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Kit for Radio Based Meteor Detection


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I would like to set up a radio system to detect meteors using GRAVES. There appear to be quite a few success stories of members doing this here, so I am looking to you all for your assistance in specifying the kit required. As I understand it, I need an antenna, connected to an RTL-SDR dongle, plugged in to a PC that is running SpectrumLab. I then tweak everything and the software will recognise the radio frequency 'hits' as meteors burn up in the atmosphere. Is this correct?! Next question is the killer one: which antenna and SDR dongle are recommended for this kind of system?

I hope that you will be able to help.

Many thanks,

Gav.

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I used to run with a Yupiteru receiver but upgraded to an HDSR system and lost the audio "pings" and it also created too many false positives.

I would be interested in any tips to solve both.

TIA

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Regarding the dongle I have a couple of really cheap USB dongles that were given to me by club members. They had no success until they swapped them for the "Funcube Dongle Pro plus" SDR's . This was after I told them what I use.

My first antenna was a three element YAGI made from 15mm copper water pipe, mounted horizontally and angled upwards about 25 degrees.

I now use a six element Yagi. Somewhere I have a drawing of it and will post when I find it

144MHz_Yagi_Dimensions.png

Edited by Tomatobro
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Andrew has been a super kind soul with a very generous gesture that is going to be hugely appreciated by many many pupils. I will keep a thread updated with how the project develops, which hopefully will be useful for others thinking about starting radio meteor detection. Now cross everything for the build phase!!

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