Software Vault: The Diamond Collection/The Diamond Collection (Software Vault)(Digital Impact).ISO/cdr16/rmobs018.zip/RMOBS018.TXT

Text File | 1995-02-12 | 13KB | 308 lines

Radio Meteor Observation Bulletin No. 18                     February 1995


1. FORWARD SCATTER METEOR OBSERVATIONS


Observer:   Thomas Ashcraft
Location:   Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA   (35 42' N,  105 57' W)
Frequency:  87.65 MHz
Transmitter Locations: (still working to identify them: possibly two
               different transmitters)
Antenna:    Six element directional FM yagi (Radio Shack part # 15-1636A)
Azimuth:    80 degrees east of magnetic north   Elevation: 0 degrees
Receiver:   Sangean ATS-803A
Observing Method:  Recorded audio signal to stereo cassette tape with
            87.65 MHz signal on right channel and WWV time stamp on left
            channel. Count made while relistening to tapes and tallying meteor
            hits by the second.


                       January  1995
                        Quadrantids

Jan 3  | 18h   19    20    21    22    23
-----------------------------------------
Counts | a.   425   342   256   155   177


Jan 4  |  00h   01    02    03    04    05    06    07    08    09    10   11
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       |  79    39     b.    c.   36    37    103   91    93   122   112    d.

Jan 4  |  12h   13    14    15    16    17    18    19    20    21    22   23
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       | 129   126    88/e.  f.  114   110    81    99   125   119    54   34

Notes:

This was my second experience with recording forward meteor scatter. It is
interesting for me to see that the meteors drop off as the Quadrantid radiant
goes below the horizon and then pick up as the radiant rises above the
horizon again. Unfortunately, this below the horizon period was also during
the predicted peak of this year's shower.

a.  I didn't get tuned in well till this hour.
b.  I didn't realize that the Quadrantid radiant was below my local
horizon this hour and had wondered why I had lost the large quantity of
meteors of the preceding hours. I spent this hour trying to retune the radio.
c.  Not good data this hour. See b.
d.  62 meteors from 1129-1200UT. Did not tape from 1103-1129UT.
e.  Wondering if there were many more faint mateors during this hour.
f.  36 meteors from 1545-1600UT. Did not tape from 1500-1545UT.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Observer:  E.P. Bus
Location:  Groningen, The Netherlands (6 33' E, 53 13' N)
Frequency: 72.11 MHz
Transmitter location:
           Breslau, Poland, 120 kW, distance 740 km
Antenna:   Yagi, 3 elements, astronomical azimuth 106 degrees (ESE),
           elevation 12 degrees
Receiver:  Bearcat UBC 177XLT Scanning Radio, sensitivity 0.3 microvolt
Observing method: listening


                         Quadrantids 1995

 Raw counts of reflections during one hour starting at UT:

   1994 |
    Dec |   20h      23    0      1     2     3
 ----------------------------------------------
  30-31 |   76      120   131   187   184   214


  1995  |
   Jan  |   20h      23     0     1     2     3
 ----------------------------------------------
  3- 4  |  213      401   433   438   377   274
  6- 7  |   69      117   127   184   149   155


The most favourable antenna geometry for detecting Quadrantids is around
2h30m UT.

After correction for the Observability Function (after Hines) the maximum was
around Jan 4 at 0h UT, solar longitude 283.22 (equinox 2000.0).
For comparison, in 1994 on Jan 3 the observed radio maximum occurred around
19h UT, solar longitude 283.27 (equinox 2000.0)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Observer: Maurice De Meyere
Location: Deurle, Belgium  (3 37' E, 51 00' N)
Frequency: 66.17 MHz
Transmitter Locations:
         Katowice, PR3,    Poland,   65.99 MHz, 14 kW, Distance 1100 km
         P. Neant, PR3,    Romania,  66.17 MHz, 40 kW, Distance 1400 km
         Czestochowa, PR3, Poland,   66.23 MHz, 20 kW, Distance 1080 km
         Gdansk, PR3,      Poland,   66.29 MHz, 40 kW, Distance 1100 km

Antenna: crossed Yagi, 4 elements, astronomical azimuth 270 o (=East),
         elevation 30 o
         Antenna amplifier: 25 dB  max level  90 dBmuV
Receiver: commercial, Progresson 447A, TESLA, Bratislava
         Sensitivity: 8 muV for S/N = 26 dB  (300 Ohm)
Observing method: automated setup, 150 samples/second,  8 bit resolution.
         [Time and details of all individual meteor reflections are stored on
         file in the University of Ghent format  (Prometeos), and are
         available for further analysis. Reduction software for DOS and
         Windows available].

         Raw counts of reflections with a duration of at least 0.027 s
         during one hour interval starting at UT:

                                January  1995
                                 Quadrantids

   Jan |
  1995 |   20h  21   22   23   00   01   02   03   04   05   06   07
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
  1- 2 |   41   66   70   79   79   57   33  104   85   56   64   43
  2- 3 |   50   50   92   84   60   62   48   35%   7%  13%  21%  20%
  3- 4 |  129  165  229  234  269  242  289  362  312  184  148  188
  4- 5 |   42   46   90   46    1%   1%   1%   -    -    -    0%   -
  5- 6 |   29%   7%  14%   1%   4%   3%   1%   3%   2%   1%   6%   5%
  6- 7 |   44   49   39   29   49   29   28   34   39   37   34   28
  7- 8 |   48   37   32   22   25   26   25   42   36   43   30   26
  8- 9 |   55   45   52   42   29   31   32   43   39   31   51   59
  9-10 |   46   37   45   21   24   27   21   54   54   45   37   50
 10-11 |   62   43   24   40   39   39   53   73   86   66   55   51
 11-12 |   54   59   58   48   58   60   62   67   62   71   67   48
 12-13 |   51   44   51   45   39   36   37   47   47   31   37   33
 13-14 |   56   41   41   30   33   37   22%  38   33   46   41   32
 14-15 |   54   54   29   39   36   31   20%  28   29   46   40   45
 15-16 |   49   52   44   32   19%  23%  20%  45   41   46   45   59
 16-17 |   65   53   42   42   25   42   31   38   42   31   42   48
 17-18 |   38   36   39   29   22   41   23   37   35   29   15   27
 18-19 |   52   48   34   25   34   18%  26   26   32   30   29   53
 19-20 |   36   40   19   17   24   28   22   37   30   29   37    -
 20-21 |   28   43   35   20   26    9%  13%  22   24   23   41   24
 21-22 |   61   39   54   38   27   14 % 24   18   26   18   11   33
 22-23 |    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
 23-24 |   36   35   27   26   23   20   21   29   31   34   18   18
 24-25 |   43   33   18   23   19   15%  21   20   37   44   15   28
 25-26 |   35   33   37   35   16   16   17   32   28   31   32   22
 26-27 |   56   70   58   46   44   28   19   37   27   31   29   26
 27-28 |   37   44   34   26   23   18   32   42   28   24   27   28
 28-29 |   37   35   32   22   19   14%  14%  22   18   27   26   23
 29-30 |   34   44   39   27   30   24   17   37   37   37   39   31
 30-31 |   45   46   36   25   27   20   25   35   36   37   22   25
 31-01 |   51   28   32   25   38   15%  23   35   23   16   55   18
 ------|-------------------------------------------------------------
  1995 |   20h  21   22   23   00   01   02   03   04   05   06   07
   Jan |

Notes:

 . % : transmitter outage during the whole hour or a part of it. Low counts
       indicate that no other interference, which could be confused with
       meteors, is picked up.
       Few transmitters are broadcasting between 2h-4h local time
       (Sat-Sun 3h-5h local time) or sometimes longer. (When winter hour is
       in use: local time = UT + 1h).
       There seems to be change in transmitter situation after the shutdown
       period of Jan 5-6.

 . * : Quadrantids maximum on January 4, 1995 Jan 4 at 2-3h UT.


        Maurice De Meyere / Chris Steyaert

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Observer:    Ton Schoenmaker
Location:    Roden, The Netherlands (53.129 N, 6.444 E)
Transmitter: GB3LER, Lerwick, Shetland Islands; 144.965 MHz; 500 W ERP
             beacon transmitter without modulation, except transmitter
             identification in Morse.
Distance:    Roden - Lerwick 904 km
Receiver:    144-146 MHz convertor to 28-30 MHz with Sommerkamp FT250
             as post receiver; bandwidth 3kHz in SSB mode.
Antenne:     10 elements Yagi for 144 MHz; elevation 10 degrees;
             Geographical azimuth 330 graden (NW)

Observing method: registring the receiver signal by means of a Brown recorder.
             Simultaneously I listen, and check to see if no interference is
             recorder on the paper strip. If this happens anyhow, it is
             marked, and taken into account when processing the recording.
             The amplification is such that the noise band has a width of 3
             millimeter on the recorder. The paper strip has normally a speed
             of 9 inch per hour, but can be increased in steps up to 36 inch
             per hour when there is high activity.

          Observed (uncorrected) counts per hour starting at UT:

  3/4 Jan 1995

  17h  18   19   20   21   22   23   24   01   02   03   04   05   06
  --------------------------------------------------------------------
  60   72   89  107  119  145  179  184  183  182  185  190  159  144

  6/7 Jan 1995

  17h  18   19   20   21   22   23   24   01   02   03   04   05   06
  --------------------------------------------------------------------
  38   38   34    -    -   48    -   63   52   56   62   62   65   64


    Ton Schoenmaker / Chris Steyaert

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Observer: George J. Zay
Location: Descanso, California, USA (116 38' W, 32 50' N)
Height above sealevel: 1003 m
Frequency: 92.90 MHz
Transmitter Location: Flagstaff, Arizona   Distance: 538 Km
Transmitter Power: 100 kW ; 24h/day and 7 days a week
Antenna Type: 6 element Yagi, Geographical azimuth: 60 o, elevation: 45 o
Receiver: JVC RX-302BK Digital Receiver
Method of Observing: Listening


Raw counts of reflections during one hour interval starting at UT:

  1994 |   03h  04   05   06   07   08   09   10   11   12
 -----------------------------------------------------------
 07 Dec|   05*  11   09   10   16   13   26   32   25   17&
 29 Dec|    -    -    -   05*  15   25   42   34   13&   -
 -----------------------------------------------------------
  1994 |   03h  04   05   06   07   08   09   10   11   12


 & : first 30 minutes of the interval
 * :  last 30 minutes of the interval


  George J. Zay / Jeroen Van Wassenhove


2. ABOUT THE RMOB

The RMOB is an independent initiative of some workers in the field of radio
meteor scatter observations and data reduction. It started in August 1993
in order to spread rapidly the Perseid results via E-mail. Since then, it
has appeared monthly, and has gradually been expanded.

Typically it contains: summaries of recent observations, first results of
stream activity by radio methods, relations between radio and optical
meteors, references to other publications in the field of meteor astronomy
and radio scatter techniques, announcements of meetings, short questions and
answers, non-commercial (second hand) sale of radio equipment, available
software.

Contributors are mentioned, and interested persons are asked to contact them
directly.

RMOB can be copied freely in unabridged and unmodified form. Extracts should
indicate the source (Radio Meteor Obs Bulletin, month and year).

If you want to subscribe (or unsubscribe) to the E-mail distribution list,
please send a message to C. Steyaert.
Those not having access to E-mail can obtain a printed copy free of charge
from J. Van Wassenhove (current or back-issues).


3. CONTRIBUTORS / USEFUL ADDRESSES

Thomas Ashcraft
Santa Fe, New Mexico
E-mail: [e-mail]

E.P. Bus
Groningen, The Netherlands

Maurice De Meyere
Hullekensstraat 24, B 9831 Deurle, Belgium
tel: [phone]
Call: ON4NU,  packet: ON4NU@ON4AWP
E-mail: via Chris Steyaert

Ton Schoenmaker
Roden, The Netherlands
E-mail: [e-mail]

Chris Steyaert, VVS
Kruisven 66, B 2400 Mol, Belgium
tel: [phone]
fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Jeroen Van Wassenhove, VVS
's Gravenstraat 66, B 9810 Nazareth, Belgium
tel: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Paul Vauterin, University of Ghent, Astronomical Observatory
E-mail: [e-mail]

George J. Zay
3946 Paula Street
La Mesa, CA 91941, U.S.A.

--
Christian Steyaert            (RMOB9501)                    8 February 1995
--