Research help - Ionospheric Radio Changes During Solar Eclipse Using a Personal Space Weather Station

[KC Realty LLC]

Hello ,

My daughter came up with this research topic. Needed some guidance and help.

How is the research topics and things she should consider to add or delete ?
Anyone who is a subject matter expert can you please talk to her ?

Please let me know .

Thanks,
Mansi Kothari

[David Eckhardt]

While I'm no "expert", I do have my own homebrew direct conversion (DC) receiver and a Leo Bodnar GPSDO as the LO (for frequency stability) and monitor ionospheric scatter using the WWV transmitters.  As a minimum, one could use a stable superhetrodyne receiver to monitor the strength of the scattered signal and first confirm the operational status of the system by easily detecting day/night changes in the ionospherically scattered signal.  Even further, if one has an extremely stable receiver - the reason I use the Bodnar GPSDO as the LO  for the DC receiver -  she could also examine Doppler space during day/night and changes during abnormal or eclipse conditions.  I do this 24/7/365 usually on 15 MHz WWV.  It's relatively easy to detect day/night changes but Doppler is a bit more challenging, but doable with extreme receiver stability.  For the latter, I use Spectrum Lab on a laptop fed from the DC receiver setup.  The reason for choosing 15 MHz WWV is that 15 MHz goes through very distinct day/night changes.  Even though I'm only some 25-miles south of Wellington, Colorado, a Dopplergram displaying only 5 Hz span (± 2.5 kHz of center) most days, the Doppler is quite evident.  At the present period of the solar cycle, 15 MHz typically goes through good propagation during daytime hours and only ground wave during nighttime hours.  However, I do occasionally detect nighttime scattering centers, especially during disturbed conditions.  Any detected blackout due to solar activity is also easily correlated  with SWPC data for solar events.  The following URL presents this data along with site-linked tutorials:

       https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

At present, I'm sitting on 14.670 MHz CHU and displaying on the laptop using Spectrum Lab in Doppler space.  I find initialization of ionization of the ionosphere especially interesting roughly an hour (±) before local sunrise as the ionosphere warms.  The Dopplergram goes through some interesting but consistent variations and contortions.  

Sorry for the somewhat rambling response to your request, but the research goals are excellent and will teach her a whole bunch about solar/ionospheric interactions.

I'd be glad and pleased to guide her through setup and observations.  Please, others also contribute.

Dave - WØLEV   

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Dave - WØLEV

[KC Realty LLC]

Hey Dave ,

I will show her your message. If you are ok can she contact you ? Please  let me know.

I think she would like to connect and learn more from you as she is just starting her ham radio journey.

Thanks,

Mansi 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/hamsci/CAODdWWG4qjp8bXU935v9gDN6wwgZ1a7BpAwAaAux5M22QmTG-g%40mail.gmail.com.