@proceedings {627, title = {Installation and Operation of the KC3EEY/W2NAF VLF Reception System}, year = {2022}, month = {03/2022}, publisher = {HamSCI}, address = {Huntsville, AL}, abstract = {

A VLF Reception System was installed at the W2NAF KC3EEY VLF Observatory located in Springbrook, PA. The VLF preamp/antenna is based on the s1-1 design by Paul Nicholson, author of vlfrx-tools, which is encased in a PVC pipe. The signal is recorded using an Audio Injector Stereo soundcard and Raspberry Pi with vlfrx-tools recording and monitoring the signal. The system has a wide variety of science and amateur uses. A confirmed QSO of SAQ was made on Christmas Eve. QSOs from the Dreamers Band below 9 kHz were also confirmed using weak signal detection and EbNaut decoding. Possible effects from the January 15th, 2022 Tonga underwater volcano eruption were also observed along with VLF/ELF data from outside sources will be presented.

}, author = {Jonathan Rizzo and Nathaniel A. Frissell} } @proceedings {626, title = {VLF LEAF Module for the Tangerine SDR HamSCI Workshop 2022 Progress Update}, year = {2022}, month = {03/2022}, publisher = {HamSCI}, address = {Huntsville, AL}, abstract = {

Development of the VLF LEAF Module continues despite the global electronic component shortage. Since the Tangerine SDR cannot be built currently due to long lead times of the Intel Max 10 FPGA, the Max 10 FPGA development board was repurposed for Tangerine SDR Development. An adapter board was designed that allows the Clock Module and RF Module to be interfaced to the Max 10 development board for Verilog development of the Tangerine SDR. Since the LEAF module is too large for the adapter board, the adapter board will include a connector to interface the TI TLV320ADC6140 Evaluation (DUT) board. The DUT board includes the TLV320ADC6140 and all supporting circuitry to spearhead Verilog development of the VLF LEAF module. The FPGA will add GPS timestamping to the recorded samples and reformat the stream to be compatible with vlfrx-tools, an open source signal processing tool set with many applications, including VLF/ULF signal processing.\ 

}, author = {Jonathan Rizzo} } @proceedings {461, title = {VLF Module for Tangerine SDR Progress Update}, year = {2021}, month = {03/2021}, publisher = {HamSCI}, address = {Scranton, PA (Virtual)}, abstract = {

The VLF Audio Module for the Tangerine SDR has had a design change and now features the TI TLV320ADC6140 4-channel Analog to Digital converter. It features 113dB dynamic range with sampling rates of up to 768kHz. Using a sampling rate of 384kHz, bandwidths of up to 100kHz of VLF spectrum can be captured and will be GPS timestamped by the Tangerine SDR. This design change{\textquoteright}s increase bandwidth capability allows for not only study of natural radio emissions such as whistlers and chorus, but study of the ionosphere with the help of measurements from VLF transmitters in the middle and upper VLF band, such as WWVB.\ \ 

}, author = {Jonathan Rizzo} } @proceedings {494, title = {W3USR and The Great Collegiate Shortwave Listening Contest}, year = {2021}, month = {03/2021}, publisher = {HamSCI}, address = {Scranton, PA (Virtual)}, url = {https://hamsci2021-uscranton.ipostersessions.com/Default.aspx?s=1B-12-5C-9B-5C-AF-F5-8B-AC-62-CD-DD-D5-51-6A-9A}, author = {M. Shaaf Sarwar and Veronica I. Romanek and Thomas Baran and Jonathan Rizzo and Steve Holguin and Jonathan Rizzo and Nathaniel A. Frissell and William Liles and Kristina Collins and David Kazdan} } @conference {402, title = {Using a PVC Pipe Antenna and a Raspberry Pi to Detect VLF Natural Radio (ePoster)}, booktitle = {HamSCI Workshop 2020}, year = {2020}, month = {03/2020}, publisher = {HamSCI}, organization = {HamSCI}, address = {Scranton, PA}, abstract = {

It{\textquoteright}s possible to detect half of the world{\textquoteright}s lightning anywhere on Earth. Because most of a lightning discharge{\textquoteright}s spectral power is within the Very Low Frequency (VLF) and Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) bands, the emissions from lightning discharges (sferics) propagate rather easily across the globe. These propagation conditions allow for other natural radio events like tweeks, whistlers, and chorus to propagate well within the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. Using a simple E-Field VLF receiver, a GPS timing receiver, a Raspberry Pi with Audioinjector soundcard, it is possible to build a fully contained low power VLF reception system to detect natural radio events in the VLF/ULF band using open source software that will capture, GPS timestamp, and filter (remove mains hum) the VLF audio feed and record, detect individual events, detect sudden ionospheric disturbances, and perform analysis on detected events. VLF event data, recordings, and live streaming is possible, all from a PVC pipe active E-Field antenna receiver, GPS timing receiver, and a Raspberry Pi.

}, author = {Jonathan Rizzo} }