PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATIONS

7/19/11

Very Low Frequency

Refers to radio frequencies (RF) in the range of 3 to 30 kHz.
There is not much bandwidth in this band of the radio spectrum.
Very long wave transmitters work in the frequency range between 10kHz and
30kHz.

use digital
submarines

signals

to

communicate

with

submerged

The very long wave transmitters, SAQ in Grimeton and Varberg in Sweden can
be visited by public at certain times.
There are also stations, which work in the frequency range under 10 kHz.
Bands overlap the AF (audio frequency) spectrum, which is approximately 20
20,000 Hz. Sounds are transmitted by atmospheric compression and expansion,
and not by electromagnetic energy.
Early in the history of radio engineering within the band starting from 20 kHz
attempts were made to use radiotelephone using amplitude and single-sideband
modulation.
August 1963 In the USA, the time signal station WWVL began transmitting a 500
W signal on 20 kHz in.
It used Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) to send data, shifting between 20
kHz and 26 kHz.
July 1972, The WWVL service was discontinued.
Many natural radio emissions, such as whistlers, can also be heard in this band.

VLF Method
Basic Concept

The VLF method uses powerful remote radio transmitters set up in different parts of the
world for military communications (Klein and Lajoie, 1980).
The radiated field from a remote VLF transmitter, propagating over a uniform or
horizontally layered earth and measured on the earth's surface, consists of a vertical
electric field component and a horizontal magnetic field component each perpendicular to
the direction of propagation.
These radio transmitters are very powerful and induce electric currents in conductive
bodies thousands of kilometers away.
Under normal conditions, the fields produced are relatively uniform in the far field at a
large distance (hundreds of kilometers) from the transmitters.
The induced currents produce secondary magnetic fields that can be detected at the
surface through deviation of the normal radiated field.

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PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATIONS

7/19/11

The VLF method uses relatively simple instruments and can be a useful reconnaissance
tool. Potential targets include tabular conductors in a resistive host rock such as faults in
limestone or igneous terrain.
The depth of exploration is limited to about 60% to 70% of the skin depth of the
surrounding rock or soil.
the high frequency of the VLF transmitters means that in more conductive environments,
the exploration depth is quite shallow
for example, the depth of exploration might be 10 to 12 m in 25-m material.
Additionally, the presence of conductive overburden seriously suppresses
response from basement conductors, and relatively small variations in overburden
conductivity or thickness can themselves generate significant VLF anomalies.
For this reason, VLF is more effective in areas where the host rock is resistive and
the overburden is thin.

Application
They are also used for radio navigation (alpha) and for the transmission of time
signals (beta).
Only the very simplest signals are used, such as for radio navigation.
Frequency range is used nowadays for the transmission of instructions to
submerged submarines (for example with the transmitter DHO38).
They are used to communicate with submarines near the surface. (ELF is used
for fully submerged vessels.)
The frequency range under 30 kHz also is used for time signals and radio
navigation beacons.
VLF is also used in electromagnetic geophysical surveys. these are actually very
high frequencies.
Submarine communication, avalanche beacons, wireless heart rate monitors

Disadvantage
Can penetrate water only to a depth of roughly 10 to 40 metres (30 to 130 feet),
depending on the frequency and the salinity of the water.
Radio waves can penetrate some dozen of meters in sea water in this frequency
band.
Because of the low bandwidth available it is not possible to transmit audio
signals, therefore all messaging is done with alphanumeric data at very low bit
rates.

Details of VLF submarine communication methods

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PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATIONS

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High power land-based transmitters in countries that operate submarines send

signals that can be received thousands of miles away.
Transmitter sites typically cover great areas (many acres or square kilometres),
with transmitted power anywhere from 20 kW to 2 MW.
Submarines receive the signal using some form of towed antenna which floats just
under the surface of the water.
for example a BCAA (Buoyant Cable Array Antenna).
Modern receivers, such as those produced by Detica, use sophisticated digital signal
processing techniques to remove the effects of atmospheric noise (largely caused by
lightning strikes around the world) and adjacent channel signals, extending the useful
reception range.

Three types of modulation

1. OOK / CWK: On-Off Keying / Continuous Wave Keying. Simple Morse
code transmission mode where carrier on = mark and off = space.
2. FSK: Frequency-shift keying. The oldest and simplest form of digital radio data
modulation. Frequency is increased by 25 Hz

from the carrier to indicate a binary 1 and reduced by 25 Hz to indicate

binary 0. FSK is used at rates of 50 bit/s and 75 bit/s.

3. MSK: Minimum-shift keying. A more sophisticated modulation method that uses

less bandwidth for a given data rate than FSK. This is the normal mode for
submarine communications today, and can be used at data rates up to 300 bit/sor about 35 8-bit ASCII characters per second (or the equivalence of a sentence
every two seconds) a total of 450 words per minute.
Two alternative character sets may be used: 5-bit ITA2 or 8-bit ASCII.
Because these are military transmissions they are almost
always encrypted for security reasons.

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VLF Technology
Very low frequency (VLF), also known as induction balance, is probably the most
popular detector technology in use today. In a VLF metal detector, there are two distinct
coils:

Transmitter coil - This is the outer coil loop. Within it is a coil of wire.
Electricity is sent along this wire, first in one direction and then in the
other, thousands of times each second. The number of times that the
current's direction switches each second establishes the frequency of
the unit.

Receiver coil - This inner coil loop contains another coil of wire. This wire
acts as an antenna to pick up and amplify frequencies coming from
target objects in the ground.

Very Low Frequency (VLF) Stations

Standard communications receivers do not receive signals that low in frequency.

most antennas used with standard communications receivers are optimized for
higher frequencies and perform poorly in the VLF spectrum.
few Radio Amateurs or shortwave listeners have ever heard VLF signals and
most know very little about the large number of stations in that part of the
spectrum.
those stations are used for, or the nature of VLF radio signal propagation.
because VLF receivers and receiving antennas are easy to construct, the VLF
spectrum attracts a small number of curious and sometimes very dedicated VLF
listeners.
Signals from powerful VLF stations can be received worldwide.
The primary function of most VLF stations is to communicate with submerged
military submarines or help them navigate underwater.

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