Kanga Barometer/Propagation Indicator

Coming Very Soon (Before Christmas 2025)

Some might dismiss this as the most boring kit they'll ever build — but if you're anything like me, you'll find yourself using it every single day. A simple barometer can reveal a surprising amount about the weather and radio conditions.

🌦️ Why Pressure Matters

•            High pressure often signals settled weather. In winter, it can mean crisp, clear cold spells; in summer, it usually brings sunshine.

•            Low pressure tends to bring cloud, rain, and unsettled conditions.

•            Rapid pressure changes are especially telling:

•            A sharp drop may indicate an approaching storm.

•            A sudden rise often means a storm is subsiding.

📡 Relevance for Radio Hams

For us in the amateur radio world, knowing the pressure trend is more than just meteorology — it’s propagation intelligence. VHF (above 30 MHz) and higher frequencies are particularly sensitive to atmospheric pressure. You may have heard of a “lift” — a phenomenon where signals bend or refract over long distances due to high-pressure systems. These conditions can dramatically improve range and signal clarity.

In the analogue TV era, high pressure sometimes caused interference from continental stations bleeding into local frequencies — a mixed blessing depending on your interests!

🔧 Kit Overview

The Kanga Barometer kit features:

•            LED barograph display from 985 mb to 1030 mb

•            Over/under pressure indicators

•            Reversible front panel: one side shows pressure, the other shows local propagation status

•            Low power consumption: most current goes to the LEDs; the BMP280 sensor and     ATmega328 controller draw only a few mA