Demonstration of Aircraft Scatter Prediction with Air Scout

Over on the SWLing post, Thomas has shared an interesting video showing aircraft scatter reception in action. Alps DX [FR] shows on his YouTube channel a broadcast FM signal coming in clearly as a plane passes by, then fading away to nothing as it leaves. This effect is due to the scattering of radio waves that occurs when radio waves reflect off aircraft.

In order to predict when the scattering occurs he uses the free AirScout software which allows you to do the following:

• Calculate a propagation path as a cross circle path between two QSO – partners
• Calculate a path profile between both QSO – partners using a Digital Elevation Model
  (DEM)
• Calculate the mutual visibility of an aircraft from both QSO – partners for each point on the path using their elevation and any possible obstruction between them
• Calculate a “hot area” in which an aircraft is mutually visible from both QSO –
  partners where a reflection is theoretically possible
• Show calculated path and aircrafts in real time on a map
• Predict Aircraft Scatter potential for each single aircraft according to position, track and altitude

We also saw another interesting video of a 23cm QSO being made by predicting when aircraft scatter will happen with Air Scout.