@proceedings {1022, title = {A Low-Cost Low-Power Chirp Ionosonde for Studying the Ionospheric Impacts of Space Weather}, year = {2026}, month = {03/2026}, publisher = {HamSCI}, address = {Newington, CT}, abstract = {The ionosphere is a region of the atmosphere characterized by both ions and electrons. It is highly active and experiences changes in parameters such as electron density at different altitudes, based on the energy absorbed from the sun. Ionosondes are a type of radar used to gather data about the height of the ionosphere by transmitting a signal towards the ionosphere. This signal is refracted back to the Earth{\textquoteright}s surface and received in such a manner that return echoes can be timed to calculate the height profile of the bottomside ionosphere. Traditional ionosondes require large antenna systems and high amounts of power. Recent advancements in software defined radio (SDR) technology, advanced digital signal processing, and computational efficiency enable the size, cost, and power demands of an ionosonde system to be reduced. An Ettus N200 Universal Radio Peripheral was used in our system to verify the reliability of our methods, and during the 2024 total solar eclipse, the system was successfully used to sound the ionosphere. It recorded virtual layer height data comparable to multimillion-dollar ionosonde systems. Since then, we have updated the system to use the newer Red Pitaya SDRlab 122-16. This more affordable board is able to sound the ionosphere, using the same methods as the Ettus based system. Additionally, the system is now in a smaller and more portable form. Currently, we are improving its ability to collect data automatically and be controlled remotely. Furthermore, we are continuing to improve our sounding methods to obtain more data using the same hardware.}, author = {Gerard Piccini and Andrew Rodland and Robert McGwier and Robert Spalletta and Nathaniel Frissell and Majid Mokhtari and Philip Erickson} } @proceedings {932, title = {Analysis of the HamSCI Solar Eclipse High Frequency Time Difference of Arrival Experiment Observations Using Automated Techniques}, year = {2025}, month = {03/2025}, publisher = {HamSCI}, address = {Newark, NJ}, abstract = {

The objective of our research is to use narrowband linear audio pulses, which are sensitive to time displacement, and transmit them through High Frequency (HF) commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) single-sideband (SSB) amateur radios to measure changes in ionospheric reflection heights, specifically during a solar eclipse. This will be accomplished and automated using programming techniques learned in the Digital Signal Processing course at the University of Scranton, where the primary objective is to use TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival), a technique that measures the time displacement of single/multiple paths as they reach a receiving station. These TDOA values will be manipulated using a virtual height model that will yield different values of ionospheric layer heights based on the locations of the receiving and transmitting stations. During the October 2023 and April 2024 solar eclipses, WA5FRF transmitted a series of linear audio pulses (chirps) every 10{\textendash}15 minutes to various receiving stations on the 5, 7, and 14 MHz amateur radio bands. Received signals were squared and filtered to detect the waveform envelope. Correlation with a matched signal was then used to identify the start time of each chirp, after which a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was used to identify the beat-note frequency generated by multipath propagation. The October 2023 eclipse automated analysis shows that the F region reflection point was raised from 262.5 km at 17:00 UTC to 300 km at eclipse maximum at 17:30 UTC. The April 2024 eclipse analysis shows no real maximum reflection point; however, it does indicate an increase in layer height following maximum obscuration at 18:30 UTC. Both analyses are in good agreement with the hmf2 observations of the Austin Ionosonde. The intended purpose was to monitor multipath interference for 1{\textendash}2 hops off of the F2 layer; however, recent developments in this automated process yield additional data for other modes.

}, author = {Alexandros Papadopoulos and Gerard Piccini and Nathaniel Frissell and Steve Cerwin and Jesse McMahan and Paul Bilberry and Blackshear Samuel and Aidan Montaigne and Kristina Collins and Robert Spalletta} } @proceedings {961, title = {A Low-Cost Low-Power Chirp Ionosonde for Studying Eclipse Ionospheric Impacts}, year = {2025}, month = {03/2025}, publisher = {HamSCI}, address = {Newark, NJ}, abstract = {

The ionosphere is a region of the atmosphere characterized by both ions and electrons. It is highly active and experiences changes in parameters such as electron density at different altitudes, based on the energy absorbed from the sun. Ionosondes are a type of radar used to gather data about the height of the ionosphere by transmitting a signal towards the ionosphere.\  This signal is refracted back to the Earth{\textquoteright}s surface and received in such a manner that return echoes can be timed to calculate the height profile of the bottomside ionosphere. Traditional ionosondes require large antenna systems and high amounts of power. Recent advancements in software defined radio (SDR) technology, advanced digital signal processing (DSP), and computational efficiency enable the size, cost, and power demands of an ionosonde system to be reduced. Two systems are currently used in this project: the Ettus N200 Universal Radio Peripheral (USRP) and the newer Red Pitaya SDRlab 122-16. Using amateur radio fan dipoles and GNU Radio code, the Ettus system was used successfully to sound the ionosphere during the 2024 total solar eclipse. It recorded virtual layer height data comparable to multimillion-dollar ionosonde systems. We are now working to assemble the Red Pitaya system into a smaller form that can be assembled inexpensively and operated with ease. In the following weeks we will improve our sounding methods to be able to obtain more data.

}, author = {Gerard Piccini and Robert McGwier and Robert Spaletta and Nathaniel Frissell and Majid Mokhtari and Philip Erickson} } @proceedings {857, title = {A Low-Cost Low-Power Chirp Ionosonde for Studying Eclipse Ionospheric Impacts}, year = {2024}, month = {03/2024}, publisher = {HamSCI}, address = {Cleveland, OH}, abstract = {

The ionosphere is a region of the atmosphere characterized by both ions and electrons. It is highly active and experiences changes in parameters such as electron density at different altitudes, based on the energy absorbed from the sun.\  Ionosondes are a type of radar used to gather data about the height of the ionosphere by transmitting a signal towards the ionosphere.\  This signal is refracted back to the Earth{\textquoteright}s surface and received in such a manner that return echoes can be timed to calculate the height profile of the bottomside ionosphere. Traditional ionosondes require large antenna systems and high amounts of power. Recent advancements in software defined radio (SDR) technology, advanced digital signal processing (DSP), and computational efficiency enable the size, cost, and power demands of an ionosonde system to be reduced. In this poster, we present our recent efforts to implement a low-cost, low power ionosonde. Two systems are currently used in this project: the Ettus N200 Universal Radio Peripheral (USRP) and the newer Red Pitaya SDRlab 122-16. The Red Pitaya system is still being developed while the Ettus enables us to test the rest of the hardware and collect data during the 2024 eclipse. Using amateur radio fan dipoles and GNU Radio code, the system will sound the ionosphere during the upcoming eclipse. Over the following weeks the system will be improved in preparation for the upcoming eclipse.

}, author = {Gerard Piccini and Robert McGwier and Robert A. Spalletta and Nathaniel A. Frissell} } @proceedings {757, title = {PyLap: An Open Source Python Interface to the PHaRLAP Ionospheric Raytracing Toolkit}, year = {2023}, month = {03/2023}, publisher = {HamSCI}, address = {Scranton, PA}, abstract = {

PyLap is a Python interface to the ionospheric ray tracing toolkit PHaRLAP. The software allows users to generate accurate models of the ionosphere and ray tracing to make plots of radio propagation through the ionosphere. Not only does this software look, feel, and operate very similarly to how the MATLAB interface is currently used, it is also completely free alternative to the current MATLAB interface.

}, author = {Devin Diehl and Gerard Piccini and Alexander Calderon and Joshua Vega and William Liles and Nathaniel A. Frissell} }