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Re: (meteorobs) antennae
Hi, Tom. I remember you mentioning this $20 figure before, and I asked what
the specifics were on this cheap radio-meteors antenna? As a complete
radioneophyte (never even seen a Ham setup!), I understand the type of
antenna required is a "semi-directional" - I guess basically not circular
and not a whip.
I briefly spoke to a few radio equipment vendors around here, and heard
that most antennae of this type were only appropriate for a very narrow
band of FM spectrum: so before you bought one, you had to already know what
frequency would have the least amount of local noise, but still have an
appropriate transmitting station somewhere within the 200-500 km range...
In other words, you already had to have local radiometeor experience before
buying an antenna, unless you wanted to waste a lot of money!
This was the catch-22 that put me off buying a simple setup for radio
meteors myself. Is this pretty much true with all cheap antennae like you
mention?
Clear skies and airwaves,
Lew
At 11:45 AM 4/21/97 -0400, you wrote:
>Hello 1st,
>
>Receiving meteors at very low frequencies (VLF) is an understudied field.
>There are only a few experimenters attempting this. Indeed, meteors
>--mainly the occaisional *very large fireball*-- may cause a receivable
>very low frequency emission. But I don't think there are many papers on the
>subject.
>
>The common "satellite" dishes are designed for much higher frequencies and
>I don't think they have application in radio meteor work.
>
>Fortunately, for $20. ( twenty dollars) you can but a Radio Shack FM
>antenna that will be quite superb for working meteors at near optimum
>meteor frequencies. One could hardly do better than this specific antenna.
>
>Clear skies,
>Thomas A
>
>
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