Rookie Question

[cstockmyer]

I think this is the right forum for this question. Do you notice that you get better stronger signals during the night? Or during the day?

 

[pfish]

Normally I receive (VHF Hi) better on summer nights.

 

[MacombMonitor]

I think day & night has a greater effect on H.F. (shortwave) reception. In the VHF/UHF spectrum, I've noticed weather can have an effect. Also when Winter hits Michigan, the 800MHz band improves due to no leaves on the trees.

 

[DPD1]

Nighttime can also give the appearance of better performance, due to less stuff running... The lack of background noise allows the real signals to come through better.

Dave
http://www.dpdproductions.com
- Custom Scanner, MURS, GMRS, & Ham Antennas -

 

[Andruw]

I get really good reception on a cold night on the 800 MHz band.

 

[jimyleg]

How does temperature effect a signal? Intresting!

 

[Bill2k]

Temperture effects the height(ceiling) of the regions in the ionospere. The ionospere absorbs and/or reflects radio waves.

 

[nexus]

How does temperature effect a signal? Intresting!

Go to the link below and learn about DUCTING.. This is what causes higher frequencies, usually VHF and above to travel great distances. It occurs when cold air collides with hot air. So naturally, during the summer when the earth cools off at night the hot air rises and mixes with the cold air above the earth creating a ducting effect. RF energy "surfs" along traveling hundreds of miles.

Link to Tropospheric DUCTING:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_ducting#Tropospheric_ducting

This link will give you forcasts for Tropo Ducting:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~dxinfo/tropo.html

 

[nexus]

I think day & night has a greater effect on H.F. (shortwave) reception. In the VHF/UHF spectrum, I've noticed weather can have an effect. Also when Winter hits Michigan, the 800MHz band improves due to no leaves on the trees.

regarding HF frequencies: During the day time the lower end of the HF bands (1 to 8 mHz) are useless because the RF energy from those frequencies are absorbed by the earth's atmosphere (D region). The higher portions of the HF band like 14mhz and 21mhz pass through the D and E regions are are are reflected back to earth (called skip) during daylight (due to ionization). At night time the D region loses its IONization (ions in the D region cause RF in the lower bands to be absorbed and are not allowing them to pass through to the F1/F2 regions to be reflected back to earth). But at night the IONIZATION disapates in the D Region allowing the lower bands like 3mhz to REFLECT back to earth.

So that is why HF operates different during the day versus the night.

Simple, at night listen to the lower bands 7mhz, 3mhz etc. and during the day the 10mhz, 14mhz 20mhz are at their highest. It has to do with the D/E/F1/F2 layers and their ionization.

A really REALLY COOL example of HF propagation (using a shockwave example)
http://www.mnsi.net/~tgreen/propprimer.html

 

[jimyleg]

What's a good low band reciever??? I wanna get one post haste!

 

[nexus]

What's a good low band reciever??? I wanna get one post haste!

If you're willing to spend a little bit of money, the ICOM R-75 can't be beat. It's a table-top model however.
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/commrxvr/0175.html

If you're looking for just something to start with you can check out the Grundig G4000A
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/4000.html

Or the Grundig Yacht Boy TP-400PE:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0400.html

For portable this one is a great deal.. The Yaesu VR-500 it does AM/FM/NFM/WFM/SSB/AND
CW modes.. 1000 memories, 10 search bands, and more check the link for more info:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/0500.html

 

[daleduke17]

Nexus, will the YB400 work with both LSB and USB? Also, would I be able to listen to like the Hurricane Hunters or the Military Activities on it?

Thanks for the info.

 

[nexus]

Nexus, will the YB400 work with both LSB and USB? Also, would I be able to listen to like the Hurricane Hunters or the Military Activities on it?

Thanks for the info.

That's why I provided a link... All of that information is there. Here I'll copy and paste the part you're asking about:

"Coverage is complete including long wave (144 - 353 kHz), AM band to 1710 kHz and shortwave from 1711 to 30000 kHz. FM stereo is provided to the headphone jack. A thumb wheel knob on the side of the radio provides smooth single sideband (SSB) tuning. Single Sideband allows for the reception of two-way communications such as amateur radio, military, maritime and international aeronautical traffic."

As far as picking up Hurricane Hunters, I don't think so, most of their operations are through SATELLITE. But if they ever did use their HF radios, then yes you'd be able to pick them up.

 

[daleduke17]

Thanks, Nexus. I just wasn't sure, I'm still rather in the dark of the HF area.

 

[nexus]

Thanks, Nexus. I just wasn't sure, I'm still rather in the dark of the HF area.

no problem. I hear good things about the YP400. In fact Grundig had discontinued it a while back, but it was such a good seller they decided to return it to production, which is the only way one would even be bought today.