High frequency (HF) communications have an important role in long distances wireless communications. This frequency band is more important than VHF and UHF, as HF frequencies can cut longer distance with a single hopping. It has a low operation cost because it offers over-the-horizon communications without repeaters, therefore it can be used as a backup for satellite communications in emergency conditions. One of the main problems in HF communications is the prediction of the propagation direction and the frequency of optimum transmission (FOT) that must be used at a certain time. This paper introduces a new technique based on Oblique Ionosonde Station (OIS) to overcome this problem with a low cost and an easier way. This technique uses the international shortwave radio stations and the global beacons as the OIS transmitter and a normal HF receiver as the OIS receiver to verify the direction of propagation and the FOT. In addition, the critical frequency for F2 layer (fof2) was estimated in this paper for Iraq experimentally. The proposed technique was tested practically, and FOT range between Baghdad and other remote stations was estimated successfully using a radio receiver from Kenwood model R 1000 with a long wire antenna as a passive OIS system receiver.
