Scientists in Antarctica use shortwave radio to sing Christmas carols to each other as a way to connect and share goodwill across the remote and difficult environment of the continent.
Shortwave radio transmissions can travel long distances, around the globe, due to their ability to be reflected or refracted by the ionosphere, allowing listeners in places like the Netherlands and South America to hear them.
The ionosphere plays a crucial role in shortwave radio communication by reflecting or refracting radio waves back to Earth, enabling long-distance transmissions without which the signals would travel into space.
Nathaniel Frissell uses shortwave radio to study the ionosphere, space weather, and solar events, such as solar flares and eclipses, to understand how these phenomena affect radio transmissions and global communication systems.
The HAMSAI project aims to bring universities and ham radio operators together to track and study the ionosphere's daily variations, which is crucial for improving communication systems and understanding space weather impacts.
Ham radio fosters international goodwill by connecting people from different parts of the world, allowing them to communicate and share experiences, which aligns with the original purpose of the hobby as stated in its laws.
SantaNet is a volunteer network that uses ham radio to allow children to talk to Santa, providing a unique and engaging way to connect kids with the holiday spirit through shortwave radio communication.
On Christmas Eve, scientists at field stations across Antarctica sing carols to one another...via shortwave. On today's episode, the Short Wave podcast explores shortwave radio. We speak with space physicist and electrical engineer Nathaniel Frissell about this Antarctic Christmas Carol tradition and his use of shortwave radio for community science.Read more)** about Santa Net, which connects children (known in the shortwave radio community as "little harmonics") with Santa.***Want more tech stories? Let us know by emailing [email protected])!Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave).*Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)