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(meteorobs) Use of Radio Meteor data

Dear Radio Meteor Observers,

I am a ham radio operator and have a Radio Meteor setup running 24 hours a 
day in central Florida. This is a fully automated system monitoring the TV 
channel 4- video carrier (67.240 Mz). A computer controlled "Icom PCR-1000" 
receiver has been modified to bring out a signal from the RSSI line to a 
control box and then into a "DATAQ" Analog to Digital Converter, then to my 
computer. The receiver audio output uses Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to 
greatly reduce lightning and other random noise. This audio is also fed 
into the control box where it is used to control the record threshold level 
of the RSSI voltage into the DATAQ converter, thus recording data only when 
there is a clean meteor reflection.

Before further refining the hardware and software of this station it would 
be helpful to have a better understanding of the final use of the recorded 
data. It has been interesting to look at the data stored on the RMOB site 
-- http://www.rmob.org/ -- and other sites but so far I have been unable to 
find much information about how this data is actually being analyzed for 
practical use.

I am aware of some of the most common things that affect the purity of 
data, such as lightning (and local electrical noise), enhanced propagation 
(Es, tropo and other weather factors), as well as daily and yearly 
variations in sporadic events. What other factors may cause variations in 
the recorded data? Does space weather (solar activities) affect radio 
meteor count? Has any study been done on possible effects of "eleven year" 
sun spot cycles?

I take it that one of the main uses of the data is to help define the 
various meteor streams throughout the year. How has it been used to study 
other aspects of meteors? Has it been used to study sporadic meteors 
(excluding the stream meteors)? What methods have been used in analyzing 
the raw data?

What parameters are most useful to record for future analysis; events per 
hour, duration of all events per hour, strength of each event, power (area 
under the curve), or what others? This information would be helpful in 
redesigning the software being used here.

A discussion on this mailing list of these and related subjects would be 
appreciated as well as references to existing Web sites and printed 
literature that would deal with actual and possible uses of the radio 
meteor data.

Thank you very much,

(Bob)
Robert E. Meyer
Sebring FL
Ham Radio: WA0NZI
27.52N, 81.42W


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