Ionosondes: what they are and what they are for, a new talk in the URE series

If you use HF often, you have probably wondered why one band suddenly opens while another goes dead. URE has included a talk on ionosondes in its series, and I think it is a very practical topic for any radio amateur.

The talk, titled "Ionosondes: what they are and what they are for", was scheduled for Wednesday, September 30 at 7:30 pm Spanish peninsular time (5:30 pm UTC) and was broadcast on URE's YouTube channel. The speaker was David Altadill Felip, a researcher at the Ebro Observatory of Universitat Ramon Llull.

According to the announcement, ionosondes analyze the structure of the ionosphere and provide the information needed to understand and predict HF propagation. Their data feeds prediction programs such as VOACAP, which help you choose the time of day and frequency for contacting a known station. They also provide real-time propagation information, available online, for a wide area around each ionosonde.

The talk also covered how the Ebro Observatory studies the movement of ionized clouds and the behavior of the ionosphere in extreme situations, such as the eclipse of July 2026. This research matters for narrow-band digital modes such as FT4, FT8 and WSPR, which many of us rely on to make contacts with low power.

Personally, I think understanding where propagation data comes from makes us better operators. We stop looking only at the sunspot number and start reading what the ionosphere is doing right now. It is a very welcome initiative from the association.

Source: URE (Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles)