In sky-wave propagation, a 'one hop' path involves:

In sky-wave propagation, a 'one hop' path involves:

• A. An ionospheric path with a single reflection before reaching Earth.
• B. No reflections at all.
• C. Two ionospheric reflections before reaching Earth.
• D. Reflection from ground only.

Answer: (A)

Sky-wave propagation reaches beyond line of sight by bouncing off the ionosphere. A one-hop path means the signal goes up to the ionosphere, reflects once, and comes back down to Earth for reception. That single reflection defines one hop, giving a practical long-range link without additional bounces. If there were two reflections, you’d have two hops and a longer, different path. No reflections at all would imply you’re seeing a direct or ground-wave path, not sky-wave. Reflection from ground only describes a surface-wave scenario, not the ionospheric sky-wave path.

Sky-wave propagation reaches beyond line of sight by bouncing off the ionosphere. A one-hop path means the signal goes up to the ionosphere, reflects once, and comes back down to Earth for reception. That single reflection defines one hop, giving a practical long-range link without additional bounces. If there were two reflections, you’d have two hops and a longer, different path. No reflections at all would imply you’re seeing a direct or ground-wave path, not sky-wave. Reflection from ground only describes a surface-wave scenario, not the ionospheric sky-wave path.