(meteorobs) US Air Force Space Surveillance Radar - tuning in?

[Thomas Ashcraft]

Pat Branch wrote:
> Using the Radar power equation you should be able to calculate the 
> size of objects you could detect based on your antenna gain, the 
> radiated power (768 KW), the distance between you, the meteor, and 
> the station, etc etc....ok so it is not real easy!
>
> I would expect you would hear a few per hour at best (depending on 
> your minimum size resolution - which I would expect to be in the 
> fraction of an inch area)...but I'm not an expert on that. You might 
> try and coordinate your observation using a known satellite pass over 
> the Space Radar (or Amarillo). I happen to be pretty close to the 
> radar site (I'm in NW Fort Worth). 
>   


Thanks Pat.

I am still trying various combinations of filtering and tuning off 
frequency.  I think I heard a couple of meteors though they were not 
prominent. Although I get the radar tone strong I am wondering if I need 
better antenna gain to get actual meteor reflections? I am using an old 
tv antenna but I think other folks might be using multi element yagis 
that are made for 220 MHz.  Not sure about this.

In my research I found a very fine radio meteor page that gives info on 
the Space Surveillance Radar at :
http://www.k5kj.net/meteor.htm

I will update further if I come across more information.

Thomas in New Mexico