2024 GSSC Contest Results Announced

HamSCI is pleased to announce the results from the second running of the Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge (GSSC). Held during the April 8, 2024 North American total solar eclipse, the competition was designed to recognize operators of digital mode stations who contribute valuable data to ionospheric research. Receiving stations upload their records to sites such as PSKreporter.info, WSPRnet.org and reversebeacon.net. Transmitting stations are received by stations worldwide who upload to those same databases, creating records of the transmitting stations’ activity.... Link to full results (All participant scores, sampling of entrants' comments, station design details and photographs.)

Congratulations to all who entered. HamSCI appreciates your contribution to space physics and citizen science via on-air amateur radio competition. 

If you have any questions on the results, please email hamsci@hamsci.org .

Top 3 WSPR/FST4W Receive-Only Stations for 2024.  Link to Full Results

Final Scores are calculated from Rx reports and bonus multipliers...see the GSSC rules for full details.

Top 3 WSPR/FST4W/ Transmit-Only Stations for 2024.  Link to Full Results

Final Scores are calculated from Tx reports and bonus multipliers...see the GSSC rules for full details.

Top 3 Stations who both Received and Transmitted in 2024.  Link to Full Results

Final Scores are calculated from Rx+Tx reports and bonus multipliers...see the GSSC rules for full details.

Link to all FoEIS results

2023 GSSC Contest Results Announced

Results for the Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge 2023

HamSCI is pleased to announce the results from the inaugural running of the Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge (GSSC). Held during the October, 14, 2023 North American annular solar eclipse, the competition was designed to recognize operators of digital mode stations who contribute valuable data to ionospheric research. Receiving stations upload their records to sites such as PSKreporter.info, WSPRnet.org and reversebeacon.net. Transmitting stations are received by stations worldwide who upload to those same databases, creating records of the transmitting stations’ activity.... Link to full results (All particpant scores, sampling of station design details and station photographs.)

Congratulations to all who entered. HamSCI appreciates your contribution to space physics and citizen science via on-air amateur radio competition. 

If you have any questions on the results, please email hamsci@hamsci.org .

The Top 3 WSPR/FST4W/CW Receiving Stations for 2023 are shown below.  Link to Full Results

The Top 3 WSPR/FST4W/ Transmitting Stations for 2023 are shown below.  Link to Full Results

The Top 3 FT4 Transmitting and Receiving Stations for 2023 are shown below.  Link to Full Results

Link to all FoEIS results

HamSCI at CEDAR 2024 Workshop

HamSCI at the National Science Foundation's CEDAR Workshop: A Thriving Collaboration in Ionospheric Science

A Strong HamSCI Presence

Jesse Alexander's Plenary DEI Talk

Phil Karn KA9Q

Engagement and Networking

Looking Forward

April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse QSO Party First Results

The April 8, 2024 HamSCI Total Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP) first results are in! Over 52.7 million radio communications were observed over the continental United States using the PSKReporter, WSPRNet, and Reverse Beacon Network networks. Eclipse effects were observed between 18 to 21 UTC, particularly on the 1.8, 3.5, and 7 MHz bands. These bands all showed enhancement in propagation resulting from the eclipse, suggestive of a reduction in D region absorption. The 14, 21, and 28 MHz bands also showed hints of eclipse impacts. A reduction in communications observed at near-ranges during the eclipse likely results from a reduction in ionospheric electron densities during this time. More analysis to be done in the future!

Special thanks to all the team members and volunteers who made this possible! This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and NASA.

HamSCI Workshop Wins 'Best Event' Award

HamSCI's 2024 Workshop was awarded 'Best Event of the 2023-2024 Academic Year' by Case Western Reserve University's Media Board.  The Case Amateur Radio Club (CARC), W8EDU, hosted this year's HamSCI Workshop.

"The University Media Board fosters responsible forums of student expression through a variety of media covering writing, photography, cinematography, film, and radio. Groups that fall under the University Media Board include The Athenian, Case Reserve Review, Discussions, Film Society, CWRU Footlighters, LUX, The Observer, Studio 300, SPARC[conversations], WRUW-91.1FM, and Young Writers of Cleveland."  The CARC is also represented on the University Media Board.

Congratulations to all involved, and especially to the 2024 Workshop Committees:

Local Organizing Committee

• Mr. Nathaniel Vishner, KB1QHX, Chair
• Mr. Matthew Canel, KE8NZR
• Dr. Kristina Collins, KD8OXT
• Mr. John Gibbons, N8OBJ
• Dr. David Kazdan, AD8Y
• Mr. Gary Mikitin, AF8A

Science/Program Committee

• Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, Chair, The University of Scranton (Assistant Professor)
• Dr. Kristina Collins, KD8OXT, Space Science Institute
• Mr. Jesse Alexander WB2IFS, NRAO
• Ms. Rachel Boedicker AC8XY, Case Western Reserve University
• Dr. Gareth Perry, KD2SAK, New Jersey Institute of Technology
• Mr. Bill Liles, NQ6Z, HamSCI Community (Diversity Recruitment Chair)
• Dr. Phil Erickson, W1PJE, MIT Haystack Observatory (Director of MIT Haystack Observatory)
• Mr. Gary Mikitin, AF8A

Save The Dates: HamSCI at Hamvention

HamSCI will be playing a major role at the 2024 Dayton Hamvention. It will be held in Xenia, Ohio May 17-18-19, 2024 at the Greene County Fairgrounds. Hamvention is the world's largest ham radio gathering, recently scoring over 30,000 attendees per year. The Hamvention, sponsored by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA), is an extremely important event for engaging with the amateur radio community, sharing ideas, developing collaborations, and sharing scientific results.

The Hamvention 2024 theme is Expanding Our Community, an excellent fit for HamSCI's goals. HamSCI will be hosting Booth 5008 in the Hertz Building, giving presentations in the ARISS/YOTA area and hosting the HamSCI Forum. Support for the 2024 HamSCI Hamvention activities comes from The University of Scranton, the Yasme Foundation, TAPR, the National Science Foundation, NASA, and volunteers like you. ​

Details and a presentation schedule are available here.

As always, we welcome HamSCI booth volunteers.  As a volunteer, we ask that you be present in the HamSCI booth during your scheduled time slot, welcoming visitors, talking with them about HamSCI in general, HamSCI projects and your specific research interests. Feel free to bring demonstration items and materials and to talk about what you know best. The goal of HamSCI is to connect ham radio with scientific research. So, any topic that supports this goal is a good topic to talk about. The booth uniforms, are, by tradition, HamSCI labcoats.  The 2024 HamSCI Booth Volunteer Page is viewable now.

HamSCI at 2024 Hamvention

HamSCI will be playing a major role at the 2024 Dayton Hamvention.  It will be held in Xenia, Ohio May 17-18-19, 2024 at the Greene County Fairgrounds.  It is the world's largest ham radio gathering, having over 30,000 attendees in 2023. The Hamvention, sponsored by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA), is an extremely important event for engaging with the amateur radio community, sharing ideas, developing collaborations, and sharing scientific results. The Hamvention 2024 theme is Expanding Our Community, an excellent fit for HamSCI's goals.  HamSCI will be hosting Booth 5008 in the Hertz Building, giving presentations in the ARISS/YOTA area and hosting the HamSCI Forum..  Support for the 2024 HamSCI Hamvention activities comes from The University of Scranton, the Yasme Foundation, TAPR, the National Science Foundation, NASA, and volunteers like you. 

HamSCI will be in Booth 5008, next to TAPR, in Building 5, the Hertz Building (map below).  Stop by to learn about HamSCI's mission, our space weather projects and how you can play a role in our citizen science activities.  HamSCI members will be hard to miss - just look for our white lab coats!

HamSCI Presentations  

Members of HamSCI will be speaking and taking questions at various forums throughout Hamvention Weekend.  Consult the links below, your Hamvention program or  Hamvention phone app for details on how and where to attend.

Date & Time	Sponsor/Venue	Title	Presenter(s)	Organization	Home QTH(s)
Friday, May 17th 2:00 PM	Hamvention Antenna Forum	First Results of the HamSCI 2023-2024 Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science	Nathaniel Frissell W2NAF		Scranton, PA

HamSCI Forum  

Date & Time	Sponsor/Venue	Title	Presenter(s)	Organization	Home QTH(s)
Friday, May 17th 3:55 PM	Forum Room 2	HamSCI: Bringing the Amateur Radio and Professional Scientific Communities Together	Nathaniel A. Frissell, W2NAF		Scranton, PA
Friday, May 17th 4:00 PM	Forum Room 2	Results from the 2023/2024 Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science and Solar Eclipse QSO Parties	Gary Mikitin AF8A		Cleveland, OH
Friday, May 17th 4:15 PM	Forum Room 2	Solar Eclipse Observations Using the HamSCI Grape Personal Space Weather  Network	Rachel Boedicker AC8XY	CWRU	Cleveland, OH
Friday, May 17th 4:30 PM	Forum Room 2	WSPRDaemon, KA9Q Radio, and the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station	Rob Robinett AI6VN		Half Moon Bay, CA
Friday, May 17th 4:45 PM	Forum Room 2	The NRAO Exploring the EMS/Ham Radio Project: Progress and the Way Ahead	Jesse Alexander WB2IFS	NRAO	Clinton, MD

Booth Talks:  ARISS, HamSCI and YOTA

Booth talks, social hours and demonstrations will be given by ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station), HamSCI and YOTA (Youth on the Air).  They will take place at Booth 4303 in the Building 4, the Volta Building (map below). 

Date & Time	Sponsor	Title	Presenter(s)	Organization	Home QTH(s)
Friday, May 17th 10:00 AM	ARISS*	Ham TV from ISS	Randy Berger WA0D	ARISS-USA	Ft. Worth, TX
Friday, May 17th 11:00 AM		MUF Observations Using Personal Space Weather Stations	Gary Mikitin AF8A		Cleveland, OH
Friday, May 17th 12:00 PM	YOTA*	Youth Social Hour	YOTA  team	YOTA	Americas
Friday, May 17th 1:00 PM		Observations of Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances with SuperDARN Radars	JP Fox KE2ANL	University of Scranton	Scranton, PA
Friday, May 17th 2:00 PM	ARISS	ARISS 2.0 Education: STEREO/SPARKI and STAR	Tanya Anderson KD9BQZ	ARISS-USA	Lisle, IL
Friday, May 17th 3:00 PM		Ionospheric Science Using AM Broadcast Signals	David McGaw N1HAC	Dartmouth College	Hanover, NH
Saturday, May 18th 10:00 AM	ARISS	How to Develop a Winning ARISS Contact Proposal	Tanya Anderson KD9BQZ	ARISS-USA	Lisle, IL
Saturday, May 18th 11:00 AM		In-Depth:  WSPRDaemon, KA9Q Radio, and the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station	Rob Robinette AI6VN, Paul Elliott WB6CXC	HamSCI	Half Moon Bay, Occidental CA
Saturday, May 18th 12:00 PM	YOTA	Youth Social Hour	YOTA  team	YOTA	Americas
Saturday, May 18th 1:00 PM		KA9Q Radio: Software Defined Radio System	Phil Karn KA9Q	ARDC	San Diego, CA
Saturday, May 18th 2:00 PM	ARISS	Amateur Radio Demo of Lunar Operations	Randy Berger WA0D	ARISS-USA	Ft. Worth, TX

*YOTA = Youth On The Air (youthontheair.org), ARISS = Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ariss.org)

Booth Location

HamSCI will be at Booth 5008, next to TAPR, in the Building 5, the Hertz Building.

HamSCI Booth Photo 2023

SEQP, GSSC and TDOA Logs Are Rolling In

Have you submitted your log? 

HamSCI's Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science events are experiencing a tremendous response from the ham radio community. Only 4 days past the total solar eclipse over North America:

• We’ve already received well over 350 logs for our signature event, the Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP). That number is 50% ahead of last October's event, and the log submission window is open until May 7th.
• Participation in the Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge (GSSC), where our radio wave propagation enthusiast entries number 110 so far, is running about 25% ahead of last October.
• The third operating event, the Time Delay of Arrival Event, drew interest from over 50 HamSCI members and non-members alike. Files of received audio transmissions are still being collected.

Our reach has been far and wide, with participants not only across the US, but in Canada, the UK, Reunion Island (Africa), India and more.

If you participated in any of the above, please submit a log (SEQP) complete an entry form (GSSC), or provide your recordings (TDOA). Your results can be submitted as follows (details on these pages):

SEQP

GSSC

TDOA (Look for links to the Pre-Event Checklist - Contact information on the last page)

Reports are expected soon from the organizers of the other FoEIS Events:  VLF Reception, MW Recordings Event, Grape 1 and Grape 2 Doppler Receiver Experiments, and the CWRU/CHU Reception Experiment. 

HamSCI Receives Multiple Mentions in NCJ

The March/April, 2024 issue of the National Contest Journal (NCJ) spotlights HamSCI members and activities across three different articles.

Case Radio Club Solicits Help with Eclipse Research

The Case Amateur Radio Club, W8EDU, is asking for hams and SWLs to participate in a research project being run during the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse.

W8EDU club member Adam Goodman, W7OKE, said the project centers around studying the effects of the eclipse on propagation to better understand the recombination time of the ionosphere.  

"To do this, we are recruiting North American amateur stations interested in recording the Canadian time standard station CHU (Canada's WWV) for two weeks surrounding the eclipse," added Goodman. "Anyone with a KiwiSDR or a rig that can interface with analysis/recording software such as Fldigi is encouraged to reach out to us to participate."  

W8EDU club member and project software manager Maris Usis, KE8TXG, said that while the software is simple to use, there is some detailed work involved. "We can help make it easier and there are good online instructions as well," said Usis.  

All of the participation details are on the club's website.

W8EDU club faculty advisor David Kazdan, AD8Y, said the research project has received positive attention from the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Program, the HamSCI community and Case Western Reserve University's engineering deans. "It is already a truly international effort, and we are collaborating with more than 20 stations across the continent, from collegiate and high school stations, to a representative from the Radio Amateurs of Canada, to a station in Mexico," said Kazdan.  

2024 Workshop Program and Registration Links Announced

The agenda for the March 22-23, 2024 HamSCI workshop at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio has been published and can be viewed here! The workshop will focus on the theme of Alignments - between the Sun, Moon and Earth; between collegiate amateur radio recreation and STEM curriculum; between data collection and analysis; between professional and citizen science.

The HamSCI Workshop is a hybrid workshop with both in-person and virtual components.  The registration link for virtual attendance (via Zoom)  is available on the 2024 Workshop home page.  A link to in-person registration is available on the same page, though in-person attendance slots are nearly filled, and may be closed.

Full details can be found on the 2024 Workshop home page

HamSCI Workshop 2024 Abstract Submission Open

We are looking for presenters for the March 22-23, 2024 HamSCI workshop at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio! The workshop will focus on the theme of Alignments - between the Sun, Moon and Earth; between collegiate amateur radio recreation and STEM curriculum; between data collection and analysis; between professional and citizen science. We are preparing for the solar eclipse of 8 April 2024, for which Cleveland will be in totality. If you would like to present, please visit https://hamsci.org/hamsci2024 to submit an abstract. Abstracts are due by February 10, 2024. Presenters will be notified by March 1, 2024.

HamSCI at HamCation (Orlando, FL) in February

HamSCI will have a booth at the Orlando HamCation, February 9, 10 and 11, 2024

Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park in Orlando, Florida, Booth 189, in the North Hall.

If you are at the event, be sure and stop by to say hello.  Even better, spend as much time as you'd like in the booth, talking about HamSCI with the HamCation attendees.

Visitors will see HamSCI banners and posters promoting our projects.  We'll be handing out flyers and SEQP (Solar Eclipse QSO Party) cards as souvenirs (sure to be in much demand - after all, the next major eclipse in North America won't be until 2044!).  Top of mind will be the Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science - the events and activities occurring around the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse in North America.

We hope to meet quite a few hams, SWLs and those interested in radio technology.  Attendance is usually in the 20,000 range, making it the second biggest ham radio gathering in the world.

More details, including a scheduling tool for those who want to 'work the booth', are available on the HamSCI website

Results Announced: 2023 Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge

HamSCI is pleased to announce the results from the inaugural running of the Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge (GSSC). Held during the October, 14, 2023 North American annular solar eclipse, the competition was designed to recognize operators of digital mode stations who contribute valuable data to ionospheric research.  The HamSCI GSSC Score Adjudicator found over 713,500 'spots' attributable to the 68 entrants in the three databases named below - that's a lot of spots!

Receiving stations uploaded their records to sites such as PSKreporter.info, WSPRnet.org and reversebeacon.net. Transmitting stations were received by stations worldwide who uploaded to those same databases, creating records of the transmitting stations’ activity.

Full results for the 2023 running of the GSSC can be found here.  

Consider entering the upcoming event on April 8, 2024!  FAQs and Rules are available here.

HamSCI Member Captures Scholarship...and a New Radio

HamSCI member McKenzie Denton, KO4GLN, has reason to be proud of not one but two ham radio related accomplishments in 2023: A scholarship to Old Dominion University and a winning essay which earned her a new Icom radio.

The scholarship was awarded by the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program, which administers over 100 scholarships, funded by an array of donors. McKenzie's 2023 scholarship* was made possible by a grant from YASME, a worldwide foundation which supports people and projects that help amateur radio flourish.

Her new Icom ID5100AD Dual Band VHF/UHF radio was earned by having her essay "What Attracted me to Amateur Radio" chosen second out of thirty entries in a competition sponsored by the Intrepid DX Group. The IDXG is an international group of radio amateurs, devoted to many topics, among them conducting scientific research exploring electromagnetic wave propagation. Her essay, a worthwhile read, is available here. It tells McKenzie's story of turning a negative (the near shutdown of the secondary education system during the pandemic) into a positive (her earning an amateur radio license and subsequently participating in a wide array of ham activities and organizations, including HamSCI).

Congratulations, McKenzie!

*One scholarship is reason to celebrate - while two call for serious acclaim. McKenzie won an ARRL Foundation scholarship in 2022, funded by the Amateur Radio Digital Corporation (ARDC).  Side note: Both YASME and ARDC support HamSCI through project grants and funding of HamSCI's participation at events such as the Dayton Hamvention®.  Much appreciated!

WSPRNet Data Used to Validate SAMI3 Published in Space Weather Journal

• Errors on GPS 3D position
• HF ham radio communications via WSPR Signals
• Peak F-region density (with machine learning algorithms used to "clean" the data used in this analysis)

HamSCI Member Receives Murgas ARC “Ham Of the Year” Award

Well known HamSCI VLF enthusiast Jonathan Rizzo, KC3EEY, recently received the Murgas Amateur Radio Club’s 2023 Ham of the Year award.

According to club president Tom Mayka, W3TRM, Jonathan was recognized “for his interesting experiments with his VLF receiver”, presentations to the club on that topic and for having some of his data appear in the ARRL’s QST magazine.   Also noted was Jonathan’s dedication to HamSCI, evident through his participation in HamSCI workshops, the Dayton Hamvention, and frequent contributions to the HamSCI Google groups.

Jonathan is a 2021 graduate (BSEE)  from the University of Scranton, currently employed as an electrical engineer.

The Murgas ARC is located in Wilkes-Barre, PA, and has been active since 1975.  They support a wide range of amateur radio activities, sponsoring local nets, a hamfest, a club repeater, Field Day, and Volunteer Examinations (proctoring tests for ham radio licensing).  The club is named after Fr. Joseph Murgas (1884-1929), a patent-holding pioneer in early radio technology who hailed from the Wilkes-Barre area.

Congratulations, Jonathan!

HamSCI Member Earns Leadership Role at MIT Haystack Observatory

Long time HamSCI Advisory Board member Dr. Philip Erickson, W1PJE, was recently named as the Incoming Director at MIT’s Haystack Observatory.  

Haystack is a radio science and technology research center, well known for astrophysical research using astronomical instrumentation at the cutting edge of technology.   Of particular interest to HamSCI members are Haystack’s geospace projects, including remote sensing of the ionosphere and other atmospheric regions utilizing a wide range of electromagnetic frequencies.  Haystack is also a leader in geodesy, the science of accurately measuring the geometric shape of the earth, its orientation in space and its gravity field. 

Philip (B.S. 1987; Ph.D., 1998, Cornell University) has been a Haystack staff member since 1995.  He previously served as Assistant Director (2015) and is currently Associate Director (2020). He assumes his new position in January, 2024.  

The press announcement from MIT Haystack is available here.

Congratulations, Phil!

HamSCI Member Wins Technical Achievement Award

HamSCI member Ron Wilcox, KF7ZN, recently received the Utah DX Association’s 2023 Technical Achievement Award.  The UDXA recognized Ron for promoting radio-related science topics to the amateur (ham) radio community.  

Ron has given numerous virtual and in-person talks on subjects such as DX’ing (the art of making long distance contacts via ham radio),  the ionosphere, radio wave propagation and solar eclipses.  His audiences have ranged in size from dozens to perhaps thousands.  He has presented at astronomy clubs, ham club meetings, the 2023 HamSCI Workshop, the Visalia DX Convention, and the QSO Today Ham Expo, an on-line convention with worldwide attendance.  Not just an accomplished speaker, Ron’s byline has appeared in CQ Magazine and The Spectrum Monitor.

Ron has been a member of UDXA since 2013, and has served at various times as secretary, director, vice president and president. The club is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, with members across the state of Utah and beyond. It is an amateur radio club whose members are interested in HF DXing, awards, and contesting.

Congratulations Ron!