How do rain, snow, clouds, and dust affect satellite communications? I know rain and snow scatter do occur, but that occurs at frequencies higher than what we are using for the says.73 John AF5CC Sent from my U.S. Cellular® Smartphone -------- Original message --------From: GEO Badger via AMSAT-BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Date: 5/8/19 4:53 PM (GMT-06:00) To: amsat-bb@amsat.org, Hans BX2ABT hans.bx2abt@msa.hinet.net Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] What influences LEO propagation? Hans,What I believe you are really asking is what effects VHF/UHF propagation. Lighting up a bird is a line of sight connection, not propagation in the classic sense of bouncing off the ionosphere and ground like in HF comms. But, there are atmospheric phenoms that can effect VHF/UHF comms. Tropo ducting, but that is normally for terrestrial comms. Same for sporadic E, which is bouncing signals off of ionized clouds similar to the ionosphere propagation..Think horizontal. Then there is weather. Whether or not you have nice weather. Rain, snow, clouds and dust are a few of the things that can effect sat comms.--- Ciao baby, catch you on the flip side. GEO http://www.w3ab.orgTime flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. On Wednesday, May 8, 2019, 7:12:57 AM PDT, Hans BX2ABT via AMSAT-BB amsat-bb@amsat.org wrote: The last couple of days the Fox birds haven't been coming in as well as before. Signal strengths are down, fading has increased and it is almost impossible for me to open them. Now the sporadic E season also has kicked off in the last few days, with increased activity here in east Asia. Is this a coincidence or do the two have a connection? And are there other factors that influence LEO propagation? I know satellite tumbling is one factor that causes fades, but are there also ionospheric or atmospheric influences? Thanks for the insight. 73 de Hans (BX2ABT)_______________________________________________Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum availableto all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressedare solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA.Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb%C2%A0 _______________________________________________Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum availableto all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressedare solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA.Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb