

Radio Meteor Observation Bulletin No. 13                    September 1994


1. FORWARD SCATTER METEOR OBSERVATIONS

Observer: M. De Meyere
Location: Deurle, Belgium  (3 37' E, 51 00' N)
Frequency: 66.17 MHz
Transmitter Locations:
   Katowice, PR3,    Poland,   65.99 MHz, 14 kW, Distance 1100 km
   P. Neant, PR3,    Romania,  66.17 MHz, 40 kW, Distance 1400 km
   Czestochowa, PR3, Poland,   66.23 MHz, 20 kW, Distance 1080 km
   Gdansk, PR3,      Poland,   66.29 MHz, 40 kW, Distance 1100 km

Antenna: crossed Yagi, 4 elements, Azimuth 270 o (=East), elevation 30 o
   Antenna amplifier: 25 dB  max level  90 dBmuV
Receiver: commercial, Progresson 447A, TESLA, Bratislava
   Sensitivity: 8 muV for S/N = 26 dB  (300 Ohm)
Observing method: automated setup, 150 samples/second,  8 bit resolution.
   [Time and details of all individual meteor reflections are stored on file
   in the University of Ghent format  (Prometeos), and are available for
   further analysis. Reduction software for DOS and Windows available].

   Raw counts of reflections with a duration of at least 0.027 s
   during one hour interval starting at UT:
  

                            August 1994
                             Perseids
  Aug |
 1994 |   20h  21   22   23   00   01   02   03   04   05   06   
---------------------------------------------------------------
 1- 2 |   58   70   63   67   16%   5%  75  129  121   71   76   
 2- 3 |   56   63   63   49    1%   5%  95  111   94   48   54   
 3- 4 |   46   45   62   51    7%   4%  57%  78  102   42   47   
 4- 5 |   52   48   53   72   17%   1%  54%  83   66   56   53   
 5- 6 |   63   66   51   55   13%   3%  37% 136   91   67   79   
 6- 7 |   37   72   81   65   71   14%  19%  68% 107  100   70   
 7- 8 |   53   55   57   60    7%   1% 105  133   80   93  100   
 8- 9 |   67   95   68   71   24%   0% 114  129  143  107    -   
 9-10 |   80   91   99   59   39%   5%  73  152   90  116  102      
10-11 |   60  106   60   71   52%   2% 120  158  136  142  105     
11-12 |   69   84   68   93   10%   5%  82% 167  165  198  186    
12-13 |    -  142  107  110   73%  11%  95% 239  214  199  207   
13-14 |    -  110   95   97  100   68%  11%  30% 179  162  111   
14-15 |   62   88   72   73    7%   0%  31% 102   89   79   64   
15-16 |   79   69   56   44    4%   1%  52% 126  111   76   64   
16-17 |   54   64   48   49   30%   0%  34%  86   66   88   86   
17-18 |   73   82   57   57    6%   0%  52% 111  104   85   75   
18-19 |   67   69   78   56    2%   3%  75   85  140   87   51   
19-20 |   51   63   49   67    6%   1%  54   58  140   87   51   
20-21 |   44   58   59   67   54   13%   9%  21%  81   90   67   
21-22 |   48   64   48   45    2%   0%  40%  83   70   72   70   
22-23 |   43   66   44   89    3%   6%  44%  92   70   74   54   
23-24 |    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -   
24-25 |   64   74   74   55    4%   6%  82   99  112   72    -   
25-26 |   47   78   62   45    4%   3%  54   90   97   93   88   
26-27 |   55   66   44   49    6%  13%  59   74   88   83  100   
27-28 |   68   89   67   77   59    2%   3%  64% 120   95   68   
28-29 |   80   65   53   47   40    2%  52%  93   94   97   78   
29-30 |   39   42   60   49   26%   1%  25%  91  103   73    -   
30-31 |   56   56   55   49   32%   0%  59   77   81   83   81   
31- 1 |   55   66   57   56    9%   1%  41%  92   80   81   71   
------|--------------------------------------------------------
 1994 | 20h  21   22   23   00   01   02   03   04   05   06   
  Aug

  Aug |
 1994 |    8h   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   
-----------------------------------------------------------------
   11 |  106  102   89  140  102   82   63   66   34   73   56  
   12 |  248  349  313  229  186  139  132  157   94  112  139   
   13 |  215  250  144    &    &    &    &    &    &  110   91


Notes:

 . % : transmitter outage during the whole hour or a part of it. Low counts 
   indicate that no other interference, which could be confused with meteors, 
   is picked up.
   Few transmitters are broadcasting between 2h-4h local time
   (Sat-Sun 3h-5h local time) or sometimes longer. (When summer hour is 
   in use: local time = UT + 2h).

 . & : manually eliminated for direct reception.

 . The Perseids' new peak can be seen in the daytime data of Aug 12 between 
   8 h and 12h UT. Its intensity is lower than last year.   
   This period of high activity is confirmed by Paul Vauterin, based on the 
   observations at the University of Ghent, as well as by several radio- 
   amateurs:  

   "Maximum was on 12 August between 8h UT and 13 h UT.
   Jacques ON4AVJ (Belgium)."

   "Max activity during diurnal(?) peak, 12 Aug, around 11h00-11h30 UT.
   Silvio IW1AZJ (Italy)."

   "The 1st maximum seems to be at 12 Aug  09h-11h UT. 
   A second peak was around 12 Aug 22h UT to 13 Aug 04h UT.
   Guido  DL8EBW  (Germany)."      

   "For me the best activity was around 11h00 UT 12 Aug 1994.
   Jacob  IC8FAX (Island of Capri)."

   Peter Brown reported a visual outburst on August 12, lasting from 9h30 UT 
   to 11h00 UT (IAU Circular 6052 of Aug 12).
   The classical Perseid maximum took place on Aug 13 at 3h UT.

      M. De Meyere / C. Steyaert


2. PUBLICATION

" World Radio & Television Handbook", 1994 edition,
edited by Andrew G.Sennit, 599 pp., softbound.
1994 Billboard Books, ISBN 0-8230-5925-1, price approx 45 USD.
BPI Communications, 1515 Broadway, New York 10036, NY, USA.

This book contains country-by-country listings of long, medium and 
shortwave transmitters by frequency, time and language. Addititionally it 
provides the reader with information about:
  
  . world satellite broadcasts;
  . addresses of broadcasting organizations and DX Clubs;
  . receiver test reports.

This book appears annually and is the major information source for 
identifying FM stations contributing to forward scatter.

      Jeroen Van Wassenhove


3. ABOUT THE RMOB

The RMOB is an independent initiative of some workers in the field of radio
meteor scatter observations and data reduction. It started in August 1993
in order to spread rapidly the Perseid results via E-mail. Since then, it
has appeared monthly, and has gradually been expanded.

Typically it contains: summaries of recent observations, first results of
stream activity by radio methods, relations between radio and optical meteors,
references to other publications in the field of meteor astronomy and radio
scatter techniques, announcements of meetings, short questions and answers,
non-commercial (second hand) sale of radio equipment, available software.

Contributors are mentioned, and interested persons are asked to contact them
directly.

RMOB can be copied freely in unabridged and unmodified form. Extracts should 
indicate the source (Radio Meteor Obs Bulletin, month and year).

If you want to subscribe (or unsubscribe) to the E-mail distribution list,
please send a message to C. Steyaert.
Those not having access to E-mail can obtain a printed copy free of charge
from J. Van Wassenhove (current or backissues).


4. CONTRIBUTORS / USEFUL ADDRESSES

Peter Brown
Dept. of Physics, University of Western Ontario
London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
tel: +1 519 679 2111  ext. 2111
E-mail: peter@canlon.physics.uwo.ca

Maurice De Meyere
Hullekensstraat 24, B 9831 Deurle, Belgium
tel: +32 (9) 282 35 26
Call: ON4NU,  packet: ON4NU@ON4AWP
E-mail: via Chris Steyaert

Chris Steyaert, VVS
Kruisven 66, B 2400 Mol, Belgium
tel: +32 (14) 31 51 04
fax: +32 (14) 22 13 73
E-mail: steyaert@vvs.innet.be

Jeroen Van Wassenhove, VVS Working Group Meteors - Radio Section
's Gravenstraat 66, B 9810 Nazareth, Belgium
tel: +32 (9)385 61 09
E-mail: 100101.734@compuserve.com

Paul Vauterin, University of Ghent, Astronomical Observatory
E-mail: paul@izar.rug.ac.be

--
Christian Steyaert            (RMOB9408)                  6 September 1994
--
