Hello all,

     My name is McKenzie Denton (KO4GLN), and I am a student at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. I am also a member of the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) group.

 
     Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) would like to invite schools and university-based Amateur Radio Clubs to participate in the Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science (FoEIS). https://hamsci.org/about-hamsci

 

     If you have an Amateur Radio Station at your school and operators, you can participate! It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the scientific method and have students participate in real-world scientific research. My goal is to identify interested parties, identify any deficiencies and provide technical assistance as needed. Please reply to this email or register at the HamSCI website if your school is interested in participating in this event.

 

The FoEIS consists of two parts: the Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP) and the Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge (GSSC) aimed at collecting data on ionospheric variability.

- Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP) (October 14, 2023; 1200-2200 UTC and April 8, 2024; 1400-2400 UTC) 

The SEQP is a ham radio contest for those who wish to make tens, hundreds, or even thousands of CW, SSB, and digital mode QSOs on 160-6 meters during the 2023 and 2024 American solar eclipses.  Each QSO will become a valuable data point that will help researchers answer scientific questions about ionospheric variability.

- Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge (GSSC) (October 14, 2023; 1200-2200 UTC and April 8, 2024; 1400-2400 UTC)

The GSSC is a unique event for those who enjoy operating beacons (CW and digital), and the 'propagation study modes' of WSPR and FST4W, both transmit and receive. Signals generated and received during the GSSC will help researchers with scientific questions about ionospheric variability. 

Background

- The SEQP and GSSC are part of the HamSCI Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science. Members of HamSCI, along with the ham radio community, will be creating data for researchers by transmitting, receiving and recording signals across the HF spectrum.  Upon analysis, the data should inform researchers how the ionosphere reacted to the eclipse. 

- The data will be compared to existing computer models of the ionosphere, potentially improving the accuracy of those models.  Researchers will also be looking at how the ionosphere’s refractive properties varied during the beginning and ending phases of the eclipses.

Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science (FoEIS) webpage: https://hamsci.org/eclipse

Contest FAQs and Rules: https://hamsci.org/contest-info
HamSCI website: https://hamsci.org/about-hamsci

How to get involved with HamSCI webpage: https://hamsci.org/get-involved
Contest Rules: https: https://hamsci.org/node/677

Best regards,
 
McKenzie Denton (KO4GLN)
Suffolk, VA
Amateur Extra, ARRL VE
President of the Old Dominion Amateur Radio Club (ODARC)
WAARC, PVRC, LICWC, ODARC