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(meteorobs) BBC transmitter to illuminate Leonids
I have just heard from Jean-Pierre Lebreton of ESA/ESTEC that the BBC (more
correctly Merlin Communications, who operate their HF transmitters) are to
radiate a special carrier during the Leonids, to enable observers in the UK,
France and the Low Countries to visualise the event by radio.
The details are as follows:
Merlin Communications will radiate a 250 kW carrier on a frequency of
17640kHz from 20:00 to 05:00 on each of the nights of 16, 17 and 18
November. This will suit anyone in the UK or the Low Countries except
people within 50km or so of Wooferton where the direct path will be too
strong.
Although they are not radiating a special carrier around the 10am peak of 18
Nov, they do have routine transmissions (BBC World Sevrice broadcasts)
during daylight which will do the job perfectly. From 08:00 Wooferton
radiates on both 17640 and 21510 (the latter is probably even better) so the
storm peak will be well illuminated. Of course, cloud or daylight is *no*
obstacle to this method of visualising the event.
To visualise meteors by this method observers need a stable HF radio
receiver with SSB, USB or LSB modes and the software R_Meteor (free download
from www.ip.pt/coaa/r_meteor.htm) - note the underscore between the 'r' and
the 'meteor'. The web site has details of the method and the software has a
comprehensive help file to enable the system to be set up.
Regards
Bev
COAA, sítio do Poio, Mexilhoeira Grande 8500-149, Portugal
Tel 00 351 282 471180 Fax 00 351 282 471516
><> coaa@mail.telepac.pt www.ip.pt/coaa ><>
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