Auroral propagation monitoring. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Steve G4WCS · 11th Dec 2019, 8:21 am

Not quite vintage, although the radio to be used is, almost... and I know we are at sunspot minimum, but.

Ive always been fascinated with the aurora borealis, only seen it once visually but want to set up some sort of monitoring capability to alert me of its presence.

Once Ive been through the radio repair pile, Ill have a few spare 2M radios. Ive also a spare 5 ele yagi.

thoughts are to set the yagi up on a fixed northern heading, and set a radio up to scan the scandinavian 2m beacons, for signs of auroral reflection. any thoughts on whether this would be a go-er ?

Ive also re- found an article in 1982 sky and telescope that describes the construction of a visual monitor, using an RCA 931 photomultiplier tube, and an oxygen passband optical filter used for visual astronomy, but that's another future project.

HamishBoxer · 11th Dec 2019, 9:10 am

Sounds good,do we still have the Angus beacon I wonder as I used to monitor that?

Jon_G4MDC · 11th Dec 2019, 9:32 am

LA7VHF 144.451MHz near Tromso could be good for this?

There are many others - see the attached xls

G6Tanuki · 11th Dec 2019, 9:49 am

This is a good application for an old laptop and a SDR: you get the SDR to 'look' at the beacon-band and show the signals on a waterfall-display so you see the entire band-sector in a historic sense (on many waterfall-displays you can scroll-back for quite some time).

HamishBoxer · 11th Dec 2019, 10:24 am

Thank you Jon.

Steve G4WCS · 11th Dec 2019, 10:59 am

thanks. GB3ANG does appear to still be active, and its also on 1296, which could be useful. close to finishing the 23cm yagi off

https://www.ukrepeater.net/my_beacon.php?id=2053

Jon_G4MDC · 11th Dec 2019, 11:11 am

The all important cup of tea is present there!!

I agree that an SDR is a good tool for beacon monitoring. Even the cheap DTV dongle type is fine if the local environment doesn't overload it. Mine is OK but shows some distress if you stray too close to the 153 MHz paging band.

Remembering the unique sound of auroral signals I wonder how they would look in an SDR waterfall - a bit fuzzy I suppose.

Here is a useful page for Swedish Repeaters and Beacons. https://www.ssa.se/repeatrar-fyrar/

SK2VHF on 144.457MHz from Vindeln JP94TF seems the most Northerly on 2m.

Steve G4WCS · 11th Dec 2019, 11:50 am

Sports direct mug complete with weld spatter. Im still toying with a £13 sdr thing to play with

Jon_G4MDC · 11th Dec 2019, 12:07 pm

I doubt you would regret it. I bought 5 at about £6 each a few years ago.

I have given some away and still have 2 or 3 around doing general monitoring.
There's a PC in the shack down the end of the garden and I connect to it over Wifi using remote desktop. That brings back the waterfall display quite well but it does a poor job of audio. The bit rate keeps changing introducing nasty tonal effects.

RemAud is doing a better job at transporting audio.

g4aaw pete · 13th Dec 2019, 10:19 pm

Hello Steve

unfortunately radio and visual auroras occur at different times relative to each other.

This is covered in some depth here

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...page&q&f=false

Not a 'quick read' though.

Graham G3ZVT · 14th Dec 2019, 10:51 pm

"Can you find the frequency to locate the capsule or can't you?"

"Well, sir, in zones of visible aurora, you get transmissions in the sporadic E layer."

Ice Station Zebra (1968)

Terry_VK5TM · 15th Dec 2019, 12:59 am

You might find the links here useful:

https://rsgb.org/main/technical/prop...l-propagation/

11th Dec 2019, 8:21 am	#1
Steve G4WCS Heptode Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 632	Auroral propagation monitoring. Not quite vintage, although the radio to be used is, almost... and I know we are at sunspot minimum, but. Ive always been fascinated with the aurora borealis, only seen it once visually but want to set up some sort of monitoring capability to alert me of its presence. Once Ive been through the radio repair pile, Ill have a few spare 2M radios. Ive also a spare 5 ele yagi. thoughts are to set the yagi up on a fixed northern heading, and set a radio up to scan the scandinavian 2m beacons, for signs of auroral reflection. any thoughts on whether this would be a go-er ? Ive also re- found an article in 1982 sky and telescope that describes the construction of a visual monitor, using an RCA 931 photomultiplier tube, and an oxygen passband optical filter used for visual astronomy, but that's another future project.

11th Dec 2019, 9:10 am	#2
HamishBoxer Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK. Posts: 8,935	Re: auroral propagation monitoring Sounds good,do we still have the Angus beacon I wonder as I used to monitor that? __________________ G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S

11th Dec 2019, 9:49 am	#4
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 14,007	Re: auroral propagation monitoring This is a good application for an old laptop and a SDR: you get the SDR to 'look' at the beacon-band and show the signals on a waterfall-display so you see the entire band-sector in a historic sense (on many waterfall-displays you can scroll-back for quite some time).

11th Dec 2019, 10:24 am	#5
HamishBoxer Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK. Posts: 8,935	Re: auroral propagation monitoring Thank you Jon. __________________ G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S

11th Dec 2019, 10:59 am	#6
Steve G4WCS Heptode Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 632	Re: Auroral propagation monitoring. thanks. GB3ANG does appear to still be active, and its also on 1296, which could be useful. close to finishing the 23cm yagi off https://www.ukrepeater.net/my_beacon.php?id=2053 Attached Thumbnails

11th Dec 2019, 11:11 am	#7
Jon_G4MDC Nonode Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, UK. Posts: 2,015	Re: Auroral propagation monitoring. The all important cup of tea is present there!! I agree that an SDR is a good tool for beacon monitoring. Even the cheap DTV dongle type is fine if the local environment doesn't overload it. Mine is OK but shows some distress if you stray too close to the 153 MHz paging band. Remembering the unique sound of auroral signals I wonder how they would look in an SDR waterfall - a bit fuzzy I suppose. Here is a useful page for Swedish Repeaters and Beacons. https://www.ssa.se/repeatrar-fyrar/ SK2VHF on 144.457MHz from Vindeln JP94TF seems the most Northerly on 2m. Last edited by Jon_G4MDC; 11th Dec 2019 at 11:29 am.

11th Dec 2019, 11:50 am	#8
Steve G4WCS Heptode Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 632	Re: Auroral propagation monitoring. Sports direct mug complete with weld spatter. Im still toying with a £13 sdr thing to play with

11th Dec 2019, 12:07 pm	#9
Jon_G4MDC Nonode Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, UK. Posts: 2,015	Re: Auroral propagation monitoring. I doubt you would regret it. I bought 5 at about £6 each a few years ago. I have given some away and still have 2 or 3 around doing general monitoring. There's a PC in the shack down the end of the garden and I connect to it over Wifi using remote desktop. That brings back the waterfall display quite well but it does a poor job of audio. The bit rate keeps changing introducing nasty tonal effects. RemAud is doing a better job at transporting audio.

13th Dec 2019, 10:19 pm	#10
g4aaw pete Heptode Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Birchington Kent, UK. Posts: 596	Re: Auroral propagation monitoring. Hello Steve unfortunately radio and visual auroras occur at different times relative to each other. This is covered in some depth here https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...page&q&f=false Not a 'quick read' though. __________________ Regards Pete

14th Dec 2019, 10:51 pm	#11
Graham G3ZVT Dekatron Join Date: May 2010 Location: Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 18,724	Re: Auroral propagation monitoring. "Can you find the frequency to locate the capsule or can't you?" "Well, sir, in zones of visible aurora, you get transmissions in the sporadic E layer." Ice Station Zebra (1968) __________________ -- Graham. G3ZVT

15th Dec 2019, 12:59 am	#12
Terry_VK5TM Nonode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Tintinara, South Australia, Australia Posts: 2,342	Re: Auroral propagation monitoring. You might find the links here useful: https://rsgb.org/main/technical/prop...l-propagation/ __________________ Terry VK5TM https://www.vk5tm.com/