VHF Propagation Map – Help
Overview: This map visualizes real-time VHF signal propagation by analyzing APRS packet paths reported by stations across the network. Each hop between stations contributes to the estimated reach of VHF signals.
Age (Max): Defines the time window (1 to 60 minutes) used to display recent propagation activity. A shorter window shows only the most current paths, while a longer window reveals more accumulated propagation zones.
How it works: Each time a packet is transmitted and digipeated, the locations of the origin and intermediate stations are used to estimate VHF coverage. These hops are grouped and smoothed to visualize regions where propagation has been recently observed.
Typically, APRS stations operate at low power with modest antennas, meaning the displayed paths often reflect minimal baseline performance. More capable stations may achieve significantly longer distances.
The map updates automatically every minute to reflect the latest received data.