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(meteorobs) Meteor Detection Test
As well as subscribing to this list, I am the project leader of the Ontario
DX Association's Meteor Detection Group. We are currently working on a
project for which we need the assistance of U.S. amateur radio operators as
well as anyone else who is willing to listen for our radio test signals.
The experiment will involve two Canadian amateur radio stations--VE3ACK in
Trenton, Ontario and XL3D in Zephyr, Ontario. To further identify the
stations, we hope to operate one station using female operators and the
other station using male operators. Each station will use a 1 kW amplifier
and a 3-element yagi. The two stations will be used to conduct a space
diversity test involving signals reflected by ionized meteor trails. The
stations will transmit simultaneously on 28.610 MHz (28610 kHz). Both
stations will beam the signal approximately south. Our primary target area
is enclosed by a westerly boundary line running from Toronto, Ontario
through Altanta, Georgia and down to the Gulf of Mexico; the easterly
boundary line runs from Toronto and intersects the North Carolina-South
Carolina state lines at the point where they reach the Atlantic Ocean and
then it continues southeastward into the Atlantic. However, we would be
pleased to hear from anyone who hears us outside this area. The test will
occur on Thursday, April 22--the peak day for the Lyrid meteor shower. The
calculated time for the radio peak is 1330 UTC. To allow for slight errors
in the calculation, we will begin testing 3 hours earlier at 1030 UTC. For
the same reasons, it is also possible that the peak will occur after 1330
UTC, so unless it becomes clear that we have reached the peak, we will
continue the test until 1630 UTC.
To help us with our test in April, we are looking for U.S. club or
individual stations which have a 1 kW amplifier and a beam antenna. Because
of the duration of the test, we have found from past experience that a
single station is best operated by two or three operators who operate in
shifts. Both Canadian stations will attempt to make contact with
participating U.S. stations. A record of received signals will be
maintained to determine how many meteors were common to both Canadian
stations. For this reason, we would ask U.S. amateur radio operators who
hear us but do not make contact to send a reception report. If you are not
a licensed amateur radio operator, we will welcome reception reports from
you.
Over the last several years the Meteor Detection Group has conducted
several experiments involving the radio detection of meteors. We have
conducted receive-only experiments on 14.670 MHz using the 5 kW time signal
from CHU in Ottawa, Ontario. To determine the possibility of using meteor
scatter propagation on the 10-, 15- and 20-meter amateur bands, last year
we successfully concluded 2-way tests on the 10-meter band with VA3EG in
Trenton and VE3SRE in Toronto from our test site in Ajax, Ontario. This
test was a short distance test using sporadic meteors (as opposed to the
shower meteors we plan to use in the long distance test this April). The
Meteor Detection Group has also been conducting tests to study the
relationship between visual and radio meteors. Several antenna-based tests
are currently underway.
The Ontario DX Association is a group of amateur radio operators and radio
enthusiasts (including shortwave listeners and FM and TV DXers). The ODXA
has been active for 25 years and includes members mainly in Ontario, but
also throughout Canada and the United States.
If you would like to participate or need further information, you can
contact me by telephone at 905-430-8201 (days) or 905-683-0330 (evenings);
by fax at 905-430-6884 or 905-683-8122; or by e-mail at
pgebhardt@compuserve.com
I look forward to hearing from you and hope that you can assist us in
successfully conducting our experiment.
P.S. Glad to see things are back to 'normal,' Lew. Thanks.
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