The University of Scranton ARC now W3USR

[Dr. Nathaniel A. Frissell Ph.D.]

Hi, everyone!

 

A little bit of a personal note, but I am happy to announce that The University of Scranton Amateur Radio Club is now officially W3USR!

 

See you on the air!

 

73 de Nathaniel W2NAF

 

 

[Ward Silver]

Test drive in the IARU HF Championship on the 11th?  Great opportunity to observe summer-time, world-wide HF propagation.  Only partially tongue-in-cheek since there are few world-wide contests in the Northern Hemisphere summer.

General question for the Real Scientists inhabiting this list - although most of the Sahara dust plume is in the lower troposphere, how much makes into the lower stratosphere and could that be affecting sporadic E propagation?  This summer has simply been extraordinary (even if I'm not on the East Coast and can't work Europe on 6 meters like falling out of bed) and I'm wondering what kind of events could contribute to that?

73, Ward N0AX

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[Tom Talley]

Congratulations.

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[Gregory Popelas]

Hi Nathaniel,

Nice to get a good news story in this ever changing world.

This gives the University a more personal touch in the Amateur Radio World.

Agree with Ward’s comments, no time like the present to get on the air.

73’s

Greg VA3CBN 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 1, 2020, at 9:24 AM, Ward Silver <hwar...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Michael Weilbacher]

That is great news Nathaniel!

73

Mike - KB0FX

On Wed, Jul 1, 2020 at 8:20 AM Dr. Nathaniel A. Frissell Ph.D. <nathaniel...@scranton.edu> wrote:

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[Phil Erickson]

Hi Ward,

  I don't know about the dust plume access to the lower stratosphere - haven't gone to enough AMS meetings and my copy of Holton's The Dynamic Atmosphere is inaccessible at the moment.  I suppose if the dust accessed the mesopause - coldest place in the atmosphere at 140 K - it could provide seeds for large ice crystal nucleation that would cause enhanced VHF scatter (look up Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes / Polar Mesospheric Winter Echoes; lots of studies with both low and high power radars showing 40+ dB enhanced echoes due to Bragg scatter from highly reflective coherent structures at few meter scales).  This sort of dusty ice crystal formation has been measured with sounding rocket flights, and normally is thought to be triggered by meteoric dust input.  

  However, the trouble is that PMSE/PMWE occurs at lower altitudes - 80 to 90 km - and is distinct from sporadic E up at 110 km or so.  Connections between the two are not a settled matter at all.  This Kirkwood and Nilssen (2000) paper extensively reviews information on PMSE/PMWE at high latitudes and sporadic E at mid-latitudes.  In essence, these two have similar seasonal behavior, but are likely driven by different things (tides or high latitude electric fields):

"Observations of high-latitude sporadic-E (Es) layers and theories of their formation are reviewed. The layers are found to be composed of metallic ions, they are at times formed by tidal wind shear, and they are more common in summer than in winter. All of these properties are common to Es layers at mid-latitudes. However, the high-latitude layers are rather often formed, modified or transported by the action of magnetospheric electric fields. Taking into account the action of both tides and electric fields leads to an understanding of the daily variation of Es occurrence, the daily variation of Es heights and the occasional appearance of upward migrating Es layers. Correlations between Es and neutral metallic layers at low altitudes can be explained by neutralisation of the metallic ions in the Es layers, but joint Es and neutral layers at higher altitudes are still unexplained."

Kirkwood, S., Nilsson, H. High-latitude Sporadic-E and other Thin Layers – the Role of Magnetospheric Electric Fields. Space Science Reviews 91, 579–613 (2000). 

https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005241931650

  Gerry might know about stratosphere / mesosphere circulation cells for the original dust question and could comment more.  I'm not going to comment though on the causal chain needed to connect those effects all the way to sporadic E.

73

Phil

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Phil Erickson
phil.e...@gmail.com

[Alan Johnston]

Congrats Nathaniel! Villanova University ARC is also back on the air and operated for FD. Hopefully W3YP can work you soon!

73,

Alan

KU2Y 

On Jul 1, 2020, at 09:57, Michael Weilbacher <mwe...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Gerry Creager - NOAA Affiliate]

I'll do some looking. I've been bogged down trying to spend end of year money. That'll end today whether I'm successful in spending it or not!

Right off the top, I can think of two things. First, ice nucleation (or water droplet nucleation; I subscribe to the former, at least today) generally requires relatively sparse and extremely fine particles. If a significant portion of the Saharan dust were to erupt into the stratosphere rather than increasing nucleation I'd expect it to virtually sweep the region clear of molecular water as the dust is hydrophilic. On the other hand, if a significant eruption of dust into the stratosphere were observed, since it'd be relatively unimpeded by the sparse water, I'd also expect to see an increase in charge density. The dipole moment of different size dust particles is pretty significant and charge differential would see some significant charge potential. 

This is right off the top of my head, and before the coffee has really circulated; I'll go check for real references.

gerry

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Gerry Creager

NSSL/CIMMS

(C) 979.229.5301 <--- NOTE THAT MY OFFICE NUMBER HAS CHANGED

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   Walt Disney

[David Kazdan]

The Case Amateur Radio Club of Case Western Reserve University welcomes you to the tented village of collegiate amateur radio stations.  Let us know when you would like a QSL card for the W3USR display case--W8EDU-in-exile will be pleased to offer a contact to confirm.

          73,

        David

CC: Bob Inderbitzen, ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative

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[Phil Erickson]

Hi Gerry,

  FYI, the PMSE/PMWE mechanisms inherently rely on highly charged nucleated water drops / dusty plasmas, because then they are directly affected by electrodynamics in addition to tides / wind patterns.  So yes, a charge density increase would be definitely expected IF the dust gets there and IF it's the right size, as you already mentioned.  (Comparing the dust size from below to that deposited by micrometeoroids would be illustrative if I had time, which alas I don't at the moment.)

73

Phil

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[Dr. Nathaniel A. Frissell Ph.D.]

Thank you, everyone!

 

We are very excited to have our own call sign, and look forward to working many, especially the other college stations. Case ARC W8EDU has been especially helpful in getting us off the ground, as they have provided a basis for our club constitution. Alan, thank you also, we look forward to working Villanova W3YP. Hopefully others as well, including MIT W1MX, NJIT K2MFF, and Virginia Tech K4KDJ.

 

I am grateful the University of Scranton administration has been so supportive of our efforts. We do have a space with roof access designated to us, currently with receive-only antennas. We already have an IC-7300, and look to be putting up transmit antennas within the next year.

 

73 de Nathaniel W2NAF

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[Gerry Creager - NOAA Affiliate]

Phil

Thanks. I'd not yet looked up PMSE/PMWE, but it's on my list. In my world (this week; nucleation microphysics is a variable target) we don't think there's much free water involved, but that molecular water, upon nucleation, immediately freezes and accretion begins. This shouldn't affect the dusty plasma theory, and should actually enhance the charge state argument (ice crystal charge tends to be more intense than water droplet charge due to size and shape). This doesn't mean regular droplets don't have charge, shape maintenance is an electrostatic phenomenon especially in a 1G field.

gerry

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[Patricia Reiff]

Rice University is W5YG, and I will be offering my "Ham Radio for Teachers" class this fall virtually and in person.  (Monday evenings) 

So if you know of a teacher who would like to take it for credit or just for CEU’s, have them contact me. I do have some tuition waivers.

Here is the website with info:   

http://space.rice.edu/MST/PHYS501/index.html

We will try to be on the "School Roundup" Oct 19-23 (evenings)  http://www.arrl.org/school-club-roundup

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[Dr. Nathaniel A. Frissell Ph.D.]

Hi Bob,

 

Thank you! That would be great!

 

No club logo yet, so here is a University logo! Thanks for the welcome!

 

73 de Nathaniel W2NAF

 

 

From: Inderbitzen, Bob, NQ1R <rinder...@arrl.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 1:36 PM
To: Dr. Nathaniel A. Frissell Ph.D. <nathaniel...@scranton.edu>
Cc: TAPR TangerineSDR Modular Software Defined Radio <tanger...@lists.tapr.org>; Case Amateur Radio Club Officers <w8edu...@case.edu>; Jim Galm <j...@w8wts.com>; Patricia Reiff <eplane...@gmail.com>; ham...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [HamSCI] The University of Scranton ARC now W3USR

 

Nathaniel – Great news! A big welcome to W3USR as the club call at USR! I’d enjoy making a post on behalf of ARRL to the Collegiate Amateur Radio Facebook group with an announcement. Does the club already have a logo you can share? Or, could you share the University logo to accompany the post?

 

Patricia – great info about the “Ham Radio for Teachers" offering at Rice. Let me know if you’d like any help promoting it. I’d be happy to spread the word throughout news, editorial, and education outlets with my ARRL colleagues.

 

All – the next ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative conference call is Tuesday Jul 14 at 8 PM Eastern. These one-hour-long gatherings have included some great presentations and networking among campus radio clubs. Register here:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1807916378484261378

 

73 Bob NQ1R

 

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Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R – liason, Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative

ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio®

225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1400 USA

Tel: (860) 594-0213 FAX: (860) 594-0303
rinder...@arrl.org

www.arrl.org

 

From: Patricia Reiff <eplane...@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 1:05 PM
To: ham...@googlegroups.com
Cc: TAPR TangerineSDR Modular Software Defined Radio <tanger...@lists.tapr.org>; Case Amateur Radio Club Officers <w8edu...@case.edu>; Inderbitzen, Bob, NQ1R <rinder...@arrl.org>; Jim Galm <j...@w8wts.com>
Subject: Re: [HamSCI] The University of Scranton ARC now W3USR

 

Rice University is W5YG, and I will be offering my "Ham Radio for Teachers" class this fall virtually and in person.  (Monday evenings) 

[David Kazdan]

Patricia:

Let us at CWRU know if there is help we might offer.  We have courses using amateur radio and the station in both the electrical engineering and the general education curricula.

            David, AD8Y

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[Patricia Reiff]

Thanks!  Always happy to get additional materials.

And, Bob,  always happy to have anyone share with their networks. 

I have an "e-teacher" list for teacher news, courses,etc:

   http://eepurl.com/dnkNRD

and a "spacalrt" email list to send out notices of our space weather forecasts:

  subscribe here:  https://mailman.rice.edu/mailman/listinfo/spacalrt

I notice the ARRL book is out of print (Kindle only).

Do you all have other recommended texts??

Note, I have a fun TicTacToe game as a practice test, if anyone is interested

[Phillip Wilkerson]

Dr. Frissell,

I'm glad to hear you got the call sign you wanted! Best of luck from K4UAH at the University of Alabama in Huntsville!

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[Pierre Fogal]

It seems unlikely that the Saharan dust will make it into the stratosphere.  Most "dust" there is injected via things like volcanic eruptions, pyro-convective events from large forest fires and some via Brewer-Dobson circulation.  Looks like the dust plume is found in the lower troposphere in the 2 - 5 km altitude range. A lot  of the mineral dust in the stratosphere is meteoric in origin.

If it does make it, the stratosphere is already quite dry and so not much water to uptake.  Most aerosols are sulphuric acid or nitric acid based.

73,

Pierre VE3KTB