@proceedings {758, title = {Low-Cost Low-Power Ionosonde}, year = {2023}, month = {03/2023}, publisher = {HamSCI}, address = {Scranton, PA}, abstract = {

Ionosondes are a type of radar used to gather data about the height of the ionosphere. Typically, these systems can easily cost thousands of dollars and demand a lot of power. Using newer software defined radio technology, our goal is to develop a low cost, low power ionosonde.

}, author = {Gerard N. Piccini and Robert W. McGwier and Robert A. Spalletta and Majid Mokhtari and Nathaniel A. Frissell and Philip J. Erickson} } @conference {361, title = {Large Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Observed using HamSCI Amateur Radio, SuperDARN, and GNSS TEC}, booktitle = {American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting}, year = {2019}, month = {12/2019}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, organization = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {San Francisco, CA}, abstract = {

Large Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (LSTIDs) are quasi-periodic variations in F region electron density with horizontal wavelengths \> 1000 km and periods between 30 to 180 min. On 3 November 2017, LSTID signatures were detected in observations made by Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) and the Weak Signal Propagation Reporting Network (WSPRNet) for the first time. The RBN and WSPRNet are two large-scale High Frequency (HF, 3-30 MHz) amateur (ham) radio observing networks that provide data to the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI). The LSTIDs were observed on the 7 and 14 MHz amateur radio bands, and are detected by observing changes in average propagation path length with time. LSTID period lengthened from T ~ 1.5 hr at 12 UT to T ~ 2.25 hr by 21 UT. Simultaneous LSTID signatures were present in ham radio observations over the continental United States, the Atlantic Ocean, and Europe. LSTIDs observed with amateur radio were consistent with LSTIDs observed by the Blackstone SuperDARN HF radar and in differential GNSS Total Electron Content (TEC) measurements. GNSS TEC maps were used to estimate LSTID parameters: horizontal wavelength 1100 km, phase velocity 950 km/hr, period 70 min, and propagation azimuth 135{\textdegree}. The LSTID signatures were observed throughout the day following ~800 nT surges in the Auroral Electrojet (AE) index at 00 and 12 UT. We will discuss potential generation hypotheses for the observed LSTIDs, including atmospheric gravity wave (AGW) sources triggered by auroral electrojet intensifications and associated Joule heating.

}, url = {https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/581488}, author = {Nathaniel A. Frissell and Diego F. Sanchez and Evan Markowitz and Gareth W. Perry and William D. Engelke and Anthea Coster and Philip J. Erickson and J. Michael Ruohoniemi and Joseph B. H. Baker} } @conference {360, title = {A Low-Cost Citizen Science HF Doppler Receiver for Measuring Ionospheric Variability}, booktitle = {American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting}, year = {2019}, month = {12/2019}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, organization = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {San Francisco, CA}, abstract = {

Advancement in understanding short term and small spatial scale ionospheric variability requires global high time and spatial resolution measurements. Professional ionospheric sounding networks are extensive and capable, yet more measurements are still needed due to the strongly magnetized nature and large extent of the ionosphere. High Frequency (HF, 3-30 MHz) radio signals are refracted by the ionosphere, and therefore are modulated by processes such as traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) and geomagnetic storms. By measuring the amplitude and Doppler shift of trans-ionospheric HF signals, it is possible to detect signatures of ionospheric absorption and changes in propagation path length. We present a design for a low-cost citizen science HF multi-band receiver that measures the amplitude and Doppler shift of reference signals of opportunity from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology station WWV and the Canadian Institute for National Measurement Standards station CHU. The receiver will make 1 s cadence measurements on nine HF beacon frequencies and subsequently upload the results to a central server for scientific analysis. The local user will be able to review data daily, both locally and in aggregate on a web server, and participate in discussion of the ionospheric measurements. This receiver forms one component of the low-cost version of the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS), and is designed with the intention of distribution to hundreds to thousands of citizen science observers. Preliminary results from the prototype receiver will be presented.

}, url = {https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/602677}, author = {Kristina Collins and David Kazdan and John Gibbons and Aidan Montare and Skylar Dannhoff and Philip J. Erickson and Nathaniel A. Frissell} }