Studies of High-Frequency Radio Wave Propagation

Studies of multiple signals of high frequency have been made upon a quantitative basis with reference not only to the round-the-world signals (sometimes called echo signals) but to nearby echoes which have a very much shorter time of arrival. A method of predicting in advance the the likelihood of round-the-world echoes occurring between any two different stations has been worked out. Further studies of nearby echoes show a remarkable retardation on very high-frequency signals coming from the Rocky Point stations to Washington, these signals traveling an actual distance varying from 2900 kms. to over 10,000 kms., although the great circle distance is only 420 kms. The apparent violation of the skip distance law by these stations as observed in Washington has been explained. The nearby echo signals have been tentatively assumed to be due either to reflections from a heavily ionized region in the neighborhood of the magnetic poles or more likely to be due to scattered reflections thrown backwards from the first and second zones of reception, which follow the skip distance region. This throwing back of the signal thus permits under certain conditions the reception of the signal on very high frequency within what is really the skipped zone, the signal having entered this zone by a very indirect route and with a considerable time retardation as compared with the direct route. Influence of both nearby and round-the-world echo signals upon various types of radio communication have been briefly discussed.