‘Wide-band WebSDR is a web controlled receiver located at the amateur radio club ETGD at the University of Twente’ which can be used as a tool to explore frequency bands. Using the waterfall display, that graphically illustrates the signals across a frequency range, I quickly discovered through trial and error that the varying shades of purple showed where I could tune into radio stations. It seems as if the colour coded nature of the waterfall display attaches lighter shades of purple to stronger signals.
The waterfall’s visual take on frequency ranges and all the signals across its spectrum is quite intuitive and a lot easier to navigate than having to scan across bands, as you would on a traditional radio, in my opinion. It gives us more control to locate radio stations, jumping from frequency to frequency at will. I also found switching the view from waterfall to spectrum showed stronger signals using transients in place of colours.
Exploring this system, comprised of a Mini-Whip antenna and a homebuilt SDR board has been so insightful into the form of frequency spectrum in short-wave radio.
References
What is a waterfall display (2013). What is a waterfall display? [online] Amateur Radio Stack Exchange. Available at: https://ham.stackexchange.com/questions/889/what-is-a-waterfall-display#:~:text=A%20waterfall%20display%20is%20a,or%20strength%2C%20displayed%20over%20time.&text=Pictured%20in%20the%20image%20above%20is%20a%20number%20of%20signal%20traces. [Accessed 15 Feb. 2021].
Utwente.nl. (2012). Wide-band WebSDR in Enschede, the Netherlands. [online] Available at: http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ [Accessed 15 Feb. 2021].