HF Communications
Current Propagation Conditions
Aurora Forecast Aurora - Alaska Geophisycal Institute
Aurora 30-Minute Forecast NOAA
HF/VHF Propagation Maps (click on Yukon to see current conditions)
Reverse Beacon Network
WSPRNet
HF Propagation Map - worldwide activity from the last 15 minutes
VOACAP Online for Ham Radio - forecast propagation between Whitehorse and any world location
HF or Shortwave
HF communications (high frequency), sometimes called shortwave, enables operators to connect with each other from down the road to around the world using HF propagation. see video below. HF communicatons goes back to the early days of amateur radio yet today is on the leading edge of technological development with sophisticated microchips and software.
YARA members are active HF users, with radios ranging from simple QRP low power transceivers and wire antennas to the latest SDR (software defined radio) transceivers, some with powerful amplifiers, using CW, voice, email, and the latest digital modes such as FT8 and JS8Call. They operate from their homes, mobile, and portable while backpacking and from mountain tops. See some of the equipment and pictures further down the page.
Source: Wikimedia.org
Understanding HF Propagation Youtube 40 minutes Radio Society of Great Britain
Understanding NVIS Youtube 19 minutes Rohde Schwarz
Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)Radio operators sometimes experience difficulties in HF communications because of background noise covering the desired transmissions. Sometimes this occurs from natural events like the aurora. Other times it is caused by human activity RFI from power lines and electronic devices. RFI during a power outage
Radio Nets
Some members check into various HF radio Nets which are operated though the week. Many Nets are part of emergency prepareness exercises.
Alaska Nets
Canadian Nets
Some Radios that YARA members use
MFJ-9020, 20 METER CW TRANSCEIVER
Ubitx
Yaesu FT-817
Icom IC-705
Yaesu FT-891(G)
Icom IC-706MKIIG(G)
Icom IC-7100
Yaesu FT-450D
Yaesu FT-991
Kenwood TS-520S
Kenwood TS-570S(G)
Icom IC-7300
Icom IC-7610
Elecraft K2
Misc Pictures and videos
Portable HF, Fish Lake Road
Operation Nanook 1
Operation Nanook 2
Operation Nanook 3
Operation Nanook 4
Operation Nanook 5
JOTA
EMO YARA Trailer Youtube 3 minutes
VY1MAB (Mark) operating from home Youtube 2minutes