VHF auroral and sporadic- propagation from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Ithaca, New York

A 50-mc transmitter operating continuously at Cedar Rapids, to the west of Ithaca, has been monitored for more than two years, using a northward-pointing antenna intended to reduce signals from the west due to -scatter and bursts due to meteors. Associated with visible auroral activity, enhanced signals are heard, having a very rapid fading rate, characteristic of auroral propagation previously described. Continuous recordings are made on an Esterline-Angus chart moving 6 inches per hour. Much stronger sporadic- signals are observed occasionally entering the sidelobes of the receiving antenna, but can usually be distinguished from auroral propagation by the appearance of the trace or clarity of the beat frequency. This method of identification and separation is thought to be effective because each mode of propagation has its own diurnal and seasonal variations agreeing with characteristics found previously by others.