[NLRS] Radar Maps and snow scatter

[W0ZQ at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/6/2008 9:37:20 P.M.  Central Standard Time, 
acepilot at bloomer.net writes:
Since snow season is upon  us...there will undoubtedly be opportunities 
for some 10 GHz snow  scatter.  I use Intellicast to view doppler radar 
maps.  How does  one know if the snow storms will be good to use?  I 
haven't seen "tops"  listed on the "radar summary" page for snow.  Does 
one simply look for  the heavier snow (dark blue)?  If we get some snow 
showers before I get  the amp built, would it be worthwhile to try snow 
scatter with 10 mW or  would that just be wasting time that I could be 
using to build the  amp?


Hi Scott.  Snow scatter works on 10 GHz too, but the  signals are not as 
strong as rain scatter and the cloud tops where the snow  falls from are not as 
high as summertime convection activity, both conditions  that lead to shorter DX 
paths (compared to RS).  And, not to mention, its  cold and the majority of 
10gigers operate portable, hence out in that  cold.  Some 2m IF rigs don't like 
to operate at outside winter temps ....  for example I think the popular 
FT817 goes belly-up (a technical term) at  something like 35 F or so.  In any 
case, the software program RainScatter  still works with snow.  If RainScatter 
shows a path with snow, good chance  that there is one.  I would speculate that 
you should be able to make short  haul snow scatter shots with 10 mW and a 19" 
dish, maybe out to 100 km or so  (??), but adding power will be a BIG BIG help.

73, Jon
W0ZQ  

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