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(meteorobs) Conical-log antennas

Friends,

Just a quick resend to say I haven't heard from anyone in reply to my
questions, and wanted to try one more time before all Leonids break loose,
and I'll be "off-topic" for the duration...

I just discovered the conical log-spiral antennas (or TP antenna) as used
for Jupiter observations by the U of Florida Radio Observatory and am
awaiting a reply from them. While their TP's are for 10 to 40 MHz (and 8
meters tall!) and used primarily for 18 to 40 spectrum analysis, it struck
me that (after doing my math) if scaled one down in size (up in frequency)
I could have an antenna for 48 to 108 MHz - just perfect for Radio Meteor
work!

Anyone done this already?

Where can I find construction details?

Important question: Has anyone compared RM observations using the more
typical "Yagi on the horizon" (or slightly elevated) versus
straight-up/vertical/zenith reception? As an ex-amateur radio operator I do
understand some of the propagation/ionoshpheric geometry involved, but not
all ;-)

Why I ask: I'm working with a youth group on the Island of Olkhon in the
middle of Lake Baikal to start a village science center. (Actually in
between Irkutsk and Bodaibo... Nobody saw nothing...) While there are TV,
old Soviet FM, and "new European" FM stations at distances normally used
for the "Yagi on the horizon" method, they are not very high-powered... and
we are more interested in "over Baikal" - for both visual and radio
observations.

RA and RMO could be great winter activities as most everything is frozen
that stands outside very long (thereby precluding most biological science),
the skies are VERY clear, and better yet the nearest TV and radio stations
are 200 kilometers away! (Just about right for vertical antenna
orientation?) And if the old village soviet genset runs at all, they shut
it down at 11! I installed a photovoltaic system last summer for the
center. With no cordless telephones (no phones at all) and very few
computers - and with mountains surrounding Baikal - the place is about as
RF quiet as it gets these days! So RA for Siberian Villages is my winter
project! (I'll post a webpage soon which will answer the questions to that
one... The kids will post others more relevant...)

Thanks,

OJ

O.J. Lougheed, Founder, NerpaNet
Baikal Village Network http://www.nerpadot net
personal page: http://www.nerpadot net/en/friends/Lougheed

Please send no Word or other M$ files... the phonelines are slow, the
satellite modem even more so, and it's EXPENSIVE... and we mostly use
Macs...


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