ELF and VLF Radio

Steve Yates, AA5TB

My presentation will be about ELF and VLF radio.  I spend all day at work at the other end of the radio spectrum so this will be a change of pace for me.  My main interest has been in natural occurring radio emissions at the bottom end of the EM spectrum but in the process of exploring these emissions I've discovered for myself a lot of interesting man-made signals in this region as well.  This part of the spectrum has been ignored by many ham operators and radio listeners over the years but with recent allocations to hams in some parts of the world there is some renewed interest in the long-waves. In fact, there has been a dedicated group of "QRP operators" communicating in this part of the spectrum for decades using special provisions in the FCC rules. 

I will share what I have learned about the natural and man-made signals in the long-wave part of the spectrum and describe some of the simple equipment that I use.  I will also share recordings and data that I have collected as well.


Biography:

I have always been interested in science and at a very young age I became fascinated by radio.  It took my quite a while to discover amateur radio but I finally got my first license when I was 15 years old, after I determined I probably wouldn't get to be an astronaut.  My first station as a licensed ham consisted of a RCA AR-88D WWII vintage receiver and a Johnson Viking II transmitter.  I have now been licensed 30 years and I have loved every minute of it. I've enjoyed most aspects of amateur radio at one time or another from DC to daylight but QRP CW is my favorite activity. 

Some of my interest has rubbed off onto some of my family members too.  My wife, Laura, is KA5SGM and my youngest of my three sons, Austin, is KE5PBW.

Amateur radio pretty much directed my career.  Professionally, I am a staff level Electronics Engineer at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth
and I have been there for 20 years.  All of my career has bent spent in RF fields.   

I also enjoy digital photography and camping with my three sons.