HF propagation
Propagation prediction with a 3D globe: MUF, LUF and how reliable each band is towards wherever you want to call.
The planet right now
Drag to spin the planet, scroll or pinch to zoom (or use the arrow keys and + / −) and click anywhere to put the other station there.
- Your station
- Target station
- Sun overhead
- Ionospheric bounce
The path
Bands right now
Hover a band to see it on the globe.| Band | Reliability | SNR | Signal | Take-off angle |
|---|
The full 24 hours
Click an hour to jump to it.This is a short empirical model, not VOACAP: it gives the trend of the path, not a guarantee. Real propagation also depends on geomagnetic storms, sporadic E and the noise floor at your own shack. Use it to decide which band to listen on first.
How to read it
The MUF
The highest frequency the F2 layer still bends back to the ground on this path. Above it the signal leaves for space. The optimum working frequency is 85 % of the MUF: just below it you get the strongest signal with the least absorption.
The LUF
The lowest frequency that still makes it through. By day the D layer eats the low bands, which is why 80 m does no DX at noon. The window worth calling in sits between the LUF and the MUF.
The grey line
The dark band across the globe is the day-to-night edge. The D layer has gone but F2 is still charged, so for a short while the low bands make enormously long paths. That is when 160 and 80 metre DX happens.