A Skywave Ppropagation Study in Preparation for the 1605-1705 kHz Broadcasting Conference

The 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference allocated the band 1605 -1705 kHz for broadcasting in Region 2 (the Americas), while fixed services elsewhere will continue to use this band. A planning conference has been scheduled for April 1986, in Geneva. One of the most important topics will be the selection of a method for predicting skywave field strengths. This calls for a study of MF skywave propagation with emphasis on interference. In addition to administrations, a number of international organisations, such as the International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR) and the Inter-American Conference on Telecommunications (CITEL), have begun a concerted technical study. The author is fortunate to be involved in this international endeavor. The purpose of this paper is to present some of the progress that has been made.