↓
 

naturalradiolab.com

  • Home
  • What Is Natural Radio?
  • FAQ
  • Lowdown Archive
  • Contact Info

Natural Radio Lab

Natural Radio is the VLF radio emissions that originate terrestrially from lightning and within the earth's magnetosphere through interaction with the Sun. Most of these radio signals, sferics, tweeks, whistlers, chorus and others, occur within the range of human hearing, and can be heard with simple receivers as described on this site.

Natural Radio Lab also looks at Space Weather and Geomagnetic Storms. These are affected by solar activity such as the solar wind, sunspots, solar flares and coronal mass ejections or CMEs. In the popular media, these events are often loosely referred to as "solar storms" or "sun storms".

Please explore this site. I hope you go beyond reading what's here and actually go out and take the opportunity to hear whistlers or the enchanting sounds of the dawn chorus.

Mark Karney, N9JWF
Webmaster

Post navigation

← What is the “E-field”?
Why do I hear so much hum? →

I’ve been listening for months, and all I can hear are sferics.

naturalradiolab.com Posted on January 24, 2012 by Mark KarneyOctober 21, 2012

Often those who are new to the hobby as well as casual listeners get frustrated by not hearing much more than spherics and tweeks. When I started listening, it was well over a year before I heard anything of significance, mainly because I was listening in the wrong place at the wrong time. My results got a lot better with experience.

1. Listen When You’re Likely to Hear Something. Natural Radio phenomenon can happen at any time but there are times of day and times of the year when you are more likely to have a productive listening session. In general, winter is better than summer because there is less interference from local thunderstorms, allowing you to hear fainter Natural Radio signals.

Whistlers tend to occur mostly after midnight with activity peaking just before sunrise — you are much less likely to hear whistlers in the middle of the afternoon. Whistler activity tends to peak around the spring and fall equinoxes.

VLF Emissions like chorus tend to peak just after sunrise and may continue into the morning hours. Geomagnetic storms almost always produce VLF emissions, so it’s good to check the Spaceweather Today site at http://www.sec.noaa.gov/today.html or monitor WWV at 18 minutes past each hour for space weather reports. If the planetary K index is 6 or greater, there is a very good likelihood that you will be able to hear VLF Emissions.

2. Get Away From Power Lines. The strongest signals in the Natural Radio band are the power line frequency and its harmonics. In a typical suburban neighborhood the power line signals can be strong enough to obliterate all but the loudest spherics. For good reception, you should be at least two miles from power transmission lines (The ones on the steel towers, or on large wood poles with insulators at least a foot long). You should also try to be at least ¼ mile or more from distribution lines. (These are the ones that deliver the power to homes and neighborhoods.)

There are a lot more weak Natural Radio Signals than strong ones, and getting rid of background hum and buzz will increase your ability to hear them. It’s also easier on the ears without the
obnoxious hum and buzz in the background.

3. Get Away From Trees and Other Obstructions. If you are using an E-Field receiver, make sure you are out in the open. Trees and other objects tend to short out the electrical field in their vicinity. Try this experiment. Walk out in an open field listening to spherics – then as you are listening, walk toward a tree. As you get close to the tree, the decrease in signal strength will be dramatic. If you are using a hand held receiver, try holding the antenna above your head, this should help increase signal strength.

4. Make Sure Your Equipment Is Working Properly. Verify that the batteries are good. When batteries weaken to a certain point they can cause a major gain reduction in many receivers – this can happen suddenly, so always carry a spare set of fresh batteries.

permalink

Post navigation

← What is the “E-field”?
Why do I hear so much hum? →

Topics

  • Natural Radio FAQ
  • History of Natural Radio
  • How to Listen
  • Natural Radio Signals
  • Manmade and Other Signals
  • Equipment & Software
  • Geomagnetic Phenomenon
  • The Sun
  • Jupiter
  • Meteors, Earthquakes, UFOs

Real-Time Data

  • Real-Time Links
  • Estimated Planetary K-index
  • GOES Magnetometer
  • GOES X-Ray Flux
  • GOES Electron Flux
  • GOES Proton Flux
  • Aurora Forecast

Resources

  • Natural Radio Sites
  • Natural Radio Receivers
  • Satellites Data
  • Receiver Diagrams
  • The Sunspot Cycle
  • Lowdown Archive

Other Items

  • About This Site
  • Contact Info
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Blog Archive

  • October 2021
  • October 2019
  • September 2018
  • November 2016
  • November 2015
  • February 2015
  • December 2014
  • October 2014
  • October 2013
  • July 2013
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • August 2012

Kp

Real-Time Estimated Planetary K index

Copyright © 2022 by Norwest Communications Inc. - All Rights Reserved - Weaver Xtreme Theme
↑