Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D. (W2NAF), associate professor physics and engineering at The University of Scranton was recently awarded a grant of $1.8 million by the National Science Foundation to further the efforts of HamSCI, a network of ham radio operators helping to measure weather effects among the earth’s ionosphere.
According to Dr. Frissell, the grant supports the development of a network of 30 standardized receive stations capable of observing high frequency (HF) Doppler shifts, HF amateur radio Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR, pronounced “whisper”) transmissions, very low frequency (VLF) transmissions and natural radio emissions, and the geomagnetic field.
The grant will also fund 10 WSPRSonde transmitters to serve as a source of GPS-stabilized HF beacon signals and will tie into the existing WSPR network.
HamSCI has recently organized the 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipse QSO Parties allowing hams to contribute to scientific studies aimed at understanding how the inonosphere reacts to solar eclipses.
Source: University of Scranton
