Proceedings with Extended Abstracts (single PDF file) - Radio ...

Figure 1. ST Winds at Piura (18 th Jan 2003). Height resolution (≈1km), range (2-15km).The BLT systems operate in Piura and Porcuya at 49.920MHz using the SpacedAntenna (SA) Technique (e.g., Briggs, 1984), and provide the three components of the wind(zonal, meridional and vertical) every minute. They operate in two modes (low and highmode). In low mode their resolution is 75m., while in high mode is 450m.The Piura system was installed in May 2001 its range coverage in low mode (Figure 2-left) is between 150 m and 3 km, and in high mode between 800 m and 8 km. The Porcuyasystem was installed in June 2002, its range coverage in low mode (Figure 2-right) is between300m up to 4km, and in high mode between 600m to 8km.Figure 2. BLT Systems installed in Piura and Porcuya. Left: Low Mode at Piura (22 ndMarch 2003). Right: Low Mode at Porcuya (29 th April 2003).3. Piura ComparisonIn Piura we have two systems that help us to validate the information collected by theBLT System, the Pilot Balloons and the ST System. The last system operates at the samefrequency as the BLT so we develop a “pulse generator box” to synchronize both systems, theBLT operates in slave mode and reduces its performance because it interferes with E-layerobservations [e.g., Chau et al, 2002] (80-120kms.) using the ST system.358