Re: [Technical Queries] Request for sample radio astronomy data for algorithm testing (1-3 GHz continuum or hydrogen line) (Sent by Alexander J Hanna, alexjhanna@gmail.com)

[Dr. Rich Russel]

All,

Interesting project!

Rich

On Friday, January 2, 2026 at 08:11:43 PM MST, David Westman <david_...@iinet.com> wrote:

Hello Rich,

I received this from Alex Hanna by way of the Technical Focal address.   This looks like a very useful project which needs to be publicized to all SARA members and the results might go into the journal.   

Dave Westman

-------- Forwarded Message --------

Subject:	[Technical Queries] Request for sample radio astronomy data for algorithm testing (1-3 GHz continuum or hydrogen line) (Sent by Alexander J Hanna, alexj...@gmail.com)
Date:	Fri, 2 Jan 2026 22:01:58 -0500 (EST)
From:	Contact form at Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers <webm...@radio-astronomy.org>
Reply-To:	alexj...@gmail.com
To:	david....@engineeringretirees.org

Alexander J Hanna (alexj...@gmail.com) sent a message using the contact form at https://www.radio-astronomy.org/contact/Technical-Queries.

Dear SARA members,
I am working on an open-source celestial navigation project using radio sources (1-8 GHz range) for position/time determination from snapshot observations. The system uses template matching to lock high-definition radio catalogs (VLASS, GLEAM, NVSS) to "dirty map" images generated from antenna IQ streams.
To validate the algorithm on real amateur-generated data, I am looking for sample observation files from RTL-SDR or similar setups in the 1-3 GHz range (continuum or hydrogen line at 1420 MHz are both fine). Ideally, one or more of the following:

Raw IQ data (.wav, .bin, or similar) from a sky scan.
Processed 2D image or dirty map in FITS format (even low-resolution is OK).
Gridded visibility data or spectrum files if 2D is not available.

** Crucially, please include (or withhold if you prefer blind testing):**

Approximate observation date/time (UTC).
Approximate antenna location (lat/long, or even just city/country).
Pointing direction (RA/Dec or azimuth/elevation if known).
Frequency band and bandwidth.
Antenna type and any notes on calibration.

The goal is to test whether the algorithm can independently recover the observation location and time from the data alone by locking to the celestial catalogs.
Any shared files would be used only for non-commercial testing and algorithm development. I’m happy to share results or credit contributors.
Thank you very much for any help or samples you can provide!
Best regards,
Alexander J. Hanna
alexj...@gmail.com