Meteor Radio Project

[Bascombe Wilson]

Since 2016, Chip Sufitchi (N2YO), Ted Cline (N0RQV) and I along with several others have been working to design a meteor radio beacon network similar to BRAMS in hopes of having SARA (Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers) sponsor a network covering all of North America.

 We are now condutcing initial tests and would welcome your participation and feedback.

 I will post a paper with technical details and our proposal for the future, but for now, we have a beacon running on the 6 meter amateur radio band and we invite you to see if it is useful for meteor detection.

 The setup many use for meteor detecdtion is an RTL-SDR or AirSpy, with receiver software like SDR# or HDSDR, virtual audio cable, and an audio processing program like SpectrumLab or Argo, tuned to a TV carrier signal, digital or analog.  With that or a more complex receiver system, conclusions about meteor Doppler shift, relative intensity, and relative direction should be attainable.

 Our beacon test will run from now through 1200Z September 21, 2026.

Frequency:  50.0635 MHz

Emission Designator 150HA1A also known as A1A

Identifier each three minutes:  K0LTO-1 METEORS DN70KH

Continuous wave (cw) signal for 3 minutes, looped with ID

ERP: 35 Watts

Antenna: Moxon 8 meters AGL, favoring 180 degrees azimuth, but strong sidelobes

Transmitter Location:

40d 17m 51s N          105d 5m 19s W

 Please post comments and reports here or the SARA-List group.. 

We will have a preliminary report during SARA's Virtual Drake's Lounge Zoom session on Sunday, September 20.

 To contact the beacon sysop or to partner on the project:  jay.w...@vodec.net

Posted by Jay, W0AIR

[Robert Hipple]

Hi Jay W0AIR, I will definitely tune in from Michigan tonight, but I believe there are some HAMSCI members near your QTH.

Robert KE8UQv

[David Eckhardt]

Robert:

Yes, I am over a few rocks and ridges from Jay.  I definitely receive the carrier with 25 to 30 dB of SNR.  This afternoon, before the thunder storms moved in, I was also receiving meteors and. of course, aircraft scatter from Jay's transmitter  (too close to DIA east of Denver!!).  My location is:  40  16  36.80 N     105  13  0.16 W.  That should put you in my "antenna patch".   

Dave - WØLEV

Faith, Hope, and Love abide, but the greatest of these is LOVE

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[Ciprian Sufitchi]

Great work Jay! I am quite far from your transmitter, but I tried to listen to the beacon anyway. I am located 1470 miles from you, and to record meteor pings, the burning should occur around 110 km altitude, which is the upper part of the normal meteor-ablation region. I did not get any trace of a signal yet, but while monitoring the TX frequency, I found meteor scattered signals from another beacon, on 50.066 MHz, which is with 90% accuracy W4NAR, Whitwell Mountain TN, about 480 miles away from me. This is good news, as that beacon runs only 50W of RF power.

My curent setup is 4 elements Yagi on 6 m band, poining West in your direction (W4NAR would require SW bearing).

 

73 de Chip N2YO

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[Robert Hipple]

Dave W0LEV,

If you are available Wednesdays 10-11, please join us at the Meteor Scatter Working Group!

https://scranton.zoom.us/j/286316405?pwd=QWdwMlFPbDlYeXg5ZDg1dmYzeFdCUT09

Zoom Meeting ID: 286 316 405

Passcode: hamsci

When

Weekly from 10:00 to 11:00 on Wednesday from Wednesday Sep 2 to Wednesday Sep 30 (Eastern Time - New York)

[Bascombe Wilson]

The  beacon test has been extended to run through 1800Z September 23, 2026.

Frequency:  50.0635 MHz

Emission Designator 150HA1A also known as A1A

Identifier each three minutes:  K0LTO-1 METEORS DN70KH

Continuous wave (cw) signal for 3 minutes, looped with ID

ERP: 35 Watts

Antenna: Moxon 8 meters AGL, favoring 090 degrees azimuth from Northern Colorado, but strong sidelobes

Transmitter Location:

40d 17m 51s N          105d 5m 19s W

 Please post comments and reports here or to the SARA-List group, or email:   lto.st...@gmail.com

[David Eckhardt]

THANK YOU for the extension!  I'd like it to remain ON.  Another "toy" with which to occupy my time.  

Dave - WØLEV

Faith, Hope, and Love abide, but the greatest of these is LOVE

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[Bascombe Wilson]

Link to project outline and reports: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/u153y984daeih1vmyqal2/AHgA4ryQTo6nfAdMv6yZ1nU?rlkey=h9midlr5f9y5b3snh4l00sy0m&st=dzy73oh9&dl=0

[David Eckhardt]

On your above slide, under "Transmitter" and since you're operating CW, PEP is really not appropriate.  Just state Watts.  For FCC and amateur uses, PEP applies to SSB modulation, not CW.

Dave - WØLEV

Faith, Hope, and Love abide, but the greatest of these is LOVE

On Wed, Sep 23, 2026 at 5:17 PM Bascombe Wilson <bascomb...@gmail.com> wrote:

Link to project outline and reports: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/u153y984daeih1vmyqal2/AHgA4ryQTo6nfAdMv6yZ1nU?rlkey=h9midlr5f9y5b3snh4l00sy0m&st=dzy73oh9&dl=0

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[Bascombe Wilson]

Thanks, David. You are always helpful.  I used the term PEP because that is what the current FCC regulation uses.  We usually do speak of CW simply in terms of "Watts" since output power and PEP are the same for a properly functioning CW transmitter, but  § 97.313 transmitter power standards refers only to PEP, not any other measurement of power, so I used the FCC terminology. on the graphic  There may be technical reasons for the FCC to use a single term for power, such as unintended non-sinusoidal emissions from a poorly designed or malfunctioning transmitter.  If you think it will be less onfusing, I can easily take out the PEP and leave just "Watts," since everyone here should know what that means.

[David Eckhardt]

OK.  But I, like the vast majority of hams, see PEP applied to SSB modulation, not CW.  I guess the FCC has pulled yet another one over on us without telling us.  So conform to our regulatory body, the FCC.  Leave it.  

After all, I've been a licensed ham for 66+ years and almost 80 years old.  I refuse to keep up with the latest "contributions" of all the newbies.  Mt. Evans will always be Mt. Evans and not Mr. Blue Sky.......  And then there is the organization that fashions our topographic maps.  Take off all the mines.  Remove all the Indian dwelling designations.  Why, after all no one has any interest in antiquity or old dirty and polluting piles of useless dirt............

Dave    

Faith, Hope, and Love abide, but the greatest of these is LOVE

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[Bascombe Wilson]

Beacon is transmitting now for second phase of testing, which is planned to last until October 10.  Purpose of test is long-term frequency stability and comparison of antennas as well as obtaining any confirmed reports of meteor scatter  Beacon transmits on 50.0635 MHz, 3 minutes of continuous signal followed by Morse ID which is "K0LTO.".  Transmitter is located in northern Colorado in grid DN70kh.  Power 50 watts. Two-element Moxon antenna currently pointing to the northeast from Berthoud, Colorado.   Please send meteor scatter reports, screenshots, questions or suggestions to:  lto.st...@gmail.com  or post in this discussion group.

[David Eckhardt]

Jay, while a Moxon is not highly directional, maybe 6 dBi of forward gain, most of the RF energy is radiated at or less than 50-degrees or so upward from the horizon.  Have you considered just a simple dipole?  I've always had good luck with simple dipoles for MS at 10 to 12 feet above soil surface.  

Dave - WØLEV

Faith, Hope, and Love abide, but the greatest of these is LOVE

On Thu, Oct 1, 2026 at 4:08 AM Bascombe Wilson <bascomb...@gmail.com> wrote:

Beacon is transmitting now for second phase of testing, which is planned to last until October 10.  Purpose of test is long-term frequency stability and comparison of antennas as well as obtaining any confirmed reports of meteor scatter  Beacon transmits on 50.0635 MHz, 3 minutes of continuous signal followed by Morse ID which is "K0LTO.".  Transmitter is located in northern Colorado in grid DN70kh.  Power 50 watts. Two-element Moxon antenna currently pointing to the northeast from Berthoud, Colorado.   Please send meteor scatter reports, screenshots, questions or suggestions to:  lto.st...@gmail.com  or post in this discussion group.

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[Bascombe Wilson]

Yes.  Our project plan is to use dipoles, however, the location are usng now has a Moxon installed, so that's what we're using.

[David Eckhardt]

I modeled a 50.06 MHz Moxon in 4NEC2 placed at 25-feet above soil surface with typical city lawn.

Whether you do/do not believe the gain figures, I don't - too high.  Remember they are in dBi which is roughly 2.2 dB below a dipole.  But that's the model.  

Dave - WØLEV

Faith, Hope, and Love abide, but the greatest of these is LOVE

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[Bascombe Wilson]

Thanks, David.  We never intended to use a Moxon for this project, but that was the antenna available.  Our project plan calls for dipoles. 

[Eric Nichols]

My new 2200 meter loading coil.  10 mh, Q of about 850.   This will go at the base of my inverted L.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/hamsci/CAODdWWF9QC_CP7bYQn%2BW5W4KRNjyB8JyVyzHG3ynstpYLcP05w%40mail.gmail.com.

-- 
Eric P. Nichols, KL7AJ
AlasKit Educational and Scientific Resources
138 Shenandoah Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99712
(907) 371-7120
www.alaskit.net
kl7...@gmail.com

[Steve Cerwin]

Dave,

11 dBi is not unrealistic for peak gain of a 2-element Yagi over ground. Depending on ground constants you can get 6 dB ground reflection gain. 11 dBi is 8.9 dBd. Take away 6dB ground reflection gain and that leaves the Moxon at 2.9 dB more than a dipole. I think your model is good. Well done!

73, Steve WA5FRF

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 1, 2026, at 12:02 PM, Eric Nichols <kl7...@gmail.com> wrote:



My new 2200 meter loading coil.  10 mh, Q of about 850.   This will go at the base of my inverted L.

On 10/1/26 08:37, David Eckhardt wrote:

I modeled a 50.06 MHz Moxon in 4NEC2 placed at 25-feet above soil surface with typical city lawn.

<image.png>

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/hamsci/1dcda5fa-7b47-4cf7-8c1d-55eaef449b92%40gmail.com.

<coil.jpg>

[Randy Frum]

As a side note... I think if you change your ground parameter to "Free Space" you'll find that the gain actually goes down considerably.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/hamsci/9FD63069-C5C1-4626-A774-3AF96BEEFDF4%40cerwinconsulting.com.

[Steve Cerwin]

Right! Reflection gain is why the ARRL quit publishing gain specs in antenna advertisements in QST decades ago. Too many advertisers were using measurements augmented by ground reflection, which is highly variable depending on frequency, ground characteristics, installed height, and height of the range antenna. 

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From: 'Randy Frum' via HamSCI <ham...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 1, 2026 12:49
To: ham...@googlegroups.com <ham...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [HamSCI] Re: Meteor Radio Project -- Text Extended

 

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