Feature Request: Skywave Propagation model

[MW0XDD]

Ionospheric propagation is missing , it would be af extreme use through the application of NVIS to facilitate contact over terrain. HF NVIS can operate from a near 0 distance out to 200miles given correct CF and MUF.

[dssrtfx]

I'd love if the PRC-117F had this. Solving bad VHF/UHF performance by switching to the HF bands would be fun when you've got to deal with large distances and elevation changes between you and your radio contact.
If we wanted to add some more complexity, we could add a mini-game to it: adjust the angle of your transmitter to get the right bounce angle to your distant contact. Have the available positions be Steep, Medium, and Shallow or something. It might be a bit too gamey, but I like it.

[mrschick]

Sounds very interesting indeed, this would solve the issue of not being able to contact troops that extended far away behind high terrain features without dumbing down the propagation model.

I'd love if the PRC-117F had this.

According to wiki the 117 can only go down to 30MHz, HF is just below that WL. The PRC-150 can supposedly go down to 1.6MHz and is an actual HF radio.

adjust the angle of your transmitter to get the right bounce angle to your distant contact.

I don't think that's necessary unless you use a directional antenna, afaik HF is usually propagated by a long wire antenna. If you used this sort of device, the antenna is parallel to the ground and transmits omnidirectionally, with the highest emission being perpendicular to the wire, so you'd only have to place this sort of "HF ground spike" while facing towards or away from the intended recipient to get best comms quality.

[dssrtfx]

According to wiki the 117 can only go down to 30MHz, HF is just below that WL.

I love to use 10m as a ham. It may not be as reliable for DX as the 20-80m bands, but it is indeed HF. If you want to find a dictionary definition that says otherwise, fine, but 10m has ionospheric propagation and that's the practical difference and that makes it colloquially HF and when operating you treat it like HF. Unless you want to really get into the weeds and talk about VHF/UHF tropospheric ducting, but no one wants that.

As for your second comment, talk about the things you got experience with. I've raised and lowered my antennas countless times to get different skip intervals, I've short skipped. I know how it works.

Can you bounce over a hill? No, it doesn't really work like that. But this isn't a study sim for radio, this is Arma. Gameify it to have people appreciate the nod to real-world propagation behavior.