Ever wonder why your signal doesn’t always go where you think it will? Or why one repeater seems solid while another barely scratches through? That’s the mystery — and magic — of RF propagation.
Tonight’s BARRA Tech Net dives into propagation prediction maps — those colorful visualizations that show where your signal should reach. You don’t need to be a radio engineer to appreciate them. In fact, I’m not an expert myself — but I’ve found these tools fun, surprisingly insightful, and a great way to visualize what’s really happening between Point A and Point B.
Prediction maps aren’t just for big cell companies and spectrum planners. They can help any ham operator plan coverage, choose antennas, or decide where to set up portable ops. They consider everything from terrain and frequency to buildings, weather, and even atmospheric layers that bend or block your signal.
If you want to try it yourself, check out TAIT Radio Academy for a simple intro, or jump straight into Radio Mobile Online — a free web-based tool where you can drop a pin, tweak your settings, and generate your own coverage maps. It’s not perfect (garbage in, garbage out!), but it’s incredibly eye-opening to see theory come to life.
So tune in tonight at 8 PM Eastern / 5 PM Pacific for the BARRA Tech Net. Bring your curiosity, maybe a map or two you’ve generated, and let’s explore how far our signals — and imaginations — can reach. Sometimes it feels like just a dream, but it’s amazing how close to reality those colors can be.