What are the modes of HF Radio Propagation?
The basic modes of HF radio propagation include:
- Line Of Sight propagation: Line of sight refers to the propagation of HF radio waves in a straight line without being reflected by the ground or other objects. Such signals can travel for relatively short distances, depending on terrain and atmospheric conditions.
- Ground wave propagation: The radio signal travels over the Earth's surface and is absorbed and reflected by the ground in this mode of propagation. Ground wave propagation is most effective at lower frequencies (below 2 MHz) and can be used for short-range communication, typically up to a few hundred kilometers.
- Sky wave propagation: This is the mode of propagation in which the radio signal is reflected by the ionosphere and returns to Earth. Sky wave propagation is most effective at the higher frequencies of HF the bands (3-30 MHz) and can be used for long-range communication, typically up to several thousand kilometers.
- Ionospheric scatter propagation: In this mode of propagation, the radio signal is scattered by the ionosphere and received by another station within the scatter region. This mode of propagation is best suited for medium-range communication at frequencies ranging from 20 to 50 MHz.
Read more about the HF Propagation modes. See also an index for HF Radio Propagarion.
