What do you think?
Rate this book
Propagation and Radio Science
Exploring the Magic of Wireless Communication
There are countless ways for radio signals to travel from transmitter to receiver, and understanding how radio waves interact with their environment is an important factor in successful radio communications. While amateurs can maximize station performance and reliability with the right equipment, knowledge and skill, we cannot control propagation. Through scientific exploration and experimentation, we can improve our understanding of propagation and how it affects radio signals.
Propagation and Radio Science presents a comprehensive overview of one of the most fascinating and rewarding activities in Amateur Radio. Author Eric Nichols, KL7AJ, uses his lively, engaging approach to present the complex subject of radio propagation in simple, easy-to-understand terms. This book covers topics ranging from theoretical exploration to practical application. It explains the phenomena we observe on the amateur bands and invites you to embark on the journey through the still-unknown radio propagation universe.
Chapters include:
Matters About Matter
The Optical Factor
Polarization, Gain, and Other Antenna Matters
The “Reflection” Process
The Ground Wave
Demystifying the Ionosphere
The Anomalous Ionosphere
Magnetic Personality
Instrumentation and Interpretation
Free Electron Propagation
Neutral Propagation
Cheaper Than Dirt
Diversity Methods
WWV and Channel Probes
Software and Other Tools
Keeping Up with Kepler and Friends
Your Friend the S Meter
Loads of Modes
Sea Shanty
NVIS Modes and Methods
Unexplored Territory
There are countless ways for radio signals to travel from transmitter to receiver, and understanding how radio waves interact with their environment is an important factor in successful radio communications. While amateurs can maximize station performance and reliability with the right equipment, knowledge and skill, we cannot control propagation. Through scientific exploration and experimentation, we can improve our understanding of propagation and how it affects radio signals.
Propagation and Radio Science presents a comprehensive overview of one of the most fascinating and rewarding activities in Amateur Radio. Author Eric Nichols, KL7AJ, uses his lively, engaging approach to present the complex subject of radio propagation in simple, easy-to-understand terms. This book covers topics ranging from theoretical exploration to practical application. It explains the phenomena we observe on the amateur bands and invites you to embark on the journey through the still-unknown radio propagation universe.
Chapters include:
Matters About Matter
The Optical Factor
Polarization, Gain, and Other Antenna Matters
The “Reflection” Process
The Ground Wave
Demystifying the Ionosphere
The Anomalous Ionosphere
Magnetic Personality
Instrumentation and Interpretation
Free Electron Propagation
Neutral Propagation
Cheaper Than Dirt
Diversity Methods
WWV and Channel Probes
Software and Other Tools
Keeping Up with Kepler and Friends
Your Friend the S Meter
Loads of Modes
Sea Shanty
NVIS Modes and Methods
Unexplored Territory
- GenresNonfictionScience
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2015
69 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 8, 2022
It is full of important errors, written with very little care and very poorly explained everything.
It is not the first ARRL book that seems very bad to me. Unfortunately it seems that some authors who have a certain age and prestige as radio amateurs can write anything without anyone correcting them.
In Eric Nichols KL7AJ's Propagation and Radio Science, for example, it is found at the beginning that copper has 39 electrons (!!!) and towards the end, in chapter 17, that the scale S-1 to S-9 of the the S-Meter is LINEAR (!!!), and that the scale S-1 to S-9 is indicative of voltage and the scale S9+10dB to S9+60dB is indicative of power (!?!?).
It would take forever to list all the wrong and/or poorly explained things found in this book. I find the publication of this kind of work amazing. Without a doubt, it does a lot of damage to the hobby of radio amateurs, because not all readers have the knowledge or critical spirit to read carefully.
José Luis Giordano, CA4GIO
It is not the first ARRL book that seems very bad to me. Unfortunately it seems that some authors who have a certain age and prestige as radio amateurs can write anything without anyone correcting them.
In Eric Nichols KL7AJ's Propagation and Radio Science, for example, it is found at the beginning that copper has 39 electrons (!!!) and towards the end, in chapter 17, that the scale S-1 to S-9 of the the S-Meter is LINEAR (!!!), and that the scale S-1 to S-9 is indicative of voltage and the scale S9+10dB to S9+60dB is indicative of power (!?!?).
It would take forever to list all the wrong and/or poorly explained things found in this book. I find the publication of this kind of work amazing. Without a doubt, it does a lot of damage to the hobby of radio amateurs, because not all readers have the knowledge or critical spirit to read carefully.
José Luis Giordano, CA4GIO
February 6, 2020
I was looking for practical book on propagation and tips for DXing, that wasn't it.
January 28, 2021
Minus a few typos, a great introduction to RF propagation and the science behind it.
October 15, 2019
I wanted to dive into the science of radio propagation. I don't need equations, but I wanted strong science. I thought there was too much of an attempt to keep the subject matter 'light' with sub-paragraphs using titles resembling the "xxx for Dummies" kind of books. I don't really need any humor or ultra-simplistic analogies if I choose to read a book with 'science' in the title. For example, to discuss how protons are heavier than electrons, and thus the electrons doing the moving, an analogy of the Titanic and a lifeboat is done. Quite unnecessary for the audience that should be choosing to read this book. A couple of VERY glaring errors started this book: page 1-2 stating copper had 39 protons. Copper has 29. Ouch! Then on page 3-1 is a 3-D drawing of the E and B (H) fields of a propagating wave. But the wave is going the wrong direction. E x B with right hand rule points in the direction of propagation. How can you possibly mess up 29 protons for copper and then the direction of an EM wave travel? But then the rest of the book appears to be pretty good.
I am just worried about the rest of the book contents when I see such an incredibly simple science error as the protons in copper at the wrong number so early in the book. This really must not have been reviewed by anyone with a science background.
I'm only about 1/3 of the way through this book. I signed up at my ham club meeting to give a talk on "Radio Wave Propagation", since I'm a physics teacher. I thought I'd grab a science book on the subject to see what more in-depth I can add to my scheduled 15-20' talk.
I am just worried about the rest of the book contents when I see such an incredibly simple science error as the protons in copper at the wrong number so early in the book. This really must not have been reviewed by anyone with a science background.
I'm only about 1/3 of the way through this book. I signed up at my ham club meeting to give a talk on "Radio Wave Propagation", since I'm a physics teacher. I thought I'd grab a science book on the subject to see what more in-depth I can add to my scheduled 15-20' talk.
February 6, 2016
Very well written by an engineer that is also an amateur radio operator. The author does an excellent job of describing fairly complex aspects of RF energy that would be understandable to the lay person.
April 9, 2016
Great info and easy to understand!
This book provides a decently in depth look at probation is very easy to digest chunks. Also gives resources for further study on most topics covered in the book.
This book provides a decently in depth look at probation is very easy to digest chunks. Also gives resources for further study on most topics covered in the book.
March 16, 2016
A great overview of the subject that doesn't get overly technical/mathematical.
June 4, 2016
An in-depth discussion of radio propagation and how it affects the amateur radio bands.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews