name or callsign: e.g., analysis_200620 - W8EDU.csv. Do not edit the content of the files.

3) Upload Via Google Form

Frequently Asked Questions

Media Mentions

Page Contributors: KD8OXT, AD8Y, KB3UMD, N8OBJ

Last edit: 2 June 2020

TAPR-HamSCI Technical Session (Monday @ 9 PM Eastern)

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WWV Festival of Frequency Measurement

Thank you for submitting a poster or demonstration to HamSci 2020! Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, the conference will be presenting posters and demonstrations digitally over Zoom on Saturday, March 21, 12:30-6:30 pm ET (16:30-22:30 UTC). The session will be moderated, and each presentation will consist of a 5-minute video and 10 minutes for live Q&A. We appreciate your flexibility during this time and look forward to showcasing your work. 

In order to show every poster most effectively, we ask that you help us with the following. Please submit all materials to [email protected] by noon on Wednesday, March 18. Please note that these files are frequently too large to be emailed, so you may need to use a sharing service like DropBox or Google Drive. Please let us know if you have questions or need assistance sharing your files. Please note that all videos will be posted to YouTube, and by the nature of Zoom any participant will be able to record your presentation. All content should be approved for public distribution. Please contact us if you have any questions. 

By March 18:

• Please submit a pdf copy of your poster. Attendees will be downloading a digital copy of your poster, so you are welcome to include links in the file. If possible, please number or otherwise mark your figures and charts for ease of use.
   

• Please create a short video (5 minutes or less) of yourself summarizing your work (example*.) This can be created with a smartphone or laptop camera. Your work will be introduced by a moderator during the session, so you do not need to include title cards in the video. If you have a printed version of your poster you are welcome to use it as a visual, but you can also just film yourself as if you are in a webmeeting, or use a tool like the Windows Game Bar to film your poster. 

  • Please note that due to screen resolution, your viewers will be relying on their pdf of your poster for specifics. When you reference your poster, whether visually or verbally, please use extra-specific cues. For example:

    • ​“The radio I constructed uses a new design. Please look at the top left corner of my poster, at the blue box marked Figure 1."

    • “You can find my reference list at the bottom of the center section of my poster, labeled ‘References’ and overlaying a photo of the sky.”

    • “On the right-hand side of the poster, toward the middle, there are three graphs. Take a look at Graph 3 on the right, the one with the strong peak in the center.”

  • Please speak clearly and at a relaxed pace so that viewers can understand you if their audio quality or internet connection are not as strong.

  • Please note that the video will be posted to YouTube during and after the conference

Thank you again for your flexibility. We look forward to a safe and exciting HamSci Workshop! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. 

* Laura used Windows Game Bar to record her presentation. Instructions:

Main workshop page: http://hamsci.org/hamsci2020

Google Doc With for Questions
HamSCI Glossary

Click here for the full HamSCI 2020 Workshop playlist on YouTube by KC5HWB/Ham Radio 2.0.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Saturday, March 21, 2020