Topband: new 160m propagation prediction software

[Sam Morgan]

the following is an excerpt from the ARLP013 Propagation de K7RA
 From Tad Cook, K7RA
Seattle, WA  March 30, 2012


<quote>

"Q-up Now" has a fascinating new set of real-time propagation tools
at http://www.q-upnow.com/, developed by a team associated with the
Utah State University Space Weather Center
(http://spaceweather.usu.edu/) in Logan, Utah.

They use a real-time model of the ionosphere called GAIM (Global
Assimilation of Ionospheric Measurements) which is updated every 15
minutes with 10,000 global TEC (Total Electron Content) measurements
to simulate the F layers.  Then they use the ABBYNormal Model (see
http://gcmd.nasa.gov/records/abbyNormal.html) to model the D and E
layers, and the two models are combined to give a complete
representation of the global ionosphere.

On the first page you will see NVIS maps for Near Vertical Incidence
Skywave propagation.  These are not quite ready yet, and currently
the maps shown are several days old.

Most interesting is the HF Availability
(http://www.q-upnow.com/hf-availability) area in which you can model
real-time propagation for the frequency of your choice between any
two points and beyond out to the antipodes.  You can use
latitude/longitude coordinates, but I found it easiest to just copy
grid square data from callsign servers such as http://www.qrz.com.

This tool also works on 160 meters, which the propagation prediction
programs that many of us use do not. Of course the major difference
with this tool is that it tells you what the propagation should be
over any path right now, but they are planning on offering a
predictive tool.

</quote>

-- 

GB & 73
K5OAI
Sam Morgan