The RSGB’s legacy committee has agreed a submission for funds to advance the above study.

The new funds will allow an extension to the original Campaign, which is to be titled 'Noise Floor Study', and will include university involvement.

To further the Campaign, part of this initiative requires more input devices scattered around the U.K. The suggested Rx. is the Sentinel SDR Rx. and an active aerial, both sold by Cross Country Wireless.

Ideally there should be at least one Rx. in a quiet/Rural location, so that comparisons can be made with more noisy locations, and as a basis for final analysis.

One of the reasons why more Rx’s are not in the field right now I guess is, the price; both the Rx. and the aerial cost around £169.00 each plus P+P. The controlling software runs on Windows XP or Windows 2000, so older PCs/Laptops can be utilized. Perhaps groups such as affiliated societies could consider purchasing the units, to install and maintain them as a group project.

As part of the legacy funding, a web site will be established to at least display the Sentinel reported noise levels on 5 different QRG’s, each site will report their readings every 10 minutes. The display will be in the form of a U.K. map with the Rx. sites marked at the correct location with the readings. There may be other outputs, which are in the discussion process.

All that is needed is more data gathering Rx’s in all sorts of noise environments, to advance Radio Amateur’s in the general publics and scientific communities, ethos. Participation will also provide those participants with another fulfilment of the licence, and that is the gaining of knowledge through the study of the radio environment.

RSGB Annoucement - http://rsgb.org/main/technical/propagation/noise-floor-study/