Question
What is a characteristic of HF scatter?
Answer Options
- A) Phone signals have high intelligibility
- B) Signals have a fluttering sound
- C) There are very large, sudden swings in signal strength
- D) Scatter propagation occurs only at night
Correct Answer: B
Explanation
HF scatter propagation occurs when a radio wave is reflected by non-uniformities (turbulence or irregularities) in the ionosphere or by objects on the Earth’s surface, such as the ground, mountains, or clouds. The signal energy is scattered into regions not normally covered by skip, such as the skip zone.
Because the scattered signal reaches the receiver via many slightly different paths, the phases of the arriving signals constantly shift and interfere with one another. This multi-path effect causes the received signal, especially voice (phone), to have a distinct, rapid fading, often described as a fluttering or ‘distorted’ sound.
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