TheSura Ionospheric Heating Facility, located near the small town ofVasilsursk about 100 km (60 miles) eastward fromNizhniy Novgorod in Russia, is a laboratory forionosphere research.[1]
Sura is capable of radiating about 80megawatts at 4.3MHz, increasing to 260 megawatts at 9.5 MHz. The facility is operated by the radiophysical research instituteNIRFI inNizhny Novgorod.[citation needed] The Sura facility was commissioned in 1981.[2] Using this facility, Russian researchers studied the behaviour of the ionosphere and the effect of generation of low-frequency emission on modulation of ionosphere current. In the beginning, the Soviet Defense Department mostly footed the bill.
The frequency range of the heating facility is from 4.5 to 9.3 MHz. The facility consists of three 250 kW broadcasting transmitters and a 144 crossed dipole antenna-array with dimensions of 300 metres x 300 metres (1000' x 1000'). At the middle of the operating frequency range (4.5 – 9.3 MHz) a maximum zenith gain of about 260 (~24 dB) is reached, the ERP of the facility is 190 MW (~83 dbW).
56°08′37″N46°05′57″E / 56.1437°N 46.0991°E /56.1437; 46.0991