(meteorobs) My radio meteor listening days numbered?

[David Entwistle]

In message <44C6026A.60006 at chebucto.ns.ca>, Michael Boschat
<aa063 at chebucto.ns.ca> writes
>Hi all:
>
>I did a test by tuning my meteor radio to 83.25, 83.24, and 83.26 MHz
>on AM mode and can *just * hear that new 100,000 watt station on 
>88.9 MHz as a faint choppy sound. I use 83.24 MHz on CW mode and 
>hear choppy static but no voice or music -- yet.
>
>My other alternative is to drop frequency to 67.25 (Ch.4) but 
>it seems no-one here in Halifax has a specturm analyzer to tune 
>my filter to that frequency and to do it by trial and error moving 
>the filter rod is a long shot.

Hi Michael,

If not a spectrum analyser, do you have access to a RF signal generator
capable of output at 67.25 MHz and a voltmeter of some sort? If you do, then
you could use your receiver to measure signal-strength and tune the filter for
minimum insertion-loss. Or, better still, minimum insertion loss and best
match, if you can get hold of a directional coupler and a 50 Ohm load too.

There are a couple of references on the web to accessing the received signal
strength indication (RSSI) from the R-10 receiver. It sounds as though the
RSSI signal is already presented on the ring of the external speaker socket,
in later versions of the R-10, but requires a modification(!) in earlier
versions. 

See the following sites for details.

http://www.dopsys.com/R10%20mod.htm

And on page 258 of a large, but interesting collection of documents document
relating all kinds of modifications.

http://pi4oss.ham-radio.ch/Mods/All_ICOM_mods_from_mods_dk_in_ONE_file.pdf

If you can't get hold of a signal generator, then there may be a 'bodge'
(technical term) using the local oscillator of another receiver as a source.
It's a long shot and I'd have to be pretty desperate to attempt that route,
but it may just work if you can find a second receiver with suitable local
oscillator, harmonic, or other spurious output.


>
>I'm ( hopefully ) moving Sept.1 back to the "bunker" as I call 
>it in this building which is on the ground floor facing NW. I don't 
>know if the radio will get many meteors or eliminate the station a 
>bit more. 
>
>
>When I move my visual and radio observing may be no more. :(

I hope not.


-- 
David Entwistle