(meteorobs) 1. Meteor observation 2. Odd light and synchronous radio capture

James Beauchamp falcon99 at sbcglobal.net
Tue Aug 23 19:32:50 EDT 2011


Tom, 
 
Those look like "hot pixels" from the CCD, concurrent with the noise.  Sounds like EMI getting to the CCD array.  
 
The CCD's could be sensitive to impulsive electrical noise.  If there's a transient noise source nearby with enough higher frequency components that make through the CCD voltage regulators and EMI filtering, the electric field in the CCD can be briefly more than it should, creating more dark current and a subsiquent "flash".  Those pixels with deeper than normal wells might be affected first.
 
The VLF noise sounds very impulsive, almost electric brush-motor like.  I would look into extra filtering to the radio and camera.  On mine, I put torroid coils on individual lines, as well as wherever possible for common mode supression on the camera video and power lines, including on the radio's audio and RF feedlines.
 
We have a neighbor with a really noisy pool pump, as well as a power line that goes berzerk.  I haven't seen any camera effects yet, but the radio gets saturated.
 
 
--- On Tue, 8/23/11, Thomas Ashcraft <ashcraft at heliotown.com> wrote:


From: Thomas Ashcraft <ashcraft at heliotown.com>
Subject: (meteorobs) 1. Meteor observation 2. Odd light and synchronous radio capture
To: "Global Meteor Observing Forum" <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>
Date: Tuesday, August 23, 2011, 5:10 PM



Last night I was recording the sky at VLF-ELF with my McGreevy WR3_E radio and
processed the audio of the time of a nice meteor captured on the all-sky video.  I could not detect
any obvious direct VLF-ELF emission from this particular meteor but went ahead
and posted a movie in any case. It has a nice VHF head echo.
http://www.heliotown.com/FBsvlf20110823_0948ut_Ashcraft.mp4

For me, more interestingly, there was a light and simultaneous "pop"
event on my all-sky camera video some seconds later ( most probably not
connected to the preceding meteor ). I cannot identify what the light(s)
might have been to make this synchronous "pop" ?  Normally I would
attribute this sort of "pop" with an electric system transient but in
this case my VLF-ELF audio was operating independently (on batteries,
and down the hill away from my observatory and power grid). It could be
some sort of coincidental "pop" or lightning sferic but I don't think so. I think
the "pop" was generated by whatever caused the light(s).  This makes me think it might
have been something like a "cosmic ray" event or something.  ??
Movie here:
http://www.heliotown.com/AnomalousVLF_ELF_capture_Ashcraft.mp4

Any information or explanation is welcome.

In the meantime I will file this "light/pop" in the unexplained folder.

Thomas in New Mexico
ashcraft (at ) heliotown.com


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