Hosts Needed for Grape Personal Space Weather Stations (PSWS)

[Gary Mikitin]

Greetings, space weather enthusiasts - 

What

Host locations are needed for both the Grape 1 and Grape 2 PSWS.  Grapes are low-cost scientific instruments (HF receivers) designed to monitor standard time and frequency stations such as WWV/H and CHU. ( HamSCI.org/grape ).  Being receive-only instruments, they are perfect for both licensed and unlicensed individuals, club stations, at a home, school or remote site.

When

While there is a major focus on monitoring around the Oct, 2023 and Apr 2024 solar eclipses, reception data has scientific value at all times.  Grapes are useful for monitoring all sorts of space weather phenomena, now and in the future, as Solar Cycle 25 builds towards its anticipated maximum in 2025.  

Who

Volunteers are need to build and/or obtain Grape hardware, erect a simple antenna, connect to the Internet, and simply let the Grape monitor the airwaves and upload its data (~ 1 Gb) daily.  Hosts are asked to complete their installations well before the Oct, 2023 eclipse, and ideally, to leave them on the air for the next 2 to 3 years.

How

hamSCI.org/grape2 has a Grape Interest Survey at the bottom.  Please fill out the survey if you are interested in hosting a Grape 2*. (If you are currently hosting a Grape 1, please consider hosting a Grape 2 as well.  There is value in having both receivers at many sites.)

More Details

Grape hosts can view their own data and graphs of received information (signal strength and Doppler frequency shift).  Viewing software is being written which will allow public access and analysis of all Grape data - stay tuned for more information.

Available now is the build-it-yourself Grape 1 PSWS ( hamSCI.org/grape1 ).

Available later in 2023 will be the Grape 2 PSWS ( hamSCI.org/grape2 ).  Note:  This page has a Grape Interest Survey at the bottom.  Please fill out the survey if you are interested in hosting a Grape 2*

A limited number of Grape 2 stations will be provided by HamSCI, based on geographic dispersion and scientific sampling needs (most locations are in or near the continental US).  Grape 2s will also be available for purchase.

HamSCI is fully committed to both short- and long-term investigations of ionospheric dynamics.  Deployment of Grape PSWS is key to meeting those commitments.  Questions can be addressed to hamsci <at> hamsci.org.

73 de Gary, AF8A

HamSCI  Amateur Radio Community Coordinator

*P.S. The following names and amateur callsigns have expressed interest in the Grape 2 and are already on the survey list:

AB1XB (FL)

AB1XB (MA)

AD0AE

AD0CY

AD0RR

AF8A

Blackwood

K1VX

K4BSE

K4LED

KA4RXP

KB1HFT

KB3CS

KB8OIS

KC2JAV

KC2TXO

KD8ABX

KE0NRE

KE9SA

KF7ZN

KM4YMI

KN4GSM

KN4QXS

KR4K

N0AX

N1HAC

N4TVC

N7FWL

VA6PW

VE3HBH

VE3OOI

W2NAF

W3VN

W4JKL

W7LUX

W9DJG

W9QF

WB8SBI

WB9YIG

WD8CIV