Radio Solar/Astronomy in 2024? Any new options?

[MalVeauX]

Hi all,

Didn't see a stickie with resources, but lots of Sol`Ex (awesome!) stuff recently here. Anyhow to the point, I'm curious about radio astronomy/solar, and would love to do some radio solar during some of my sessions. I've waffled on this in the past just due to the heavy entry point and not a lot of soft gentle beginner ways to follow. But maybe its different now in 2024? Maybe there's easy software for PC/Windows/Linux? Maybe there's affordable hardware? Or DIY hardware?

Anyone have a particular recent set of guides/links that are highly suggested for a beginner with solar radio? Or radio astronomy in general? I've searched up old stuff, but I'm curious about modern stuff that isn't 20+ years old at this point.

I know this may sound laughable to some, but really looking for a simple "buy this thing" and "install this piece of software" and be up and running just to have a learning platform. I have a lot of property and have the ability to build a large radius antenna potentially, to make it fun, but need to have a place to start.

Suggestions appreciated!

Very best,

[Montana]

We don't see much radio solar sadly Marty, perhaps Paul Hearn could help you in your quest, he is extremely knowledgeable and knows lots of contacts

https://britastro.org/sections/radio-astronomy

Alexandra

[bob71741]

MalVeaux - Here is a buy & fly solar flare monitor aka an SIDmonitor; SID = sudden ionospheric disturbance

https://solar-center.stanford.edu/SID/sidmonitor/

meets your criteria except for building the antenna which is a piece of cake.

[Hugh Philps]

I too have an interest in Radio Astronomy, I would love to be able to 'Hear' the sun to compliment my Ha images.
I have managed to capture some meteors on the 14th August, probably Pesiads but could be spradic.
This is by reflections from a beacon located in Mansfield, UK taransmitting a constant signal verticaly.
I am about 100Km away near Cambeidge. So I am afraid you would noyt be able to recive this signal in the USA.

Received during the day (14 Aug), these are screen grabs of the waterfall display. The display travels from top to bottom.
Only a faint beeb is heard on the radio at 50.408 Mhz CW-U. The audio can be captured and processed again.
The dotted horizontal lines are 5 seconds apart.

Image 1: Shows a very small meteor followed by a normal meteor a couple of seconds later showing a head echo and trail.
Image 2: An ionised trail of around 2 seconds.
Image3: A long trail around 5 seconds.
Image4: Possible breakup of meteor.

Equipment used SRDPlay RSP1B receiver, SRD Consol software, 1/2 wave diople 2.3 Meters in length and a Windows 10 laptop.
I still have much to learn in how to interpret the images.

Metors 14 Aug 2024.jpg (811.34 KiB) Viewed 377 times

[rsfoto]

Hi Hugh,

Looks good.

Your water fall moves vertically?

What program do you use for the Waterfall?

How far away is the transmitter?

[rsfoto]

Hi Hugh,

Just checked and your transmitter is only ~100miles or 160km away.

Maye you should try the GRAVES transmitter in France with the 145MHz band? Also the antenna would be smaller and you could build a Yagi antenna with 4 or 5 or 6 elements?

The GRAVES transmitter is ~500 miles away which would give you a better hiding of the transmitter and the antenna could be at an altitude of about 17°. At the moment your antenna needs to be pointing an altitude of about 51°.

My RMO is at an angle of about 9-10° and the transmitters are in average 1400 km away.