Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) Antenna and Propagation Research in The Netherlands

Abstract

Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) propagation can be used to realize radio communication without the need for an intermediate network. NVIS uses the ionosphere as a reflector to cover a large area (200 × 200 km) around the transmitter, on frequencies ranging from 3 to 10 MHz. NVIS is therefore used for telecommunication in areas that lack a telecommunication infrastructure, or in areas where the existing infrastructure is destroyed by a large scale disaster, such as the 2005 flooding of New Orleans. We will give an overview of the NVIS research performed in The Netherlands