8 replies to this topic

[S.Boerner]

As the topic title says is anybody using Echoes v.0.26 for detecting meteors with an SDR dongle?  Have you had any success and if so, and if you are in the United States, what frequency are you using and where is your antenna pointing?

 

URL to Echoes: 

     https://sourceforge....rojects/echoes/

 

TIA.

[lthughes]

I've played with Echoes, but haven't found a good frequency for it on the west coast. Livemeteors.com is in DC and uses a couple of Ontario based analog TV stations (see link).

[S.Boerner]

Just wondering how Echoes was going to work before I spent some time trying to figure it out.

 

The powerful Canadian stations have apparently gone away if I'm reading https://www.fcc.gov/...vision/tv-query correctly. 

 

I've used a combination of SDR# and Argo with success in the past using pilot carriers Memphis, Rock Island, North Platte, and Rapid City and they are all still up but they're not going to be any help for you.

 

There may be a Channel 5 pilot at 76.31Mhz in San Bernardino or Cotati that might work from looking at the fcc.gov URL above.

[bob71741]

I've used SNOTEL (40.67MHz) in the past, but moved away from it due to high Es in the summer time, and the fact that NAVSPASUR (216 MHz) gave me better signal with a much smaller antenna.

 

Now NAVSPASUR is long gone along with the analog TV stations and it may be time to revisit SNOTEL. For your location in Missouri, you can get signal from SNOTEL and SCAN, which is located in your neck of the woods; for SNOTEL you need to point to Utah/Idaho.

 

I used a MOXON antenna for SNOTEL,which is a folded two element Yagi, with good success. Google SNOTEL/SCAN for more info and see this website as well:   http://www.roswellme...gi__snotel.html

 

SNOTEL meteor scatter is a funky staccato sound due to the PSK modulation scheme.

[S.Boerner]

I've used SNOTEL (40.67MHz) in the past, but moved away from it due to high Es in the summer time, and the fact that NAVSPASUR (216 MHz) gave me better signal with a much smaller antenna.

 

Now NAVSPASUR is long gone along with the analog TV stations and it may be time to revisit SNOTEL. For your location in Missouri, you can get signal from SNOTEL and SCAN, which is located in your neck of the woods; for SNOTEL you need to point to Utah/Idaho.

 

I used a MOXON antenna for SNOTEL,which is a folded two element Yagi, with good success. Google SNOTEL/SCAN for more info and see this website as well:   http://www.roswellme...gi__snotel.html

 

SNOTEL meteor scatter is a funky staccato sound due to the PSK modulation scheme.

Pretty much everything I know about radio meteor detection came from K0LGI's various pdfs and email conversations.

 

Thanks for your reply!

[Matt78]

I have tried Echoes some, and it seems really promising, but I found that, on my machine at least, it isn't stable for more than an hour or two before it crashes.

[WernerRoland]

I've been using Echoes both the Linux version (under Linuxmint) and Windows version. It's finicky to use, easily tripped up. I have a post on setting it up and another on unfreezing it (which it occasionally does.) But it is fun to hear that ping in your house ;-) Check my profile for link.

[S.Boerner]

The link was a big help.

[WernerRoland]

Glad to hear. One of the reasons I started that blog was to help others, and as a future reference for myself.