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Help with Spectrum Lab Settings


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I'm attempting to build my first meteor detector and need some help with setting up Spectrum lab.

I bought a Keedox RTL2832U+R820T receiver and have set it up as per the instructions on this post http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/220150-new-to-meteor-detecting/?p=2380107 (many thanks).

I've managed to get it working using HDSDR. Now I'd like to setup Spectrum Lab as it seems to be the popular choice and so I can compare my results against other detectors. I've just had a look at the settings in Spectrum Lab and though I'd start here rather then hacking random settings in and hoping to get it right.

Does anyone have a list of settings I should set (similar to the above post)?

Many thanks

Lee

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Hi Lee, glad you have things working now. As you've found the two S@N files contain conditional action script allowing detection almost out of the box. There are other conditional action scripts out there depending on what you want to do. I found that after a while detecting the first meteor trails and checking everything worked that I wanted to reduce the number of screenshots taken (to preserve some hard drive space mostly). More recently with 'The Admiral' I have been looking at the initial parts of a number of signals showing increasing and decreasing frequency, but that's deeper down the rabbit hole. Others are keen to record both the screenshots and audio. Some wish to send off their data to the Radio Meteor Observatory (RMOB). A lot of the learning is trial and error and I would say have fun experimenting, making mistakes but learning all the time and reading up as much as you want as meteors are a fascinating area of astronomy. You will produce your own data and compare with others and do this 24/7 regardless of the weather and in the comfort of your own living room. No more only being able to observe one night in five anymore and light pollution doesn't matter.

Initially Spectrum Labs can come over as very detailed (which it is) and this can be daunting but later it turns into a very flexible tool that you can use to explore detecting meteors with. The manual that comes with the software is a good start. I don't think you ever stop learning and I have come to regard meteor work as the most rewarding part of astronomy I have done, it's certainly the most cost effective by far :-)

Here are some links you might enjoy reading-

http://www.popastro.com/meteor/index.php

http://www.imo.net/ The IMO have a very useful pdf of showers due in the year.

http://www.dmradas.co.uk/Downloads.html

There's also a lot of SGL threads which you might find interesting too Lee, we are all learning together. Let us know how you get on.

Best of luck,

Steve

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Thanks for all your help. I've been hitting the "books" over the last few days and spending far too much time setting my system up (when I should've be working). I've enjoyed every minute of it!

The issues I had with my antenna were "height off the ground", and, after mounting it in the loft, everything started to work great!! (I'll have to get hold of a decent ladder and bolt it to the tv mast on my roof when I get a mo).

I've also managed to setup Spectrum lab and Colorgramme. I've tweaked the scrip in Spectrum lab to produce the Colorgramme format log file for a live feed from Spectrum lab to Colorgramme  and ftp'd on to the rmob.org website.

What a totally fascinating area this is. Many years ago, I used to create and install RFID software and systems which included manufacturing high frequency antennas (in fact, I dug some of old kit out of the garage to make my Yagi) , so this really appeals! - I'm looking forward to many many hours/days/months pouring over books (especially researching chirp sounding) and making up interesting antennae and the like :)

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Welcome to the fold Badger! The subject does have a tendency to draw one in  :smile: .

I use a horizontal Yagi in the loft, and I've found, particularly recently, that my background noise levels are well up, up as high as -84dB. I know that other folk's noise levels are below -100dB, so I'm deliberating whether to purchase a low noise antenna, or move it outside, which I'd prefer not to although it would be technically better, or both.  I'm not using the S@N design, but I put it together from another design. Using a dummy load at the end of the cable I'm getting -105dB-ish, so it has the potential to be low. Still, it's challenges like this that make the subject interesting.

Happy hunting.

Ian

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  • 3 years later...
On 27/04/2015 at 23:39, badger111 said:

I just found the Sky at Night Magazine config files for Spectrum Lab at http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/cd/config.zip and loaded them up. Worked a treat!!

Now I'm wondering if my homebrew 4 element 144mhz Yagi antenna is working okay....

This link is broken ?

I'm in the same position of wanting to use Spectrumlab aith a RTL2832U  based dongle and all the stuff I can find is funcube based.

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  • 2 years later...

Try these links 

https://www.blackwaterskies.co.uk/2019/01/radio-meteor-scatter-improved-spectrum-lab-conditional-actions/

https://www.blackwaterskies.co.uk/2021/03/radio-meteor-scatter-conditional-actions_v8/

the site link to the BAA doesn't work any more.

but the popular astronomy sight is very good for your first setup of spectrum labs.

https://www.popastro.com/main_spa1/meteor/

which contains the first listed conditional actions file to setup spectrum lab.

 

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