@proceedings {496, title = {The Oldest Cadet Club, Today: W2KGY}, year = {2021}, month = {03/2021}, publisher = {HamSCI}, address = {Scranton, PA (Virtual)}, abstract = {

Although the Cadet Amateur Radio Club, callsign W2KGY, boasts the title of {\textquoteleft}Oldest Cadet Club{\textquoteright} since its founding in 1926, it leads cutting-edge innovation on radioscience and sport. The club develops technically adept leaders of character trained on military equipment while maintaining a developmental culture from its amateur background. This poster showcases past accomplishments of the club and presents its future plans as a cornerstone of electromagnetic warfare training for the Corps of Cadets. Further, the poster demonstrates the club{\textquoteright}s usefulness to the academy as a research testbed for satellite operation and propagation studies.

}, url = {https://hamsci2021-uscranton.ipostersessions.com/?s=D0-F7-C3-77-98-1D-B7-4E-B5-9A-70-5F-4A-2E-07-3D}, author = {Nolan Pearce and Pat McGurrin} } @proceedings {476, title = {Simulation and Comparison of Weak-Signal VHF Propagation}, year = {2021}, month = {03/2021}, publisher = {HamSCI}, address = {Scranton, PA (Virtual)}, abstract = {

Space weather{\textquoteright}s intense variance has a seemingly random effect on radio propagation in the Very High Frequency (VHF) range. Key models are built to analyze and estimate performance of wireless systems in these weak-signal propagation mediums. Chiefly, meteor burst communication, auroral propagation, and earth-moon-earth communication models are built and simulated on MATLAB. The results are confirmed through experimental testing and data comparison. Overall, modeling of these space weather events proves immense usefulness in predicting effectiveness of radio equipment through these weak-signal modes.

}, url = {https://hamsci2021-uscranton.ipostersessions.com/?s=0B-3C-92-BC-7A-A2-35-0C-0B-52-1C-29-5A-03-4F-46}, author = {Nolan Pearce and Kate Duncan} } @conference {405, title = {Direction Finding: Analog and Digital Applications (ePoster)}, booktitle = {HamSCI Workshop 2020}, year = {2020}, month = {03/2020}, publisher = {HamSCI}, organization = {HamSCI}, address = {Scranton, PA}, abstract = {

Amateur radio encompasses the building of hardware, the programming of different communications devices, and the integration of hardware and software. One popular amateur pastime, radio direction finding, requires a fair amount of technical knowledge to include antenna design and radio wave propagation in the VHF radio band. Participants use specialized directional antennas to find a bearing for an unknown signal. An intense understanding of antenna radiation patterns can be used to accurately identify the source of this signal. Simulation on computer programs through test equipment helps hobbyists fully understand the characteristics of their direction finding devices. However, direction finding can be approached from the electronic realm as well as the physical realm. Instead of just directional antennas, one can utilize Digital Signal Processing (DSP) with software-defined radios to locate and identify unknown signals. Programs such as Matlab and GNURadio combined with hardware such as the KerberosSDR and HackRF fully utilize this avenue of signals intelligence. The dichotomy between {\textquotedblleft}physical{\textquotedblright} direction finding and digital signal processing provides an interesting argument for use of one over another. While antenna-focused direction finding relies on vast technical knowledge of propagation and gain, computer- based direction finding similarly requires computational knowledge with various signals and mathematical techniques. In addition, the two techniques serve almost divided purposes: while analog direction finding can locate a signal real-time, DSP can be used to deconstruct and decode signals after their interception. One technique does not outweigh the other, as both have different use cases and applicability. This presentation will outline the basic approach to each avenue of direction finding and the advantages each technique holds. Hobbyists should learn from both techniques of direction finding to gain applicable skills in electromagnetic wave theory.

}, author = {Nolan Pearce} }