NVIS

NVIS
 What is NVIS ?

 Means Near-Vertical Incidence Skywave

 Opposite of DX (long – distance)

 Local - to - Medium Distance (0 – 250 mls)

‘Ordinary’ Propagation
Illustration courtesy of Barrett Communications Pty
 ‘Ordinary’ Propagation
 To travel a long distance, the signal must
take off at a LOW angle from the antenna
– 30 degrees or less

 This is so that it can travel the maximum

distance before it first arrives at the Ionosphere

 Long gap before signal returns to earth – the

part in between this and the end of the ground
wave is the so-called Skip (or Dead) Zone
‘Ordinary’ Propagation
Illustration courtesy of Barrett Communications Pty
NVIS Propagation
Illustration courtesy of Barrett Communications Pty
 NVIS Propagation
 To travel a local - medium distance, the signal
must take off at a HIGH angle from the antenna
– typically 60 – 90 degrees

 This returns from the Ionosphere at a similar

angle, covering 0 – 250 mls

 It thus fills in the Skip (or Dead) Zone – like

taking a hose and spraying it into an umbrella !
NVIS Propagation
Illustration courtesy of Barrett Communications Pty
 Using NVIS successfully
HIGH angle of radiation from antenna

Minimise ground wave, as it will interfere

with the returning skywave

Most importantly, CHOOSE THE

CORRECT FREQUENCY BAND – go too
high in frequency and your signal will pass
through straight into space!
 Choosing the right frequency
 The Ionosphere – D, E, F1 & F2 layers

 D and to a lesser extent, E layers attenuate and

absorb signal
 Best returns from F2 layer
 At any one time we need to know the frequency
of the F2 layer – The Critical Frequency or foF2
 Optimum frequency for NVIS work around 10%
below this
The Ionosphere

Illustration courtesy of the University of Ulster Communications Centre

 NVIS - Frequency and Time
In practice, highest NVIS frequency can reach
10 MHz band. Lowest can go down down
to1.81 MHz band
‘Higher’ frequency band during day, ‘Middle’
frequencies afternoon/evening, ‘Lower’
frequencies at night
Frequencies also affected by time of year and
period of sunspot cycle
For best results, these three different frequency
‘bands’ required
 NVIS – The Critical Frequency
 The Critical Frequency is the key to successful
NVIS working
 The Critical Frequency (or foF2) is the highest
frequency at any one time that a signal
transmitted vertically will be returned to earth.
Anything above this passes into Space
 As we are interested in vertical signals for
NVIS, then the value of the Critical Frequency
(foF2) at any one time is of great importance to
us
 How can we find or estimate foF2 ?
 NVIS – Finding The Critical Frequency

Real-time web information from

Ionosondes
Websites offering Critical Frequency
predictions: – RAL STIF, IPS Euromaps
Software Propagation prediction tables or
similar printed material: - W6ELprop etc.
Rule-of-thumb:- ‘higher’ band by day,
‘middle’ band afternoon/evening transition,
‘lower’ band nightime
Interpreting an Ionogram
Real –Time Ionogram
Ionospheric Prediction Map
Courtesy of RAL Short Term Ionospheric Forecasting Site
 NVIS – For the Radio Amateur
 In practice, 7 MHz (40m) usually ‘highest’ band

 3.5 MHz (80m) next lowest

 1.81 MHz (160m, ‘Topband’) the lowest

 80m and 160m strongly affected during the day

by absorption from the D-layer, plus noise at
night and varying times of the year

 Need for a ‘middle’ transition frequency around 5

MHz
 NVIS – The Antenna Side
 Need high angle (60-90°) radiation for NVIS
 Vertical no use – predominantly low angle
 Half wave dipole at ‘text book’ height – 0.5
wavelength produces low angle radiation, BUT,
if lowered to 0.25 wavelength or below,
produces high angle radiation !
 Not too low, though – some earth losses. A
reflector wire or earth mat can reduce this
Vertical = No High Angle Radiation

Courtesy of ARRL Handbook

 Horizontal dipole at ‘textbook’ height

Textbooks say that for a horizontal dipole

to radiate low angle radiation, it must be
half (0.5) a wavelength above ground

In the case of the lower bands such as 80

and 160m, this would be pretty high!
Horizontal dipole at ‘textbook’ height
 Low Horizontal dipole = High Angle

 If the height of the dipole is lowered, the angle of

radiation becomes higher and the low angle
radiation starts to disappear
 The optimum amount of high angle radiation is
obtained at a quarter- (0.25) wavelength above
ground
 Going lower than 0.25 causes efficiency loss
 In practice 0.25 – 0.15 wavelength heights used
for NVIS
Low Horizontal dipole = High Angle

Illustration courtesy of NVIS Communications (Worldradio Books)

 NVIS – Monoband Antennas

The dipole is essentially a single band

antenna
There are also a couple of special higher-
gain single band NVIS antennas –
Dipole with reflector
The Shirley
The Jamaica
NVIS – Dipole with Reflector
Illustration courtesy of NVIS Communications (Worldradio Books)
NVIS – The Shirley Antenna

Illustration courtesy of NVIS Communications (Worldradio Books)

NVIS – The Jamaica Antenna

Illustration courtesy of NVIS Communications (Worldradio Books)

 NVIS – Multiband Antennas
 As mentioned earlier, at least three different
frequency bands are needed for successful 24
hr NVIS operation and so multi or wideband
antennas are used
 Simple ones include long wire, inverted-L,
Shallow (120°) Inverted-Vee Doublet with open
feeder, full-wave low (0.15-0.25λ) horizontal loop
(reflector could also be used below this)
 Other multiband antennas can be used -
NVIS – The Fan Dipole
Illustration courtesy of NVIS Communications (Worldradio Books)
 NVIS – The AS2259 or ‘Collins’ Antenna

Illustration courtesy of NVIS Communications (Worldradio Books)

NVIS – The Jumpered Doublet
Illustration courtesy of NVIS Communications (Worldradio Books)
 NVIS –Wideband Folded Dipole (T2FD)

Antenna total length approx 90ft

600 Ω Terminating Resistance/Balancing Network

12 : 1 Stepdown Balun to 50 Ω

Example – Barker & Williamson BWD 1.8 – 30 MHz Wideband Folded Dipole
Courtesy of Barker & Williamson Manufacturing Inc.
 NVIS – Mobile Operation
 You can use a whip for NVIS – but NOT
VERTICAL ! You can either
a) Bend the whip back over the vehicle as flat as
possible without breaking (see Military on TV)
b) Bend the whip back away from the vehicle at
least 45°- OK when stationary, but not
recommended mobile ! Keep your distance !
 You can use loops – either
a) A fore – aft loop or b) Magnetic Loop
Take care as high RF voltages exist on certain
parts of these antennas
 NVIS – Tilt Angle Adaptor

Illustration courtesy of NVIS Communication – Worldradio Books

 NVIS – Codan’s Whip Method

Illustration courtesy of Codan Pty.

 NVIS – The Fore – Aft Loop (WA6UBE)

Photos courtesy of Patricia Gibbons, WA6UBE

 NVIS – The Magnetic Loop (Russian Style !)

Photo PA3EQB
NVIS – The Magnetic Loop (Aussie Style !)

Photo Q-Mac Pty

NVIS – The Magnetic Loop (O.T.T. Style ?)

Photo WB3AKD
 A few other aspects of NVIS

 NVIS in WW II
For D-Day : Successful communications
between Operations HQ at Uxbridge, forward
control ship USS Ancon and landing parties
achieved using horizontal antennas and high-
angle skywave, following poor results with
verticals – done by Dr. Harold Beverage (of long
antenna fame !)
Germans also used NVIS Mobile antennas in
WW II

 ‘Tone’ Burst’s view of NVIS !

NVIS on D-Day

Illustration courtesy of NVIS Communication, Worldradio Books

WWII German Radio Vehicle with NVIS Antenna

Photo Schiffer Publishing/Tactical Link

‘Tone’ Burst’s View of NVIS

RSGB Radio Today Sept 2000

 ALE : Automatic Link Establishment
 ALE scans and tests sets of frequencies –
usually in several bands - for a particular path or
net until it finds a frequency that will support
communications over the path.
 Each radio in an ALE net constantly broadcasts
a sounding signal and “listens” for other
sounding signals generated by other net
members
 Analysis of these signals by processing
determines the best frequency for
communication at the time and this frequency is
then selected automatically for operations
G4GUO’s ALE Controller Programme for PCs

Charles Brain, G4GUO

 Useful websites connected with NVIS
 http://digisonde.oma.be/ Ionosonde at Dourbes, Belgium. Currently the nearest
Real-Time Ionograms for foF2 Critical Frequency
 http://ionosphere.rcru.rl.ac.uk/maps.htm Rutherford Appleton Lab Space Weather
Web – foF2 Prediction Map
 http://www.ips.gov.au Australian Space Weather agency. Several useful maps.
Covers Europe
 http://www.cebik.com/cb.html Some Notes on `Cloud Burners' (US term for NVIS
antennas)
 http://www.scn.org/IP/nwqrp/archives/apr98/nwqapr04.htm The `L' Mobile/Fixed Antenna
 http://www.ether.ulst.ac.uk/projects/hf_prop.html University of Ulster Communications
Engineering Centre NVIS page
 http://www.codan.com.au/ Codan Communications (Australia) HF SSB & Satellite
 http://www.iinet.net.au/~barrett Barrett Communications ( Aus.) Commercial HF SSB
 http://www.qmac.com/ Q-Mac Communications (Aus.) HF SSB
 http://www.chbrain.dircon.co.uk/ Charles Brain, G4GUO's Website. Contains ALE
Programme and other very interesting digital speech experiments
 http://www.wunclub.com/files/aleinfo.html World Utility Newsletter - Excellent ALE Article &
Frequencies
 http://www.raynet-hf.net/ RAYNET HF Team website. Lots of useful information
 http://www.tactical-link.com/ Interesting US Amateur NVIS site with a Military
leaning
 NVIS - Summary
 Covers 0 – 250 mls using High-Angle (60-90°) Skywave
 Choice of Correct Frequency Band just below the Critical
Frequency is most important.
 Antenna must be horizontal, not vertical (with the
exception of magnetic loops)
 Antenna must be low – between 0.25 and 0.15 of a
wavelength above ground
 An NVIS antenna has omnidirectional radiation
 Multiband antenna (at least three bands) needed for
24hr NVIS coverage
NVIS - The End

BJ Skips, Wigan
 NVIS
Near-Vertical Incidence
Skywave
Lecture by Gordon L Adams, G3LEQ
Graphics by Paul D Gaskell, G4MWO
Blandford November 2002