[Milsurplus] Propagation exercise

[mikea]

On Tue, Jan 06, 2004 at 03:37:18PM -0600, Bob Wilder wrote:
> Does anyone remember the program that transmitted a RF signal straight up to measure
> the "E" and "F" layers.  There was a station at Pepperrell AFB, NFLD in the early 1950's
> that transmitted a sweeping signal between about 3 to 15 Mcs into a half rhombic. Used to
> raise havic with 75 and 20 meters.  The transmitter was down in the White Hills area
> near the supply storage area. The program was called something like "Spherics".  I was
> thinking back to my days at Pepperrell in the early 1950's.

You're thinking of "sferics", the signals generated by weather. The 
AF may well have used that as a cover name, or may have been studying
sferics as part of the program. 

The USGovt still does the propagation studies, and there are some rather 
interesting premium-grade receivers used. The archives of the "Premium-RX"
mailing list will have some stuff about them. 

-- 
Mike Andrews
mikea@mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin